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Named in honor of a passage from C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity, the Austin, TX-based CCM trio Sixpence None the Richer began taking shape in the early '90s, when guitarist Matt Slocum first met vocalist Leigh Nash (nee Bingham) at a church retreat. Initially a trio rounded out by bassist T.J. Behling, the group recorded a 1993 demo which led to their signing with the R.E.X. label; their debut LP, The Fatherless & the Widow, appeared soon after. With rhythm guitarist Tess Wiley, new bassist J.J. Plasencio and drummer Dale Baker, Sixpence None the Richer toured before returning to the studio to record their sophomore effort, 1995's This Beautiful Mess; the Tickets for a Prayer Wheel EP followed later that same year. Both Wiley and Plasencio exited prior to the group's next LP, an eponymously titled effort issued in 1997. Two years later, the band achieved their greatest success with the single "Kiss Me." The song was featured on the third season to the WB drama Dawson's Creek and catapulted Sixpence None the Richer's starpower into the mainstream. Praise continued; the band's rendition of The La's "There She Goes" was also a major hit thanks to its inclusion in the Nickolodeon film Snow Day. The new millennium look bright as well; despite the departure of founding drummer Dale Baker in 2001, Sixpence None the Richer gathered material for a fourth album. Rob Mitchell replaced Baker and the band inked a new deal with Reprise. In fall 2002, Sixpence None the Richer returned to form with the lushly beautiful Divine Discontent. The band's cover of the Crowded House classic "Don't Dream It's Over" pushed Sixpence None the Richer's name back into the charts in early 2003; the song's inclusion on the soundtrack to the WB's Smallville was a major hit among the teen audience. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide |
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