|
| ||
|
 |
by Amy Hammond Hagberg Despite a platinum-selling debut album, jet-setting around the globe performing before sold-out crowds and making guest appearances on talk shows before millions of viewers, Leigh Nash called it quits. Co-founder and lead vocalist for the successful pop band, Sixpence None the Richer, Nash was best known for her pixie-like appearance and distinctive, signature vocals. Formed with guitarist and songwriter Matt Slocum, the group went on to record six albums — garnering critical acclaim, numerous Dove Awards and a Grammy nomination. The band’s biggest hit, “Kiss Me,” catapulted Sixpence into the mainstream music spotlight. Soon their songs were featured on movie and TV soundtracks and they had guest appearances on programs like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman and the Today show. So why give all that up? According to Nash, there were many reasons, “I was seven months pregnant when we decided to break up ... I was about to enter into this huge other ‘thing’ and I needed space and I needed to take some time away from my career; and that was the best way to do it ... I just kind of needed a blank slate.”
There were also problems in the “business” end of things, which caused increasing frustration for the group. “We were completely exhausted by the record label problems that we had constantly over the years,” shares Nash. “If all that stuff hadn’t happened, and we’d had the same great record label for our whole careers, I don’t think we would have broken up.” The dissolution of Sixpence was big news, and nobody was more surprised at the reaction than Nash herself. “I don’t think we expected people to think it was such a big deal that we broke up,” she reflects. “Not to throw a pity party, but we just felt under-appreciated and like we didn’t matter at all to the world. Matt and I were both really flattered by the reaction that everybody had.” Then even before the dust settled from the split, Nash had another huge, life-altering event take place in her life: the birth of her son, Henry. At 27, Nash felt like she was prepared to be a mom. But as it turns out, some of the changes her motherhood brought were unforeseen. “One of the ways that was most surprising was how independent and strong and more confident I felt,” says Nash. As with all aspects of her
life, her approach to her son’s upbringing is influenced by her
relationship with God. “I’d never heard someone speak about God and to God in prayer so passionately,” she says. “I found him to be such a charismatic person and just the way he told us about Christ was unbelievably powerful.” At the same time, difficult struggles and hardships on the home front helped to solidify her faith. “Seeing the way my mother dealt with horrible, bad things so beautifully was such a beautiful example of a Christian. That only helped to show me the way and show me what was real,” Nash remembers. These experiences convinced her that she needed to know Jesus in a real way, and so at age 13, Nash decided to give her life over to Christ. Despite many spiritual ups and downs over the years, she remains focused. “I’m so thankful
for this faith and the relationship that I have. I’m learning
new things all the time that have broadened my view of the world so
much ... it’s essential and a very vital part of my existence,”
she shares. Not satisfied with being a “cookie cutter” Christian, Nash wants more. “I want to live really authentic. I want to live how He wants me to live, but I realize that’s not simple ... You just have to wait and take it one day at a time,” she says. Now that Henry is “owning” his terrible twos, Nash has caught her breath and embarked on a solo career. Christianity Today describes her recent debut solo recording, Blue on Blue, as a “sweetly subdued, but elegant pop album that revels in beauty and simplicity.” The album chronicles her profound parenting experience. “When you’re a mother, it’s something that will plague you until you die, to put it really morosely,” she muses. “That doesn’t sound as wonderful as I think it is, but it is relentless, and it’s terrifying. It’s also the best thing that ever happened to me.” Understandably, Nash is a little daunted by the whole parenting experience. “My struggle is just going to be to teach him — the best that I know how — to be the best person he can be in the world ... I’m scared for him, but in time you have to kind of give him over to God, which is really hard — near impossible — but I think it’s really important,” she says. Right now, Nash is handling the juggling act of balancing a career and motherhood like most parents ... just one day at a time. If her amazing first solo recording is any indication, it is going to be another wild ride. photos
courtesy Leigh Nash [LLN-Online] [Adopt-a-Block] [Newsbriefs] [Event Calendar]
|
