Most people will remember Leigh Nash as the vocalist of Sixpence None the Richer, with the iconic plea for affection “Kiss Me” bringing the band to fame in the late ’90s. Now, the redheaded singer has shed her indie-rock skin to emerge as a country artist.
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Last month, Nash released The State I’m In, which debuted at No. 39 on the Top Country Albums chart. For Nash, it’s not about the numbers. It’s about finally making the album she’s always wanted.
“I’m really, really proud of this record. It brings tears to my eyes every once in a while on the record when I hear the horns come in, ’cause there’s mariachi horns on it,” Nash told Billboard. “It’s everything I ever wanted to record when I talked about making a country record, which I’ve been talking about for 20 years. It’s everything that I’ve dreamt of and more.”
Outside of Sixpence and her pop record Blue on Blue back in 2006, Nash has always been looking for an in to the country genre. After Sixpence released their last record, 2012’s Lost in Translation, Nash had to figure out her next step.
“The thing that I’ve been talking about for so long jumped to the forefront of my mind. It was an intentional thing. I started writing for it two years ago; I just had no idea it would turn into a record. Of course that would be the best-case scenario, but you never know what people are going to think. It felt really risky. It felt really scary at the time.”
Leigh Nash Heads Home on ‘The State I’m In’: Exclusive Song Premiere
Back in 2006, Nash toyed with the idea of making Blue on Blue a country album, but in the end it wasn’t the right time. “I made a few phone calls. I called [alt-country singer/songwriter] Gary Louris and was like, ‘This is what I want to do. This is what I’m thinking.’ And I was wanting to write some and also choose from some of my favorite older songs and record them. I wasn’t ready. I’m really glad it just didn’t work out.”
So why now? The State I’m In wasn’t just born out of Nash’s love for country. She’s had her ups and downs over the years, both personally and professionally, but she came out with a stack of tales. “I finally had the stories to tell, the experiences to draw from, so it felt like the right time. … I lived a lot in the last decade, so it happened honestly.”
Nash didn’t do it alone: Her producer — singer/songwriter Brendan Benson, who was a member of The Raconteurs alongside Jack White — came into the project with the enthusiasm and experience to help her transition. “I found him to be very open to what it is I wanted to do. He was a fan of it before he came onboard. A few times during the record, he said, ‘Are you sure this has to be country?’ and I was like, ‘Yes, that’s what they’re calling for,’ and he got that. He helped me be more open-minded about things.”
Together, they created an album that Nash couldn’t be happier with. Her long-standing love for traditional country and her background in pop helped her create a unique sound. “I don’t feel like there’s really anything like this record that’s come out that I’ve heard, and that thrills me. It’s very country in my mind. It’s a certain kind of country.”
More than that, it’s an album that Nash believes brings the country genre to where it needs be.
“The change that’s happening is essential for the genre to survive. There’s a lot of stuff on the radio that is wanting to turn into pop more, which is great. But unless the two genres mix, there’s not going to be country anymore. There needs to be some new inspiration and some fresh blood and some bravery. In taking steps — not backwards, but maybe more traditional.”
That’s not to say Nash has lost hope for her new genre. In fact, she points to several contemporary country stars she thinks are leading the way, including Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves and Sturgill Simpson.
As Nash cements her place in the genre, she still gets nervous about her newfound community. “I haven’t really hung out in country circles or anything. I haven’t hung out with Reba yet, so I don’t know if maybe country people are nice. Pop people were always really great to me.”
She isn’t scared, though. She knows she has the background and a childhood filled with listening to the best country. “That’s definitely on my mind: ‘What are people going to think? It’s just another pop artist or whatever artist crossing over.’ But at the same time, I don’t have time for that. I shouldn’t worry about it. People that are gonna think that, that’s fine.”
She certainly doesn’t. The singer has had a host of shows since her album was released and has no intention of stopping. For Nash, country is what brought her into music in the first place, but she hasn’t forgotten where she came from as a musician either. When it comes to that 1998 hit “Kiss Me,” Nash says, “Maybe there’s like a version we could work up with a honky-tonk sound.”