Sixpence None the Richer
Sixpence None the Richer | |
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.jpg) Sixpence None the Richer performing in 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | New Braunfels, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1992–2004, 2007–present |
| Labels | |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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Sixpence None the Richer (also known as Sixpence) is an American Christian alternative rock band that formed in New Braunfels, Texas, and eventually settled 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]
The band received two Grammy Award nominations, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Kiss Me" and Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album for Sixpence None the Richer (1997).[2]
History
Origin of the band's name
Vocalist Leigh Nash described the origin of the band's name on the Late Show with David Letterman:[3][failed verification] [4]
It comes from a book by C. S. Lewis called Mere Christianity.[5] A little boy asks his father if he can get a sixpence—a very small amount of English currency in use at the time—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 Leigh Nash in the early 1990s. They recorded a demo, which circulates as "The Original Demos", with bassist T.J. Behling 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. After adding more members, the band toured in support of The Fatherless and The Widow. The band released This Beautiful Mess in 1995.
Into the mainstream (1997–2004)
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.
In 1998, "Kiss Me" was released as a single, propelling Sixpence None the Richer into the national pop spotlight. The next year, the band followed up "Kiss Me" with a cover of The La's' "There She Goes". Sixpence appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and numerous morning talk shows.
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.
On February 26, 2004, Matt Slocum announced that the group had disbanded.
Reunion and Lost in Transition (2007–present)
In November 2007, Sixpence None the Richer reunited. They released the 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.
In October 2008, they released a Christmas album titled The Dawn of Grace.
Sixpence signed to Credential Recordings and played a headline slot at the 2009 Greenbelt Festival in the UK. According to Nash, the band began recording a new album in January 2010.[6][better source needed] The album, Lost in Transition, was released on August 7, 2012.
On November 12, 2016, the band performed at the Love Love Rock Festival in Taipei, Taiwan, playing the hits "Don't Dream It's Over", "Kiss Me" and "There She Goes".[7][better source needed]
Band members
Current members
- Leigh Nash – vocals (1992–2004, 2007–present)
- Matt Slocum – guitar, cello (1992–2004, 2007–present)
- Justin Cary – bass (1997–2004, 2008–present)
- Rob Mitchell – drums (2001–2004, 2012–present)
Former members
- T. J. Behling – bass (1992–1993)
- Mark Couvillion – guitars (1992–1993)
- Tess Wiley – guitars, vocals (1994–1996, 2008)
- Dale Baker – drums (1993–2001)
- James Arhelger – bass (1993–1994)
- Joel Bailey – bass (1994)
- J. J. Plasencio – bass (1995–1997)
- Sean Kelly – guitars (1997–2004)
- Jerry Dale McFadden – keyboards (2001–2004)
- Jason Lehning – keyboards (2012–2013)
Timeline
Discography
- The Fatherless and the Widow (1994)
- This Beautiful Mess (1995)
- Sixpence None the Richer (1997)
- Divine Discontent (2002)
- The Dawn of Grace (2008)
- Lost in Transition (2012)
Awards and nominations
 |
| Year | Awards | Work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Dove Awards | This Beautiful Mess | Best Alternative/Modern Rock Album | Won |
| 1998 | Sixpence None the Richer | Nominated | ||
| Recorded Music Packaging of the Year | Nominated | |||
| "Love" | Modern Rock/Alternative Recorded Song of the Year | Nominated | ||
| Billboard Music Video Awards | "Kiss Me" | Best New Artist Clip, Contemporary Christian | Nominated | |
| 1999 | Grammy Awards | Sixpence None the Richer | Best Rock Gospel Album | Nominated |
| Teen Choice Awards | "Kiss Me" | Choice Music: Love Song | Nominated | |
| Dove Awards | Short Form Music Video of the Year | Nominated | ||
| Billboard Music Awards | Top Hot 100 Airplay Track | Nominated | ||
| Top Adult Top 40 Track | Nominated | |||
| Top Soundtrack Single | Won | |||
| Themselves | Top Hot 100 Artist - Duo/Group | Nominated | ||
| Top Adult Top 40 Artist | Nominated | |||
| 2000 | Grammy Awards | "Kiss Me" | Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals | Nominated |
| APRA Music Awards | Most Performed Foreign Work | Nominated | ||
| Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards | Themselves | Favorite Band | Nominated | |
| Dove Awards | Group of the Year | Won | ||
| 2001 | Young Hollywood Awards | "Kiss Me" | Best Song | Won |
| BMI Pop Awards | "There She Goes" | Award-Winning Song[8] | Won | |
| 2003 | Dove Awards | "Breathe Your Name" | Modern Rock/Alternative Recorded Song of the Year | Won |
| Divine Discontent | Best Alternative/Modern Rock Album | Nominated | ||
| Themselves | Group of the Year | Nominated | ||
| BDSCertified Spin Awards | "Kiss Me" | 600,000 Spins | Won | |
| 2006 | 700,000 Spins | Won |
References
- ^ "The Gospel According to Sixpence None the Richer". Texas Monthly. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
- ^ "Sixpence None The Richer". The Recording Academy. May 14, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
- ^ "Grow in Faith with Daily Christian Living Articles". Crosswalk.com.
- ^ "Sixpence None the Richer Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (Book III, Chapter 11)
- ^ "Leigh Nash's Facebook Page". Facebook.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Hi (November 12, 2016). "105.11.12 [Love Love Rock］Sixpence None the Richer-Kiss me". Retrieved March 22, 2018 – via YouTube.
- ^ "BMI's Pop Awards 2001 Song List | Press". BMI.com. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
External links
Media related to Sixpence None the Richer at Wikimedia Commons- Sixpence None the Richer at AllMusic
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
- American pop music groups
- Christian rock groups from Texas
- Alternative rock groups from Texas
- Musical groups established in 1992
- Musical groups disestablished in 2004
- Musical groups reestablished in 2007
- Musical groups from New Braunfels, Texas
- Musical groups from Nashville, Tennessee
- 1992 establishments in Texas
- 2004 disestablishments in Texas
- 2007 establishments in Texas
- Credential Recordings artists
- Reprise Records artists
- Female-fronted musical groups