Annie Graham – Tiny Desk Concerts

Hi everyone – this week I would like to share some longer listens to dig your teeth into! If you aren’t already familiar with NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concerts, then I hope these recommendations are a nice place to start. These concerts provide a more intimate setting with their stripped back performances. Feel free to dip in and out of these, and I hope you enjoy!

Image credit: NPR, 2019 (https://www.npr.org/2019/10/28/771282195/nprs-tiny-desk-fest-how-to-watch-it-live?t=1616372850119)

Sting and Shaggy (14 mins)

On paper this collaboration might not seem the most predictable, but it feels incredibly natural. Sting and Shaggy bounce off each other as they share their individual styles throughout this set. It’s lovely to see and hear both the audience and performers enjoying themselves during this feel-good concert.

Arlo Parks (16 mins)

Parks has a beautiful way with words, and she so gently delivers tracks that have such heavy meaning. With this stripped-back set, the songs suddenly feel a lot more personal and emotional as we hear lyrics about heartbreak and mental health. On the surface, this performance feels quite chilled and relaxed but it is also extremely moving.

Jacob Collier (16 mins)

A fun one to finish on, and with a wide range of musical influences, there should be something in here for everyone. This concert features Collier’s classic ‘one-man-band’ approach to his music, with each of the four parts in this video being recorded in one take and layered so perfectly.

If you are ever looking for new artists to listen to, I would highly encourage taking a dive into some of the hundreds of Tiny Desk Concerts available on YouTube. Any thoughts or further recommendations are always welcome if you’d like to leave a comment!

Annie