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.

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).

Origin of the band's name
Vocalist Leigh Nash described the origin of the band's name on the Late Show with David Letterman:

"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 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; however, it was in use around the time Jane Austen wrote 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, circulated 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. 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".

In January 2024, drummer Dale Baker returned to the band. On January 16, the band signed a management deal with Deep South Entertainment and plans on re-releasing their self-titled album on vinyl.

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)

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)