Sixpence None the Richer are going through a renaissance period of sorts. Their 1997 hit, “Kiss Me,” has been covered by Sabrina Carpenter and BLACKPINK, two of the biggest names in pop music in 2024. Perhaps emboldened by the surge in popularity of the song, the band is set to embark on its first tour with the original lineup in over 20 years.
The tour – featuring Leigh Nash on vocals, Matt Slocum on guitar, Justin Cary on bass and Dale Baker on drums – is set to come through The Ark on October 24. Ahead of the show, we were able to talk with Leigh Nash and Matt Slocum about the tour, the band’s brand new EP, “Rosemary Hill”, and the enduring legacy of “Kiss Me”.
Jacob Nielsen: What’s new with Sixpence None the Richer? Why are you headed out on the road?
Leigh Nash: We’re going out, well, partially for the sake of going on the road and getting to see people and play for people again, but we just put out an EP called “Rosemary Hill.” It came out on October 4th.
[We’re also] celebrating our original lineup. Our drummer, Dale Baker, is back with us. I suppose we’re celebrating the fact that we’re a band, and we should be a band, and we should be playing because we’ve hopefully only gotten better.
Jacob Nielsen: When you got back together with Dale, what were some of the first songs that you played?
Leigh Nash: I think the song we first played was a new one called “The Tide” that came out last year. But some of these new ones on “Rosemary Hill,” we’ve played those together. For the tour, I hope that Sixpence fans are happy to hear the old stuff and the new stuff as well. Maybe we picked up some new fans with all this praise around “Kiss Me”, that kind of brought in all these teenagers. [laughs]
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Matt Slocum: Yeah, there’s been a lot of energy around that song. There was a really talented young British singer-songwriter named Matt Maltese. He released a covers record and did a version of “Kiss Me” which was just really beautiful and really vibe-y. Hearing a guy sing the song was even like a new spin. He’s just got a really young fan base all over the world. He came through Nashville and Leigh got up and sang with him. It was wild seeing all these really young fans. Leigh was, like, you know, a hero to them. That was really, really cool to see.
We keep seeing things like that happen this year. I don’t follow Sabrina Carpenter, but apparently she played “Kiss Me” in her set the other night. The whole crowd was singing along. Now my daughters think I’m kind of cool. [laughs]
Leigh Nash: Little did they know all these years, he’s always been cool.
Jacob Nielsen: How has your relationship with “Kiss Me” changed over time?
Leigh Nash: I’ve always loved it. I loved it so much. The very first time Matt played it for me, I believe right after he wrote it…within an hour, wouldn’t you say, Matt?
Matt Slocum: Yeah, it came really quickly.
Leigh Nash: I freaking loved that song. It was a little different when it was first written. I love that version. I mean, it wasn’t that different. Some stuff changed, but I still love it. As far as the person that has sung the song, my relationship is the same with it, because I still love it. I have a very deep appreciation for all of the opportunities that that song has given and continues to give. I love to see how happy it seems to make people. So, yeah, it’s a gift. Definitely, very blessed to be able to have been the carrier.
Matt Slocum: I think probably that’s what everybody – every band or artist – wants to do, is create something that you hope stands the test of time. I think we’ve seen “Kiss Me” just sort of become timeless.That’s just a really, really amazing thing.
Catch Sixpence None the Richer at The Ark on Thursday, October 24. Buy tickets here and check out the video for “Rosemary Hill” here.
