Sixpence None the Richer

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]

Sixpence None the Richer
Sixpence None the Richer performing in 2013
Background information
Origin	New Braunfels, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Alternative rock Christian rock
Years active	1992–2004, 2007–present
Labels	R.E.X. Flying Tart Squint Reprise Credential
Members	Leigh Nash Matt Slocum Justin Cary Dale Baker
Past members	T.J. Behling Tess Wiley Joel Bailey James Arhelger J.J. Plasencio Sean Kelly Jerry Dale McFadden Rob Mitchell Jason Lehning

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.

There is no certainty as to the exact origin of the phrase -- It was in use however around the time of Jane Austen’s authorship (e.g. as spoken of by John Dashwood) in 'Sense and Sensibility': "...and would not be sixpence the richer for it all at the end of the year."

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]}

In January 2024, drummer Dale Baker has returned to the band, for the first time since leaving in 2001. On January 16, the band has signed a management deal with Deep South Entertainment and plans on re-releasing their self-titled album on vinyl. ^[8]

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)
• Dale Baker – drums (1993–2001, 2024–present)

Former members

• T. J. Behling – bass (1992–1993)
• Mark Couvillion – guitars (1992–1993)
• Tess Wiley – guitars, vocals (1994–1996, 2008)
• 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)
• Rob Mitchell – drums (2001–2004, 2012–2017)
• Jason Lehning – keyboards (2012–2013)

Timeline

Discography

Main article: Sixpence None the Richer 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^[9]	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

1. "The Gospel According to Sixpence None the Richer". Texas Monthly. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
2. "Sixpence None The Richer". The Recording Academy. May 14, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
3. "Grow in Faith with Daily Christian Living Articles". Crosswalk.com.
4. "Sixpence None the Richer Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
5. C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (Book III, Chapter 11)
6. "Leigh Nash's Facebook Page". Facebook.
7. Archived at Ghostarchive and the : Hi (November 12, 2016). "105.11.12 [Love Love Rock］Sixpence None the Richer-Kiss me". Retrieved March 22, 2018 – via YouTube.
8. "https://musicrow.com/2024/01/sixpence-none-the-richer-to-re-release-album-on-curb-records-signs-management-deal/". January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024 – via Music Row. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
9. "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