The Contenders, Vol. 20: The Beths, Dustin O’Halloran, Nicholas Payton, more

Summary

All Songs Considered

Episode: The Contenders, Vol. 20: The Beths, Dustin O’Halloran, Nicholas Payton, more
Date: September 16, 2025
Host: Robin Hilton (NPR)
Guest: Kiana Faircloth

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Episode Overview

This week’s episode of All Songs Considered is a “Contenders” installment, where Robin Hilton and Kiana Faircloth update their running list of 2025’s best songs—tracks that could make NPR’s year-end awards. The duo explores new releases spanning indie rock, jazz, ambient, R&B, and more, weaving through themes of nostalgia, joy, melancholy, and the search for authenticity in a modern, digital world.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reunion of the Hosts & Setting the Stage

[00:17–01:44]

• Robin welcomes Kiana back after her busy period producing jazz concerts, festivals, and her podcast, Artemis C.
• Introduction of the “Contenders” concept: songs that have a genuine shot at being the best of the year.

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2. The Beths – “No Joy”

[02:10–08:09]

Song Background

• [02:10] The Beths’ new album Straight Line Was a Lie gets high praise: “I think this is the best album that they’ve done so far.” – Robin Hilton [08:00]

Song & Video

• The track “No Joy” addresses depression, but more so the absence of joy, even after managing depression.

  • Memorable lyric: “No joy, no joy, no joy, no joy... only level lately and chronic on the daily, wanna feel but I am failing…”

• The music video’s paradoxical tone: playful childhood imagery contrasting with heavy themes.

  • “Those things that we enjoyed so much, the simple things as kids. Now as adults, we don’t find so much joy in them in the same way.” – Kiana Faircloth [06:13]

Themes & Reflections

• Elizabeth Stokes (The Beths’ frontwoman) describes how treatment “flattened her out a little bit”—better than before, but still searching for joy.
• “Progress is not a straight line, which is sort of where we get the album title Straight Line Was a Lie. She realized that life is really… it’s about maintenance.” – Robin Hilton [06:55]
• Kiana relates as a jazz fan, but vibes with The Beths’ emotional reach: “My playlist is really schizophrenic… I really do relate to the lyrics of this song, especially.” [07:36–07:48]

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3. Nate Smith (feat. SAJE) – “Big Fish”

[08:09–15:22]

Album & Sound

• Nate Smith fuses jazz and alternative R&B, aiming to evoke the nostalgia of recording in his bedroom as a teen.
  • “He wanted it to sound like he was recording to a cassette in his bedroom.” – Kiana Faircloth [08:09]
• Vocal group SAJE (Sarah Gazarek, Amanda Taylor, John A. Kendrick, Erin Bentlidge) delivers a “homogenous blend… floats over Nate’s beats like a dream sequence.” [13:32]

Vibe and Technique

• “It's both super chill and always moving.” – Robin Hilton [14:11]
• Nate Smith’s process is based on feel—“never counts anything out… It's all just feel.” [15:05]
  • “The pocket is within him.” – Kiana Faircloth [15:15]

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4. Dustin O’Halloran – “Gold”

[17:18–23:53]

Artist Background

• Robin introduces Dustin as “one of my all-time favorite pianists and ambient and instrumental composers.” [17:44]
• O’Halloran’s recent works include film scores (Eleanor the Great, Bridget Jones) and new solo singles.

The Song “Gold”

• The track was improvised live, recorded in one take, embodying authenticity and resisting artificiality.
• Kiana reacts: “I am. I’m feeling centered and haunted at the same time.” [22:28]
• Robin draws parallels with Nate Smith: “Part of Nate’s goal was that he just wanted something uniquely human and real… Dustin O’Halloran put out [‘1001’]… about what it means to be human when everything around you is increasingly artificial. So this song ‘Gold’ is his reply.” [22:34–23:36]

Overarching Theme

• Kiana notes a through line among the episode’s songs: “All of these artists are wanting to go back to a simpler time, hearken that nostalgic feeling that we have when things were just simpler.” [23:36]

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5. Dara Star Tucker – “Pure Imagination”

[24:15–30:28]

Song & Artist Highlights

• Dara’s soulful cover of “Pure Imagination” (from Willy Wonka) channels nostalgia and simplicity.
• Robin: “One of my all-time favorite songs… I come to melody first, I’ve always loved the words to this song, but… the melody… one of the all-time greats.” [28:29]
• Dara is noted for her viral TikTok series “The Breakdown,” with over a million followers, but music is her first love.
  • “She’s even a brilliant songwriter... helped write the Grammy-winning title track from Oklahoma by Kepmo.” – Kiana Faircloth [28:41]

Cover Interpretation

• Robin: “My favorite will probably always be Gene Wilder’s version… it just has such a hint of strange to it... This version is one of the brightest I’ve ever heard. It's like all joy, all innocence.” [29:25]
• Kiana: “It evokes that soulful and intimate feel… more of an adult take... put that sort of adult touch on it, while also… hearkening back to those soundtracks that we love.” [29:58]

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6. Grumpy – “Crush”

[31:28–36:18]

Why Listen?

• Robin picks Grumpy entirely by band name: “Perfect band name—definitely captures the sentiment of the moment for me.” [31:46]
• The track “Crush” from the upcoming EP Piebald is energetic, playful, and saturated in 90s nostalgia.

Song Vibes & Imagery

• “It took you back to the 90s or something like that.” – Robin [35:00]
  • “Just as this does.” – Kiana Faircloth [35:05]
  • “Heaven Schmidt’s voice is angelic on this one. It really is. And the lyrics just bring you back to when you had that crush, you know, as a teenager… that theme of nostalgia.” [35:12]
• The video features Heaven Schmidt as a sea creature on a beach of sunbathers with fish heads—a “very weird,” endearingly quirky fit for the song’s innocence and humor. [35:44–36:18]

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7. Nicholas Payton feat. Esperanza Spalding & Karriem Riggins – “Let It Ride”

[36:18–37:42]

Reunion Context

• “A reunion for them”—this trio last played together in 2010 but reassembled to record Triune when schedules aligned. [37:01]
• The track’s “hint of the strange” is praised: “He does that very well… It really feels like they've picked up where they've left off on this one.” – Kiana Faircloth [37:01]

Musical Moment

• Lyrics convey a sense of peace, optimism, and spiritual searching:
  • “Fill my heart and mind with peace and love. Never shed a tear in the name of fear. All happiness is near.” [38:07]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On living with depression:

  • “It really helped… but she didn’t find joy in the same things that she did before or in the same ways. It kind of flattened her out a little bit.” – Robin Hilton on Elizabeth Stokes, The Beths [06:34]

• The paradox of nostalgia:

  • “Those things that we enjoyed so much, the simple things as kids. Now as adults, we don’t find so much joy in them in the same way.” – Kiana Faircloth [06:13]

• On musical feel vs. counting:

  • “He never counts anything out. He’s never counting any rhythms. It’s all just feel.” – Robin Hilton on Nate Smith [15:05]
  • “The pocket is within him.” – Kiana Faircloth [15:15]

• On the power of melody:

  • “I’ve always loved the words to this song, but I think the melody in this song in particular, one of the all-time greats.” – Robin Hilton on “Pure Imagination” [28:29]

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Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment Description | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:17 | Welcome, Robin & Kiana catch up | | 02:10 | The Beths – “No Joy” & conversation | | 08:09 | Nate Smith & SAJE – “Big Fish”; Kiana’s jazz pick | | 13:32 | Robin & Kiana discuss SAJE’s vocals and Nate’s late-night album | | 17:18 | Dustin O’Halloran – “Gold”; ambient and authentic | | 22:28 | Reflection on O’Halloran’s music and common themes | | 24:15 | Dara Star Tucker – “Pure Imagination”; cover and career insights | | 31:28 | Grumpy – “Crush”; nostalgia and the power of band names | | 35:12 | On the 90s vibe and Heaven Schmidt's performance | | 36:39 | Nicholas Payton feat. Spalding & Riggins – “Let It Ride” | | 38:07 | “Let It Ride” lyric excerpt closes the musical selections |

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Themes & Episode Takeaways

• Nostalgia and Simplicity: Many tracks and reflections this episode circle around the desire to return to, or at least evoke, a more innocent and less complicated time—through sonic texture, lyrics, and even cover choices.
• Joy, Loss, and Maintenance: The search for joy after depression, the maintenance of everyday living, and the realities behind self-care feature heavily, especially in The Beths’ discussion.
• Humanity vs. Artificiality: Both O’Halloran and Smith embrace analog, live, and improvised production to carve out something “uniquely human” in the digital age.
• Childhood Revisited: Songs like “Pure Imagination” and “Crush” dig into childhood wonder and first loves, but often with an adult’s sense of wistfulness or humor.

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This episode is a rich tapestry connecting diverse musical voices from across the globe, with Robin and Kiana’s insights helping listeners bridge genres and themes through personal and universal experiences.

Transcript

[Announcer]

This message comes from Sony Pictures Classics with Eleanor the Great. June Squibb shines in Scarlett Johansson's directorial debut, a moving, funny and unexpected tale about truth, loss, and second chances. Eleanor the Great only in theaters September 26th.

[Robin Hilton]

Hey, everybody, just a quick note before the show. I know it can feel impossible to find your next favorite podcast, and we're so glad that you're here listening to All Songs Considered. But when you want to switch it up, check out NPR's podcast pod club newsletter. Sign up and you'll get fresh podcast recommendations every week handpicked by the people that live for this stuff. You can subscribe for free using the link in today's show notes [e-mail] podclub all right, it's All Songs Considered, NPR's long running place for music discovery and super fandom. I'm Robin Hilton. And and back with me here after way too long is Kiana Faircloth. Hey, Kiana.

[Kiana Faircloth]

Hey, Robin. It's good to be back.

[Robin Hilton]

It's been a minute. You know, back when I was hosting New Music Friday, we used to gab about music together all the time.

[Kiana Faircloth]

We sure did. It has been a minute.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah. What have you been up to?

[Kiana Faircloth]

So I have been, you know, going from festival to festival hosting jazz concerts around town and the country and things like that. And, you know, of course, producing my podcast, Artemis C on DC Radio. And I actually produced a limited series called Jazz Beyond Tradition, which aired on WJCT during Jazz Appreciation Month. So I've been sticking around on the scene and staying pretty busy, I'd have to say.

[Robin Hilton]

So this is one of our contenders episodes. We keep a running list of the year's best songs. We start in January every year, and we just keep adding to it as the year marches on. These contenders episodes, it's where we update that list with the latest cuts that we love so much. They could end up on our final best of the year lists. We've got a whole bunch of music that we want to play this week. Is it cool if I just kick things off with this kind of like a quick, short burst of noise here?

[Kiana Faircloth]

Let's do it.

[Robin Hilton]

So this is from the Beths, a band called the Beths. If you don't know them, they're from New Zealand. We've been following them since their debut album. It came out in 2018. They did a tiny desk a couple of years ago that you should totally check out. They've been having a great year and I think kind of picking up steam with what I think is the best Album that they've done so far. It's their fourth album. It's called Straight Line Was a lie. And the song I want to play is no joy, no joy Kiana.

[Singer/Artist]

All mine pleasures guilty Clean slate looking filthy this year's gonna kill me, gonna kill me Spirit should be crushing But I don't feel sad I feel nothing Happy belly pumping when did life become so unbecoming? No joy, no joy, no joy, no joy no no joy, no joy, no, no, no no joy Only level lately and chronic on the daily wanna feel But I am failing I am failing Facial expression Wouldn cry but I couldn't Did a sp I felt you pulling at them but it didn't happen didn't happen no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy no, no, no, no, no Jo Today all my pleasures guilty Clean slate looking filthy this year's gonna kill me, gonna kill me no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy, no joy no, no, no, no, no.

[Robin Hilton]

So maybe this isn't much of a surprise, since the song is called no Joy. Yeah, but it's a song very much about depression, but, you know, not really just about depression, but kind of about the lack of finding joy in things. You know, like, even after you've treated your depression and you've kind of come out on the other side of it.

[Kiana Faircloth]

What's interesting is that I watched the video for this one, and it has such a playful vibe. She's like in a kindergarten classroom. It looks like finger painting and playing with clay, but it reminds you that, you know, those things that we enjoyed so much, the simple things as kids. Now as adults, we don't find so much joy in them in the same way. So I just think it's an interesting paradox, this song.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah. So that's Elizabeth Stokes. She's the lead singer of the band. She said that she, you know, so she was going through it, and she said that she got medicated for her depression and that it really helped. Like, she felt a lot better, but that she didn't find joy in the same things that she did before or in the same ways. It kind of flattened her out a little bit.

[Kiana Faircloth]

Yeah.

[Robin Hilton]

And so I think that one of the epiphanies she had while working on this song and this album is that progress is not a straight line, which is sort of where we get the album Title Straight Line was a lie and she realized that life is really. It's about maintenance.

[Kiana Faircloth]

It's definitely about maintenance. And I think now especially, you know, with everything that's going on in the world, we're just trying to maintain as a people, everyone. So I think, you know, the sentiments behind this track and this entire album, which I love, really speaks to that.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah, I was going to ask you what you thought, because I know you're a real jazz head, but if this was something you vibe with at all.

[Kiana Faircloth]

Absolutely. Although I am a jazz head, I do appreciate, you know, all types of music. So you don't want to see my playlist because it's. It's really schizophrenic.

[Robin Hilton]

Honestly, I think I do want to see your playlist.

[Kiana Faircloth]

But no, I really do relate to the lyrics of this song especially. But the whole vibe of the album, for me, I think is one that, you know, we can all slip into and just slip away in, which I love.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah, well, like I said, I think this is the best album that they've done. The Beths Straight Line Was a Lie just came out at the end of August.

[Kiana Faircloth]

Yes, I did bring some jazz today, but this particular track from Nate Smith really feels like a fusion sort of alternative jazz. This track that we're going to listen to features the vocal group Sage. What's interesting about this album to draw that sort of nostalgic connection is that when Nate made it, he wanted it to sound like he was recording to a cassette in his bedroom. And so that sort of brings back those memories of, you know, sitting in your room listening to music as a teenager. And so this tune is called Big Fish.

[Singer/Artist]

Sam. Long time ago Strong in the unknown We're Earl Too slow Drawn in by the time miles Open wide a little fish T I can't, I can Swallow swallow me oh, I can't I can't follow Follow current again where it goes oh no all that could be seen I can, I can Follow me I can't I can follow the current again When I can follow the current again I'll go with the D Deep deep down below A new kingdom revive maybe if I I can't I can I can I can I can I can I can, I can, I can.

[Robin Hilton]

So, Nate Smith with Sage. Tell me about Sage. Their voices are incredible, right?

[Kiana Faircloth]

Really, Sage, for me, has one of those vocal blends that is just one of the best out there right now. The group consists of Sarah Gazarek, Amanda Taylor, John A. Kendrick, and Erin Bentlidge. And you've seen them separately on tiny desk throughout the years. Singing background for folks and things like that. Their voices are so homogenous. And the way it just floats over Nate's beats here really makes this song sounds like a dream sequence. But then somewhere in the middle it sort of breaks into this dance beat that makes you want to just get up and hit the dance floor. And then it gets right back into that dream sequence.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah. Is such a great late night album. Like where everything is starting to get. It's starting to get a little hazy, a little fuzzy, a little bleary eyed. You haven't cashed out yet though. You know, like kind of. To your point about, it's got these great laid back vibes but also this really arresting kind of momentum to it. It's both super chill and always moving.

[Kiana Faircloth]

Exactly. What's interesting about Nate is that he has this signature sound that like you said, is both chilled and laid back. But at the same time it's sort of jumping at the same time. He really masters that.

[Robin Hilton]

Have you ever seen any of his tutorials that he posts online? His drumming tutorial or rhythm. They're kind of music tutorials. Drumming polyrhythm tutorials.

[Kiana Faircloth]

He's a genius. It just seems like he's really. Something else is going on in his head there.

[Robin Hilton]

Cause you listen. He's so in the pocket. But when he talks about kind of his approach to music and everything he says he never counts anything out. He's never counting any rhythms. It's all just feel.

[Kiana Faircloth]

Yeah. And you can tell that it's just innate in him. You know, that beat is just something. The pocket is within him.

[Robin Hilton]

So Nate Smith with Sage and Sage's S A J E in the song Big Fish from the album Live Action came out in August.

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[Robin Hilton]

Got more tunes on the way, along with your weekly reset at the end of the show. So keep listening for that. And a reminder, if you enjoy the show, tell a friend, share it with them. Leave us a review on Apple Music or Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. I want to completely change gears here. Do you know Dustin o'? Halloran? Do you know that artist?

[Kiana Faircloth]

Well, you hip me to him and I've actually fallen in love.

[Robin Hilton]

Oh, it's very easy to fall in love with his music. It goes down so easy. One of my all time favorite pianists and ambient and instrumental composers. He's put out a bunch of solo stuff over the years, but some people probably know him for the work that he does in the band A Winged Victory for the Solon. He's also done a bunch of film scores, including a couple this year he did one that was directed by Scarlett Johansson, a film called Eleanor the Great. And he also did the latest Bridget Jones movie, which kind of a disconnect there, Bridget Jones and the music I normally associate with Dustin o'. Halloran. But he also put out a couple singles just in August and the one that I want to play is so gorgeous, so calming. It's called Gold.

[Kiana Faircloth]

Wow.

[Robin Hilton]

How do you feel? Are you in a better place now?

[Kiana Faircloth]

I am. I'm feeling centered and haunted at the same time.

[Robin Hilton]

I think that's a good way to describe a lot of the music Dustin o' Halloran does. It can center you and haunt you at the same time. I actually feel like there's kind of some similarities between this Dustin o' Halloran and the Nate Smith in that. Nate Smith said that, you know, when he recorded the album Live Action, he really kind of stripped things back. He did. It was all analog. He didn't Do a whole bunch of takes. It was all played live, you know, nothing programmed. And I think part of Nate's goal was that he just wanted something uniquely human and real, you know, nothing too manufactured. And so last year, Dustin O', Halloran, he put out an album called 1001, which was sort of about living in the age of AI and what it means to be human when everything around you is increasingly artificial. So this song, Gold, is Dustin o' Halloran's reply to that. It was improvised, done in one take, and that was it.

[Kiana Faircloth]

I'm sort of seeing a theme here because it feels like all of these artists are wanting to go back to a simpler time, hearken that nostalgic feeling that we have when things were just simpler. And so I'm seeing that in this playlist in general, and we'll see more of that as we share more music here.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah. The song again from Dustin o' Halloran is called Gold. And he released that at the end of August along with another song that's also really beautiful. You should check out. It's called Red. But to your point, I know this next cut that you want to play, Kiana taps into sort of childhood wonderful. And imagining sort of that magical time in life.

[Kiana Faircloth]

Yeah. It's the singer, Dara Star Tucker, and she has an amazing take on pure imagination from the classic film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

[Dara Star Tucker]

Come with me and you'll be In a world of pure imagination Take a look and you'll see into your imagination we'll begin with a spin Traveling in a world of my creation what you see, see will defy explanation.

[Kiana Faircloth]

If you.

[Dara Star Tucker]

Want to view paradise Simply look around and view it Anything you want to do it Want to change the world there's nothing to it There is no life I know that compares with with pure imagination Living there, you'll be free if you truly wish to be.

[Singer/Artist]

Sam.

[Dara Star Tucker]

Come with me and you'll be In a world of pure imagination Take a look and you'll see into your imagination we'll begin with a spin Traveling in a world of my creation what you see will defy explanation.

[Singer/Artist]

If you wanna.

[Dara Star Tucker]

View paradise Simply look around and view it Anything you want to do it Want to change the world there's nothing to it There is no life I know that compares with pure imagination Living there, you'll be free if you truly.

[Singer/Artist]

Wish to be Sam.

[Robin Hilton]

It'S one of my all time favorite songs, Kiana.

[Kiana Faircloth]

Really? I didn't know that going in.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah, Yeah, I think, you know, I come to melody First, I've always loved the words to this song, but I think the melody in this song in particular, one of the all time greats.

[Kiana Faircloth]

Absolutely. You know, what's interesting about Dara is that most people discovered her through her viral TikTok series called the Breakdown. She has, I want to say, over a million followers on TikTok and she gives these takes on politics and culture. But at heart, first, first for her is that she's a singer and she came out of the Nashville music scene and she's even a brilliant songwriter. She helped write the Grammy winning title track from the album Oklahoma by Kepmo. So she's out there doing her thing. She's so talented, so brilliant, and I think she's bringing folks into her music even more so because of her viral video series.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, one of the things that's really interesting about her take on this song to me is it is. You know, it's been done so many times, it's been interpreted and covered so many times. My favorite will probably always be Gene Wilder's version. You know, it's sweet and it's innocent, but maybe just because of the film it's featured in and the world the song inhabits, and also just the wonderful weirdness of Gene Wilder. His version, it just has such a hint of strange to it that I love this version. It's one of the brightest I've ever heard. It's like all joy, all innocence.

[Kiana Faircloth]

It is. And it really evokes that soulful and intimate feel, which gives it more of a, I guess an adult take to it, which is kind of cool because again, we're sort of, if we're getting back to that theme, you know, of nostalgia and going back to things that are simpler, I think it's cool that she's taken this song and really made it her own and put that sort of adult touch on it, while also, you know, hearkening back to those soundtrack that we love from the classic movie.

[Robin Hilton]

So Dara Starr Tucker. Pure imagination from the album Time Wouldn't Wait.

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[Robin Hilton]

Do you ever listen to a newly discovered band just because of its name? Like, just the name alone is enough to get you to listen?

[Kiana Faircloth]

Definitely.

[Robin Hilton]

I do it all the time. And in fact, one of them is a band called Grumpy.

[Kiana Faircloth]

Perfect band name definitely captures the sentiment of the moment for me.

[Robin Hilton]

My wife says I have early onset grumpy old man syndrome.

[Kiana Faircloth]

Oh, no.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah. And I said, there's nothing early about it at all.

[Kiana Faircloth]

It's been hearing me all the time.

[Robin Hilton]

Thanks. The grumpiness was in me the whole time. Yes, Grumpy. And you know, more often than not, when I listen to a band just because of its name, I end up loving them. And so when I saw Grumpy and I saw that they have this new EP coming out, I listened to some of the singles that are out, and sure enough, I absolutely loved it. The EP is called Piebald, and the song I want to play from it is called Crush.

[Singer/Artist]

I've got this crush it's been burning for weeks I've left a paper trail Leading back to my blushing cheeks I've got no game but still I try Baby name Let's hold hands on one I like you so much how many ways can I say it? My CR. So much how many ways can I say it? Let's go to the mall my monkey and Dr. We'll take pics at the Apple store Completely unsupervised I like can you so much how many ways can I say My cr. Ways can I say my cry? Thank you so much. How many ways can I say.

[Robin Hilton]

What were you saying about the best song? Something like it took you back to the 90s or something like that.

[Kiana Faircloth]

Right. Just as this does.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah, this totally does. I agree. Some great late summer vibes to it, too.

[Kiana Faircloth]

I think Heaven Schmidt's voice is angelic on this one. It really is. And the lyrics just bring you back to when you had that crush, you know, as a teenager and, you know, you were giddy and kind of nervous at the same time. I think it's, again, that theme of nostalgia. I don't know if we even planned that, Robin. But.

[Robin Hilton]

No, I mean, it happens all the time. All these themes always emerge. It's almost like we picked all the songs specifically for the themes.

[Singer/Artist]

Right.

[Robin Hilton]

But have you seen the video for this song? It's very strange.

[Kiana Faircloth]

I haven't.

[Robin Hilton]

Oh, so you mentioned Heaven Schmidt. This is mostly Heaven Schmidt's project. And in the video, they appear as some sort of bizarre sea creature. It takes place on a beach, and they're kind of creeping around on this beach where these sunbathers are lying out in the sun. But they all have fish heads.

[Kiana Faircloth]

Oh, wow.

[Robin Hilton]

It's very hard to describe. It's very weird. But the weirdness of it all is what really drew me in, too.

[Kiana Faircloth]

Yeah, absolutely. And the innocence at the same time is sort of strange and quirky.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, yeah. I think Heaven Schmidt has a great sense of humor. It's a little bent in ways that I love, and I think that's another reason this works so well, for sure. So this EP from Grumpy Again is called Piebald. It is out at the end of the month on September 26th. But, Kiana, I know you've got one more that you want to play for us.

[Kiana Faircloth]

Yes. Nicholas Peyton, featuring Esperanza Spalding and Kareem Riggins. This tune is called Let It Ride. It's from their album Triune, which is really a reunion for them.

[Robin Hilton]

You know, I talked about the hint of strange in the Gene Wilder version of Pure Imagination. This song, I think, from Nicholas Peyton, I think it has a hint of the strange in a great way.

[Kiana Faircloth]

It does. He does that very well. This group has reunited back in actually 2010. They were a quartet, but on piano they had Taylor Eichstie. And so Nicholas had been saying that he had just been trying to get this group together, but they just couldn't get their schedules right. But the stars aligned and they came together on this record, and it really feels like they've picked up where they've left off on this one.

[Robin Hilton]

So we'll go out on this Nicholas Payton again with Esperanza Spalding and Cream Riggins. The song Let It Ride from Triune. Kiana Faircloth, so great to see you again. Thanks so much for hanging out and sharing all these great tunes.

[Kiana Faircloth]

Absolutely great to be back here, Robin. Thank you.

[Robin Hilton]

And for NPR Music, I'm Robin Hilton. It's all songs considered.

[Singer/Artist]

SA Looking deep within the sky above Fill my heart and mind with peace and love Never shed a tear in the name of fear all happiness is near I hold out my hand to the soul sun cle the rest me that wisdom ever let me fain in your life Remain in your sight don't fly, let it fly Fills my heart and mind with peace and love Never shed a tear in the name of fear For a happy day I hold out my hand to the sun Me thy wisdom remain in your life remain in your sight don't hide, let it arise don't hide let it rise Let it rise don't hide, let it die don't hide let it.

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