Sixpence None the Richer

"Oh, yeah, I've heard of Sixpence None the Richer - they did that song that got in the charts."

By which people generally mean Kiss Me. But there's more to them than that - a Christian band from Texas, U.S. who sound more like an indie band from Wales.

Apparently, the notorious Chris Evans said he was never going to have Christian bands on his breakfast radio show - and it was pointed out to him that the band playing the #1 song at the time was a Christian band.

Apparently, according to the band's bio, which can be found on their website, Leigh even managed to embarrass the ineffably supercilious David Letterman, explaining where the name of the band comes from. (If you don't know, read Mere Christianity by C.S.Lewis. Actually, if you haven't read it, read it anyway.

So what's so good? Well, their self-titled album was the one containing Kiss Me - and also the only other single they released which made any waves in the UK, a cover of The La's There She Goes - are they the first ever Christian band to cover a song about heroin use?! On the strength of those two songs, I bought the album, which is fascinating - most of the songs are by Matt Slocum - the thoughtfulness, introspection and literary-ness partly informed by what seems to be solid Christian faith, partly shaped by the loss of his father when he was younger - and brought to life by the haunting, gentle voice of Leigh Nash.

The next album, Divine Discontent, was barely available in the UK - which grants Christian groups far less access to the mainstream media than they can get in the US (how many people in the UK have even heard of Delirious? ?). But it was even better - beautiful music; thoughtful lyrics - basically, an album of real maturity.

And then they broke up - Leigh and her husband started a family, I believe - don't know what Matt is doing now. Which leaves me only the back catalogue to explore (The Fatherless and the Widow, This Beautiful Mess - which I've just got from the US via eBay for about £6!) and the new Greatest Hits album, plus a stack of other bits and pieces that I'll have to decide whether they would add anything to own at a later stage.

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant - my life would have been the less without them.