Sixpence None the Richer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sixpence None the Richer | ||
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| Background information | ||
| Origin |  New Braunfels, Texas, USA |
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| Genre(s) | Pop/Rock, Contemporary Christian | |
| Years active | 1992 - 2004 | |
| Label(s) | Warner Music R.E.X. Music Squint Entertainment Reprise Records |
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| Website | http://sixpence-ntr.com | |
| Members | ||
| Leigh Bingham Nash Matt Slocum Sean Kelly Justin Carry Jerry Dale McFadden Dale Baker Rob Mitchell |
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| Former members | ||
| Tess Wiley J.J. Plasencio |
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Sixpence None the Richer was a pop/rock band with roots in New Braunfels, Texas, eventually settling in Nashville, Tennessee. They are named after a passage in writer C. S. Lewis' Mere Christianity.
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[edit] Biography
Guitarist/songwriter Matt Slocum met vocalist Leigh Bingham Nash at a church retreat in the early 1990s. They recorded a demo (which now circulates as "The Original Demos") at Verge Music Works recording studio in Dallas, and eventually an album, "The Fatherless and the Widow," for the Contemporary Christian record label R.E.X. Music in 1993. The record featured Chris Dodds (of Slocum's band Love Coma) on drums. Shortly after the release of the album, Slocum left Love Coma to pursue Sixpence full time. The band added Tess Wiley (guitar) J. J. Plasencio (bass) and Dale Baker (drums) for 1995's "This Beautiful Mess." Both albums were produced by Armand John Petri. Shortly after the release of "This Beautiful Mess," Wiley left the band.
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, both Christian and secular. Although Placencio played bass on most of the album, he left the band before it was released and was replaced by Justin Carry, who joined the band around the same time as second guitarist Sean Kelley. In 1999, "Kiss Me" was released as a single, propelling Sixpence into the national pop spotlight. That year the song was also featured in the film "She's All That" as the newly made-over protagonist, Laney Boggs, is revealed, and again at the end, during the film's credits. In 2001 the film "Not Another Teen Movie" would use the song again in a parody of that scene.
In 1999, the band recorded a cover of the band The La's "There She Goes", which became their second hit single. This recording was added to the re-release of Sixpence's self-titled album as a 13th track.
In 2000, Sixpence 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 as a bonus track.
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 was folded into its parent company Word Records and that album, Divine Discontent, was released in October of 2002. Baker left the band before its release and was replaced by Rob Mitchell. It differed significantly from the first pre-release version of the album that had circulated: the songs "Us," "Deeper," "Don't Pass Me By," "Too Far Gone," and "Loser Like Me" were cut, and "Down and Out of Time," "A Million Parachutes," "Tonight," "Waiting on the Sun," and "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."
Sixpence recorded a number of cover versions for compilations and soundtrack albums throughout their career, including: "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" (How the Grinch Stole Christmas), "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" (The Beach Boys, from the tribute album Making God Smile: A Tribute to Beach Boy Brian Wilson), "On the Run" (Electric Light Orchestra), "Bouquet" (Steve Taylor), "I Need Love" (Sam Phillips), "Carry You" (Sam Phillips), "Don't Dream It's Over" (Crowded House), "Christmastime Is Here" (Vince Guaraldi, Peanuts), "Love Letters in the Sand" (Patsy Cline, Pat Boone and others), "Goodnight Children Everywhere" (Vera Lynn), "Road to Zion" (Petra), "Dancing Queen" (ABBA), and "Love Is Blindness" (U2).
On February 26, 2004, Matt Slocum announced via a letter to CCM Magazine that the group had disbanded.
On July 22, 2004, CCMBuzz 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 Contemporary Christian musician Charlie Peacock). John Davis (formerly 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 began work on a solo album titled Blue on Blue with producer Pierre Marchand in the fall of 2005. On July 14, 2006, Nash's single "My Idea of Heaven (Radio Edit)" was released. The album was released by Nettwerk Records under Nash's own imprint, One Son Records. The album's official release date was August 15, 2006.
Nash released Christmas EP Wishing For This on 14 November 2006.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | US | US Heatseekers | US Christian | UK | RIAA Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The Fatherless & the Widow | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1995 | This Beautiful Mess | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1999 | Sixpence None the Richer | 89 | #1 | #1 | 27 | Platinum |
| 2002 | Divine Discontent | 154 | – | 9 | – | – |
| 2004 | The Best of Sixpence None the Richer | – | – | – | – | – |
- Notes:
- Sixpence None the Richer were no longer eligible to appear on the US Heatseekers chart after the Sixpence None the Richer album appeared in the top 100 of the US Album Chart.
[edit] Other Releases
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | Album | US | US AC | US Adult Top 40 | UK | RIAA Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | "Kiss Me" | Sixpence None the Richer | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | Gold |
| 1999 | "There She Goes" | Sixpence None the Richer | 32 | 19 | 7 | 14 | – |
| 2002 | "Breathe Your Name" | Divine Discontent | – | – | 18 | – | – |
| 2003 | "Don't Dream It's Over" | Divine Discontent | 78 | 12 | 9 | – | – |
[edit] External links
- www.sixpence-ntr.com (Official Site)
- The Vine (Sixpence Discussion Group)
- Methnen's Mess (Sixpence News and Media)
- The Vine (extensive discography)
- Leigh Nash on MySpace
- Sixpence None the Richer Redio (Pandora Internet Radio)
