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This week's focus will be on one of my favorite bands, Sixpence None the Richer, a collaborative effort by Matt Slocum and Leigh Nash. Their name is taken from a passage of C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity"

Quote:

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. —Leigh Nash

My favorite music is music that comes from a place of humility. And I think that's the quality that drew me to their music in the first place. They do a little bit of everything that Christian artists tend to do- they have some "preachy" songs, but they come from a place of caring and respect. They have "vertical" worship songs. And they have songs that deal with the everyday things that happen that are universal to the human experience. They are never pushy, and they never come off as having an agenda. Really, at the end of the day, they are just people living out what they believe. There doesn't have to be a self-conscious plan of action or Christian advertising gimmicks; it really seems like Leigh and Matt's music is exactly like they are as people- not 'perfect', not 'above', not 'holier than thou', but genuine people with genuine beliefs.

As with most artists who manage to come off this way, reflecting life and art in unison, Sixpence None the Richer has had many problems with record labels over the years. I actually really like it when artists have to struggle to put out their music, and are able to persevere and see the album through anyway. Leigh has talked about the faith and personal growth that went into their latest album, Lost in Transition. It was released more than 2 full years after it was originally announced, having been pushed back and delayed 4 times. And after listening to it, it really sounds like it was their very best effort. As a long time fan, it was tough to endure the wait.



Sixpence none the Richer's most famous and successful song is "Kiss Me." I remember it was on the top charts the day my little brother was born, and it was the only one that didn't sound like all the others. Leigh's voice is one of my favorites- delicate, gentle, sweet, and very mature. I recognize it anywhere. This song is great to listen to on cool summer nights.



The band also put out a few covers, all of which are lovely in my opinion. They're also songs that I would have listened to anyway, and liked, had I not heard Sixpence's rendition. Having said that, I won't even bother to compare them to the original versions as far as enjoyment goes, just because certain bands do covers in such a way that they seem like separate songs altogether. Sixpence None the Richer is one of those bands.

Cover of Crowded House- Don't Dream It's Over.
What I like about this version is that there is enough attention paid to the original that it feels like the song is getting the respect it deserves, but it's merely being placed in a different light. Leigh's voice suits this song perfectly, so I'm glad they decided to cover it. Ditto for the others...



Cover of The La's- There She Goes



Cover of The Beach Boys- "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times"

If my life had a playlist, this song would be on it. This is precisely how I feel when I'm in a rut and I feel like the world just doesn't understand me at all (I can relate, Brian Wilson). Interestingly enough, from the Christian point of view, this world isn't going to fulfill our deepest longings anyway; which I think is what they were trying to hint at by doing this cover, while still identifying with the emotions expressed in the original song.



This song is special to me, because it's the only one I can always listen to, no matter what mood I'm in or where I am in life. It's also the only song I can listen to on repeat for an hour without pulling my hair out.

What I like most about "Breathe Your Name" is that it talks about basically everything my faith means to me, even though it never mentions God's name once. The point of the song is that the choice to be dedicated to Christ was Leigh's alone; that it's genuine, real, and persists over time. The song also has a piano solo I can't get enough of, and Leigh's voice is just stellar. My favorite song from them, hands down. The video is great, too!



Finally, their most famous worship song, Breathe...
A refreshing and gentle song, Breathe expresses the feeling of redemption and forgiveness; unloading the weight of the world in exchange for transcendent peace. Helps keep me going through difficult times.



And that's just my favorite stuff from Sixpence. Their earlier work is much moodier and guitar-oriented, as they were signed on to a Christian metal record label in the early 1990s. Here's just one example of their earlier sound, before they went mainstream....




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