On this holiday edition of SNAPSHOTS, we are getting closer to Christmas, and many of us have things that we enjoy doing to prepare for the holiday: drinking eggnog, decorating our homes, or spending time with our families. If you’re in DC tomorrow night, December 18th, I have a special treat for you: the fantastic band Sixpence None the Richer is bringing holiday cheer to the Howard Theatre!
The concert is titled “O’Night Divine: A Sixpence Christmas,” featuring holiday classics performed with their signature indie-rock sound by Leigh Nash and Matt Slocum. This tour brings back the beloved duo’s magic, offering a festive evening of timeless Christmas music for fans, blending hits with holiday cheer.
And here to talk about this amazing concert is the lead singer of Sixpence None the Richer, Leigh Nash!
Leigh, welcome to SNAPSHOTS!
Thank you so much, Dean. Thanks for talking to me.
Well, it’s so wonderful to talk to you, especially this upcoming concert that’s coming up on December 18th. DC is one of three of five cities for those who have not seen O’Night Divine. Can you tell us a little bit about this wonderful Christmas concert?
It has a wide variety of Christmas songs. Some of them are original. A lot of them are a little outside the pocket, so it’s not stuff that you hear necessarily every Christmas season. We definitely bring our own flavor to it. There are a couple of songs in Spanish, believe it or not, for better or for worse. We’re having a really good time, and it’s an interesting time of year being on the road, because everybody’s tired, and it’s understandable. I’m so thankful for every single person who comes out to the show, because I know what a hectic time of year it can be. So I’ve been using it a little bit on stage just to remind people, “when you’re here, I’ve got you for a second, just relax and let yourself off the hook for all the things that we all kind of get wrapped up in this time of year, and just enjoy the music. So we’ve been having a lot of fun.”
I look forward to enjoying this music at your upcoming concert. Since DC is only one of five cities, why choose only five cities for this upcoming tour?
Well, I think we were just trying it out. Since Sixpence has been back on the grid for the last couple of years, we’ve been trying big things and then finding out. We took a small bite out of December to see how the Christmas tour might look for us, and then next year we could band if it goes well. And it has been. We did two shows out in California last week, and it was really, really fun. They’ve been, they’ve been just beautiful. We’re building something, starting small.
I’m glad to hear this is the band’s first Christmas tour. Is that correct?
That’s right. I looked at photos today of the Howard Theater, where the show will be, and it’s beautiful. We’ve never been there, and I’m really looking forward to singing and just being in that room.
Well, as a lifelong Washingtonian, you’re going to one of the historic theaters in my hometown, so I’m glad you picked that venue of all the venues to hold the Christmas concert. I just read recently that you were in Washington recently, and something special was going to be happening tonight, as we speak, the Tiny Desk concert from NPR. For those who will attend that concert. Could you tell us about that incredible experience?
It was a dream come true for us. We’re such fans of NPR, and not only NPR, but of Tiny Desk series is wonderful, and we were so flattered and honored to be asked to do this kind of special Christmas, Tiny Desk, or any Tiny Desk, any time of year. And we had a wonderful time. Yes, we recorded it, and it came out today so that anyone can watch it. We’re very honored and thankful to be part of that excellent little show’s history. Amazing.
It is absolutely. What songs did you perform for the Tiny Desk concert? Let’s give a brief preview of what fans can expect.
Yes, we released a song called “Melody of You” from “Divine Discontent”. And we did a song that Matt Slocum and partner in the band wrote a few years ago, called “The Last Christmas Without You”. And of course, we threw in “Kiss Me”. And we did “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear and then one more by a great friend of ours, Kate York, the song called “Eternal Kids, amazing, very, very fun.
You’re quite busy, as I read that you’re touring in Mexico in February. But you’re also going to be doing a European tour coming up in 2026. What are you looking forward to about those two tours?
Well, we absolutely love Latin America. We love Mexico. We toured across Latin America early this summer, and it was great. We’re excited that Mexico wants to have us back so soon. We’ll be in Mexico City and Monterey in February, and then, yeah, it’ll be nice in the spring, with the hope and prayers that we will record some new music. And so we’ll be crossing the pond, as they say, with some new tunes, and, yeah, just get back over there. We haven’t been in probably a decade, and we have never done a real, proper European tour that wasn’t based around radio, which, you know, all those years ago. It was all about Kiss Me, and as much as it may, may still be, we have a very large amount of music that, you know, in our 30-year history, and then hopefully lots more come. We’re looking forward to connecting with people and enjoying music and the connection it brings.
You have such an amazing talent, especially since you’re bringing a Christmas concert to our area tomorrow. Some of our listeners and viewers want to know which holiday traditions you enjoy, whether it’s Hanukkah, Christmas, or another celebration.
I have just one. It’s definitely enough. I have one son who’s now 21 years old. It’s gonna be 22 soon, and really, everything kind of centers around him. I think many moms can concur with that. It’s just all about the kids, and I don’t have grandkids or anything, so it’s really just about family. And this year we’re moving home, like right up during the holidays. It’s a little stressful, but I’m going to focus on the anti-stress and just let things be breezy and nothing. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but long before we’re together, that’s what we’re going to be thankful for. I’d love everyone to take time to rest. And you know, maybe if you’re somebody who needs things to be perfect all the time, that’s fantastic, but if it stresses you out, take it easy and watch yourself off the hook just a little bit.
You’re absolutely right. The anti-stress is, most importantly, around the holidays, we don’t need a family fight. We don’t need the craziness. We need to be ourselves, free and together. Exactly. Now there’s a burning question I have to ask you, because one of my favorite bands of all time is Tears for Fears, and I read that. Last year, you got to do a single with Roland, “Unraveling”. And I heard the song just a couple of times last year, unraveling. Oh my gosh, it’s so beautiful. It’s so gorgeous. Talk about working with Roland on that wonderful single.
Thank you. I love that song so much. I have been looking for someone to do that duet with me, because when the song was written, I wrote it with a guy in Nashville. I was instantly in love. I love a ballad, and so I wanted to find the perfect duet partner. And I went through quite a few ideas, and then the Roland or the ball thing came up really organically. His manager just walked into the label I was working with at the time and asked, “How can we work together?” And, yeah, one thing happened after the next, and I ended up getting to do that with the freaking legend that is Roland, or I loved your fears as well, and that was really a dream come true. I still have to pinch myself sometimes when I am reminded of that. So thanks for reminding me.
From one Tears for Fears fan to another, what is your favorite song from their catalog? Do you have an all-time favorite?
“Shout. Shout, let it all.” Without me. When I was growing up, that’s what I would get the most jazz about. But I’m definitely, I’m a little. I was born in ’76 and probably listened to country music as a child, so very few things outside country music got into my heart. I used to put Tears for Fears. Definitely did. They are just spectacular. And their new song might have been from two projects ago. What was it called, “Ghost Under the Door”? I believe that might be my absolute favorite, Tears for Fears song. It’s spectacular!
Since you mentioned yours, I will tell you mine. I love “Mad World.” And of course, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, but Sowing the Seeds of Love, is one of my favorites.
Yes, what a band, but to be able to say here in 2025 that my favorite song as a fan is one of their newer songs, like the most exquisite thing in music, to watch these legends continue to do what they do and get better at it. But I’m with you, especially about Mad World, what a great song.
When did you realize you wanted to become a singer and put your words, your lyrics, your talent out to the world? When was that moment?
I was 13 or 14, and I just knew I wanted to sing. That seed had been planted in my heart and mind pretty early. And then I met Matt Slocum, who’s been my partner in Sixpence None the Richer since the beginning. I met him when I was about 15, and he had just started writing songs. And I think, again, one thing led to another. And yeah, we’re from a tiny town in Texas, and we have a really long history together, and it’s really just such a privilege to be still able to do it. We’re very grateful to the fans, and I’m now seeing kids and young people my age who were my age when this dream first started, and they’re all starry-eyed and excited to hear the music. It really means so much. This has been quite an exquisite journey.
And that’s a good segue to my next question, since we know this year and this decade are all about the 90s. We’re considering 90s films, 90s music, 90s TV, and Kiss Me and She’s All That, all tied to that decade. If you had to pick the best moment of the 90s, aside from being one of the best bands of the 90s, what would it be?
The most epic thing, I was obsessed with Claire Danes and My So-Called Life, and that jumped out at me. I was just so into that show, and graduating in 1994, of course. And yeah, it was just what it was, it was the decade. It was amazing.
What would you like to say to any upcoming songwriters or artists who need that one person you to give them that sound advice to take with them on their upcoming journey, whether they’re just starting or they’re finding their big break?
What would you like to tell? My advice is to be authentic, because the world doesn’t need another copy of anything. We’re all individuals, and what we need to celebrate in art and the arts is authenticity, and that’s what makes the world go round. That’s my main; that’s the main flag I carry.
See Leigh and Sixpence None the Richer at the Howard Theatre for O’Night Divine: A Sixpence Christmas on December 18th. Tickets are available through HERE and there’s an opportunity to meet and greet VIP experience the band.
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