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Sixpence None the Richer

 
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Sixpence None the Richer

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Pop group

Sixpence None the Richer was already on its third full-length album by the time the catchy single "Kiss Me" began climbing the charts in 1999, a fact that surely surprised many mainstream pop listeners. The group— which includes lead singer Leigh Nash (formerly Leigh Bingham), drummer Dale Baker, bassist Justin Cary, and guitarist Matt Slocum—had already gained popularity as a Christian pop-alternative act when "Kiss Me" landed on episodes of popular youth shows Dawson’s Creek and Party of Five, and the high school film She’s All That

Sixpence None the Richer got its start in 1991 after Nash and Slocum met at a church the two attended in New Braunfels, Texas. Nash grew up listening to Patsy Cline and other older country music, and started singing in church as a youth. Slocum likewise got an early introduction to music, starting with piano lessons as a child. It wasn’t until he got a guitar for Christmas, though, shortly before his 15th birthday, that his interest in music gelled into something serious. When en route to a church retreat, Slocum (four years Nash’s senior) gave Nash a tape of a song he wrote. As a 17-year-old Nash (then Bingham) recalled in a 1994 interview with The Light-house, "We were on the way to a church retreat, on this church bus, and he came back and asked me to listen to ‘Trust, ’ which was on this little demo tape, with this other person singing on it, and just wanted to know what I thought of it. And, of course, I loved it."

Taking their name from the C.S. Lewis story Mere Christianity, the band connected with drummer Dale Baker near Austin, Texas, when Slocum was a college music student and Nash was still in high school. A self-recorded demo drew attention to the band (whose wispy pop is most often compared to influences like 10,000 Maniacs and the Innocence Mission), and led to its first record contract.

The band learned some hard lessons about the music business early in its career. Sixpence None the Richer inked a deal with Nashville independent label R.E.X. Records in 1992 and started out promisingly enough, playing clubs and opening for acts such as 10, 000 Maniacs and the Smithereens. While on R.E.X., the band released three albums—the acclaimed The Fatherless and the Widow in 1993, Dove award winner This Beautiful Mess in 1995, and Tickets fora Prayer Wheel in 1995—before watching their career stall when the financially-troubled label shuttered its doors. The band reportedly spent a year wrangling with the label’s corporate parent before it was freed to sign in 1997 with a new independent label, Nashville-based Squint Entertainment. The band, which moved its base from Texas to Nashville in 1996, became the flagship act for the label, run by producer and filmmaker Steve Taylor.

In November of 1997, Sixpence None the Richer released its self-titled Squint debut, an album that featured the work of legendary producer Bob Clearmountain. The album slowly but steadily attracted interest and praise from both critics and audiences. In a 1999 Request review, Jim Meyer wrote of Slocum, the group’s songwriter, that the "classically trained rocker skillfully adds a symphonic grace to his gently moving pop songs," while Lou Carlozo called the album "breathtaking" in a 1998 Chicago Tribune review. Doug Brumley of Nashville Scene had equally high praise for what he dubbed the band’s "literate art-pop," and wrote that "Slocum’s pensive lyrics reference works by W.H. Auden and Pablo Neruda, while layered instrumentation mixes string arrangements, pedal steel, and hurdy gurdy with catchy guitar riffs and Leigh Nash’s bold yet coyly appealing vocals." Sixpence None the Richerwas nominated for a Grammy award, and the band was selected to play on the Lillith Fair tour in 1998, an event which helped introduce the act to more listeners.

Though Sixpence None the Richergamered much critical success, it was "Kiss Me" that got a spotlight trained on the band. Atop five hit on a number of different charts, the song found its way into the animated MTV show Daria, the NBC show Providence, the soap opera The Young and the Restless, and the NBC movie Vanished Without a Trace. Certified gold in March of 1999, the song also landed the band performance spots on The Tonight Show, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, and the Late Show with David Letterman, among others. Having played with performers ranging from The Wallflowers to Smash Mouth and Brian Setzer to Cher, the band was slated to play several dates on the 1999 Lillith Fair tour.

Even in the midst of their success, some band members have found time to participate in other projects. Slocum, who studied cello in college, played the instrument on Natalie Imbruglia’s Left of the Middle album, and Nash was the celebrity host of an episode of cable music network VH1 ’s Women First that aired in March of 1999.

Sixpence None the Richer has also benefited from the solid working relationship between Nash and Slocum. In interviews, Slocum has consistently praised Nash’s singing, a favor Nash has returned. As she told Deborah Evans Price in a 1998 Billboard interview, "I’m his biggest fan. I love singing his songs."

In spite of their fan base in the Christian community and the spiritual nature of many of their songs, Sixpence has been somewhat resistant to the "Christian rock" tag. As Slocum noted in a 1998 interview in the Kane County Chronicle, "We don’t really want the label ’Christian band, ’ because it is a label that has become meaningless. It is more of a marketing thing; it doesn’t really have to do with your faith. We don’t want to exclude anyone. We want to make music for everyone, not just for a subculture."

Though still a young band, Sixpence None the Richer has made a powerful impression on some music industry veterans. "Their songs immediately jumped out as something refreshingly different and quite appealing to me," Clearmountain told Price in 1998. "I found myself totally mesmerized by Leigh Nash’s dreamy yet provocative vocals.… Having come up with a fantastic album, I believe they’ve embarked on a potentially long and extremely successful career."

Selected discography
The Fatherless and the Widow, R.E.X. Records, 1993.
This Beautiful Mess, R.E.X. Records, 1995.
Tickets fora Prayer Wheel, R.E.X. Records, 1995.
Sixpence None the Richer, Squint Entertainment, 1997.

Sources
Periodicals
Album Network, May 22, 1998.
Austin American Statesman, December 17, 1998.
Austin Chronicle, May 22, 1998.
Billboard, April 4, 1998; July 4, 1998; August 22, 1998; December 12, 1998; April 3, 1999.
Chicago Tribune, August 2, 1998.
CMJ New Music Report, February 23, 1998; April 20, 1998.
Detroit Free Press, August 28, 1998.
Detroit News, August 27, 1998.
Entertainment Today, September 17, 1998; February 19, 1999.
Gavin, September 18, 1998; December 18, 1998.
HITS, September 25, 1998.
Kane County Chronicle (llllinois), November 27, 1998.
Los Angeles Times, May 1, 1999.
Nashville Scene, December 17, 1998.
Performing Songwriter, November 1998.
Request, March 1999.
Spin, June 1999.
Spot Magazine(Ohio), December 24, 1998.
Tennessean, February 2, 1999; February 3, 1999.

Online
"Sixpence None the Richer," http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/christian_music/4056.
"Sixpence None the Richer" (originally from The Lighthouse, January 1994), http://tlem.netcentral.net/old/sixpence_ntr_9401.html.
Additional information was provided by Squint Entertainment publicity materials, 1999.
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AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:

Sixpence None the Richer

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Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Artists
  • Genres: Rock

Biography

Named in honor of a passage from C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity, the Texas-based CCM band Sixpence None the Richer began taking shape in the early '90s, when guitarist Matt Slocum first met vocalist Leigh Nash (formerly Lee Bingham) at a church retreat. Initially a trio rounded out by bassist T.J. Behling, the group recorded a demo before signing with R.E.X. Records, a label that previously specialized in Christian metal. Their debut LP, The Fatherless & the Widow, appeared in 1993. With the addition of rhythm guitarist Tess Wiley, new bassist J.J. Plasencio, and drummer Dale Baker, Sixpence None the Richer toured before returning to the studio to record their sophomore effort, 1995's This Beautiful Mess. The album won a Dove Award and was followed by the Tickets for a Prayer Wheel EP. Both Wiley and Plasencio exited prior to the group's next LP, an eponymously titled effort that turned the band into a platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated act.

Although issued in 1997, Sixpence None the Richer didn't take off until 1999, when the dreamy track "Kiss Me" was released as a single. The song was featured on the third season of Dawson's Creek and catapulted Sixpence None the Richer's star power into the mainstream, earning airplay in more than ten different countries. Accolades continued as the band's rendition of the La's' "There She Goes" also became a major hit, thanks in part to its inclusion in the Nickolodeon film Snow Day. The new millennium looked bright as the band weathered the departure of founding drummer Dale Baker (replaced in 2001 by Rob Mitchell) and inked a new record deal with Reprise. In fall 2002, Sixpence None the Richer returned to form with the lushly beautiful Divine Discontent. The band's cover of the Crowded House classic "Don't Dream It's Over" pushed Sixpence None the Richer's name back into the charts in early 2003, and the song's inclusion on the soundtrack to the WB's Smallville was a major hit among the teen audience. Nevertheless, the group disbanded in 2004, with Matt Slocum launching his own group soon after the split and Leigh Nash pursuing a solo career. The breakup turned out to be little more than a hiatus, however, as Sixpence None the Richer reunited in 2007 and released the My Dear Machine EP. Cross-Atlantic tour dates followed, and a Christmas-themed effort titled The Dawn of Grace arrived just before the holiday season in late 2008. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Sixpence None the Richer

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 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2009)
Sixpence None the Richer
Origin New Braunfels, Texas, U.S.
Genres Pop rock, adult alternative, Christian rock
Years active 1992–2004
2008–present
Labels R.E.X. Music (1993–1995)
Flying Tart (1995–1996)
Squint Entertainment (1997–2001)
Reprise Records (2001–2004)
Credential Recordings (2009–)
Website http://sixpence-ntr.com
Members
Leigh Nash
Matt Slocum
Justin Cary
Past members
TJ Behling
Brad Arnold
Dale Baker
James Arhelger
Joel Bailey
Tess Wiley
J.J. Plasencio
Sean Kelly
Rob Mitchell
Jerry Dale McFadden

Sixpence None the Richer (also known as Sixpence) is an American rock/pop band that formed in New Braunfels, Texas, eventually settling in Nashville, Tennessee. They are best known for their songs "Kiss Me" and "Breathe Your Name" and their covers of "Don't Dream It's Over" and "There She Goes". The name of the band is inspired by a passage from the book Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis.[1]

Contents

Biography

Origin of the band's name

Leigh Nash described the origin of the band's name on the Late Show with David Letterman:[2]

It comes from a book by C. S. Lewis called Mere Christianity. A little boy asks his father if he can get a sixpence—a very small amount of English currency—to go and get a gift for his father. The father gladly accepts the gift and he's really happy with it, but he also realizes that he's not any richer for the transaction. C.S. Lewis was comparing that to his belief that God has given him, and us, the gifts that we possess, and to serve Him the way we should, we should do it humbly—realizing how we got the gifts in the first place.

Formation and early years (1992–1996)

Guitarist/songwriter Matt Slocum met vocalist Leigh Nash in the early 1990s. They recorded a demo, which now circulates as "The Original Demos", with bassist T.J. Behling and drummer Brad Arnold at Verge Music Works recording studio in Dallas, and eventually an album, The Fatherless and the Widow, for the independent label REX Music in 1993. The record featured Chris Dodds (a member of Love Coma, in which Slocum also played guitar). Shortly after the release of The Fatherless and the Widow, Slocum left Love Coma to pursue Sixpence None the Richer full-time. The band added Tess Wiley (guitar) Joel Bailey (bass) and Dale Baker (drums) to tour in support of The Fatherless and The Widow. On this tour the band toured the US, opening for the Choir, the newly reformed 10,000 Maniacs, Audio Adrenaline, Pray For Rain, Over The Rhine, and more. In the fall of 1994, the band left for their first tour of Europe. The club and festival tour saw them performing with bands such as the Proclaimers, Newsboys, Julie & Buddy Miller, and many more. The band added J.J. Plasencio (bass) for 1995's This Beautiful Mess. Both albums were produced by Armand John Petri, who also managed the band from 1993 to 1997. Shortly after the release of This Beautiful Mess, Wiley left the band.

Into the mainstream (1997–2003)

In 1997, the group signed to Steve Taylor's label Squint Entertainment and released a self-titled album, which slowly began garnering attention from a wider audience in the mainstream industry. Although Placencio played bass on most of the album, he left the band before it was released and was replaced by Justin Cary, who joined the band around the same time as second guitarist Sean Kelly.

In 1998, "Kiss Me" was released as a single, propelling Sixpence None the Richer into the national pop spotlight. That year the song was also featured in the film She's All That. In 2001 the film Not Another Teen Movie used the song in a parody. "Kiss Me" was also played on the WB teen drama Dawson's Creek in episodes #2-06 "The Dance" and #2-18 "The Perfect Wedding", and is found on the show's first soundtrack CD, Songs from Dawson's Creek (Volume 1) and also played at the televised wedding of England's Prince Edward.

In 1999, the band recorded a cover of The La's' "There She Goes", which became their second hit single and propelled them into the limelight again. Sixpence appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and numerous morning talk shows. "There She Goes" was added to subsequent pressings of the self-titled album.

In 2000, Sixpence None the Richer contributed the song "Us" to Today Presents: the Best of Summer Concert Series CD, which raised money for the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance. Later that year, the band recorded a Japanese version of "Kiss Me", which was released exclusively in Japan on an EP with numerous versions of the song, as well as remixes of other songs on the self-titled album.

The band had a follow-up album ready to release, but their label Squint Entertainment started to fall apart, leaving the band in limbo for several years. Finally, Squint Entertainment folded and that album, Divine Discontent, was released in October 2002.

Baker left the band before that album's release and was replaced by Rob Mitchell. The album itself differs significantly from the first pre-release version of it that had circulated: the songs "Us", "Deeper", "Don't Pass Me By", "Too Far Gone", "Northern Lights", and "Loser Like Me" were cut, and "Down and Out of Time", "A Million Parachutes", "Tonight", "Waiting on the Sun", and a cover of Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over" were added. All of the unreleased songs were eventually featured on singles or compilations, with the exception of "Deeper". Two of Divine Discontent's singles, "Don't Dream It's Over" and "Breathe Your Name", received significant radio airplay and appeared on various Billboard charts.

The break-up (2004)

On February 26, 2004, Matt Slocum announced that the group had disbanded. On July 22, 2004, it was reported that Matt Slocum had started a new band, the Astronaut Pushers, with Lindsay Jamieson (of the band Departure Lounge) and Sam Ashworth (son of influential musician Charlie Peacock). John Davis (of the band Superdrag) joined the band in 2005. The Astronaut Pushers released a self-titled, four-song EP on their own label, Runway Network, in 2005. Sam Ashworth reported via MySpace that he and Slocum had acquired and were operating a recording studio in Nashville in early 2006.

Leigh Nash solo work (2005–2007)

Leigh Nash began work on a solo album titled Blue On Blue with producer Pierre Marchand in the fall of 2005. Nash's first single "My Idea of Heaven" was released on July 14, 2006. The album Blue On Blue was released by Nettwerk Records under Nash's own imprint, One Son Records and the album's official release date was August 15, 2006, she also released a Christmas EP Wishing For This on 14 November 2006. The song "Ocean Size Love" from Blue On Blue seems to be the second single of Blue On Blue, and yet was never promoted.

In 2007, Leigh Nash worked a collaboration with Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber of Delerium called Fauxliage. Leigh contributed her vocals to the songs "All the World", "Some Day the Wind", "Draw My Life", "Let It Go", "Without You", "Rafe" and "All Alone". The songs "Let It Go" and "All the World" were used in the drama series Moonlight.

Reunion (2007)

In November 2007, Sixpence None the Richer reunited. They released an EP My Dear Machine on the website NoiseTrade in 2008, the band's first official release since The Best of Sixpence None the Richer in 2004. The EP was removed from NoiseTrade in early 2009.

In October 2008, they released a Christmas album titled The Dawn of Grace. Nash commented, "Sixpence fans have been asking for a Christmas album for as long as I can remember. It was something we always wanted to do, but somehow time got away from us. Now that we are back together, we thought a Christmas album would be a nice gift for our long-time supporters. We love it and hope they will too!"

In December 2008 Sixpence joined the "Love Came Down at Christmas Tour" to play songs from The Dawn of Grace, along with Jars of Clay, Leeland and Sara Groves.

Lost in Transition (2009–present)

Sixpence signed to Credential Recordings and played a headline slot at the 2009 Greenbelt Festival in the UK. According to Leigh Nash, the band began recording a new album in January 2010.[3] The album, Strange Conversation, was originally slated for an August 24, 2010 release. It was later changed to March 8, 2011,[4] but record label troubles have delayed the release. As of April 12, 2011, Nash shared that issues with the label have been resolved and the album will be released.[5]

New recordings of the songs "Failure" and "Safety Line" were released as streaming audio on the band's Facebook page in July 2011.

In December 2011, Leigh Nash announced in interviews that the new album was renamed Lost in Transition (although the title Lost in Translation has also been reported[6]) and the band is looking to put it out themselves with a tentative March 2012 release date. She also mentioned a possibility of more than one Sixpence release in 2012 due to the long wait for the new album to be released. [7] [8]On February 2, 2012, Leigh Nash posted on Sixpence None the Richer's official Twitter feed that the album would be released in May 2012.[9]

Band members

Current members

Former members

  • TJ Behling – bass (1990–1994)
  • Brad Arnold – drums (1990–1994)
  • James Arhelger – bass (1994–1995)
  • Joel Bailey – bass (1994–1995)
  • Dale Baker [1] – drums (1993–2001)
  • Tess Wiley – guitar (1995–1996) also in Sixpence None the Richer 2008 European Tour
  • J.J. Plasencio – bass (1995–1996)
  • Sean Kelly – guitar (1997–2004)
  • Rob Mitchell – drums (2001–2004)
  • Jerry Dale McFadden – keyboard (2001–2004)

Discography

Studio albums

Main article: Sixpence None the Richer discography

References

  1. ^ "Leigh Nash (with Sixpence None the Richer) on Letterman". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJDldjmb_04. 
  2. ^ The Fish – Sixpence None the Richer – http://www.thefish.com/music/reviews/11620504/
  3. ^ "Leigh Nash's Facebook Page". Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=600645395&ref=search&sid=516032932.2693688637..1#/profile.php?id=600645395&ref=mf. 
  4. ^ "Sixpence None the Richer Artist Information, Sixpence Discography". Jesusfreakhideout.com. http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/artists/sixpencenonethericher.asp. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
  5. ^ "Facebook". Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150211590190396&id=600645395. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
  6. ^ Johnson, Kevin C.. "Sixpence None the Richer comes to Lumiere Place Casino Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/music/kevin-johnson/sixpence-none-the-richer-comes-to-lumiere-place-casino/article_14d9fafe-2ba5-11e1-8a43-001a4bcf6878.html#ixzz1ijl1Qh63". stltoday. http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/music/kevin-johnson/sixpence-none-the-richer-comes-to-lumiere-place-casino/article_14d9fafe-2ba5-11e1-8a43-001a4bcf6878.html. Retrieved 6 January 2012. 
  7. ^ Macintosh, Dan. "Leigh Nash Interview". HM Magazine. HM Magazine. http://www.onlinedigitalpubs.com/publication/?i=92541&pjs=1&p=28&pn=&ver=flex. Retrieved 12/28/2011. 
  8. ^ Walker, Derek. "A Not-So-Strange Conversation with Leigh Nash". The Phantom Tollbooth. http://www.tollbooth.org/index.php/home/features/340-a-not-so-strange-conversation-with-leigh-nash. Retrieved 12/28/2011. 
  9. ^ https://twitter.com/#!/sixpencemusic/status/165540502618378240

External links

Sixpence None the Richer
Leigh Nash · Matt Slocum · Sean Kelly · Justin Carry · Jerry Dale McFadden · Dale Baker · Rob Mitchell
Tess Wiley · J.J. Plasencio · TJ Behling
Studio albums
EPs
Compilation albums
The Original Demos · Mega 3 Collection · The Best of Sixpence None the Richer · The Early Years · Greatest Hits
Leigh Nash releases
Blue on Blue · Wishing for This · Stars In My Eyes
Singles
"Kiss Me" · "There She Goes" · "I Can't Catch You" · "Breathe Your Name" · "Don't Dream It's Over"
Related articles

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

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Gale Musician Profiles. Contemporary Musicians © 1989-2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists. Copyright © 2012 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia on Answers.com. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Sixpence None the Richer.  Read more

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