Nikki Birch | November 3, 2025Once, at a concert, I overheard someone whisper that Emily King sounded just like her records, but better. With a nod, her friend replied, “Yeah! It’s like getting hugged by a rose petal!” As a longtime fan myself, I know this Tiny Desk will do the same for you. King’s silky tones reach new heights when her band members, each a master of their instrument, surprises the audience with beautiful voices of their own. On gutwrenching breakup songs like “Georgia” and “Down,” they add dreamy harmonies. Despite singing of heartbreak, King’s barely-contained excitement brightens the room between each tune. She remarks on the fun she’s had playing with her band, and speaks about all the music that she and her long-time collaborator, Jeremy Most, have created together over the years.Sometimes, as she tells us, the songs that King writes are intended to give herself a boost when she feels sad or discouraged. She leans into main character mode with her new year’s anthem, “This Year,” and reminds us that a “Special Occasion” is best when it’s celebrated together. To me, sharing this Tiny Desk concert is one of those moments. SET LIST“Distance”“Georgia” “Down” “This Year”“Special Occasion”MUSICIANSEmily King: vocals, guitarRandy Runyon: guitar, background vocalsTim "Smithsoneon" Smith: percussion, background vocalsJeremy Most: tenor bass, background vocalsTINY DESK TEAMProducer: Nikki BirchDirector/Editor: Kara FrameAudio Technical Director: Neil TevaultHost/Series Producer: Bobby CarterVideographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Sofia SeidelAudio Engineer: Tiffany Vera CastroProduction Assistants: Dhanika Pineda, Dora LevitePhotographer: Zayrha RodriguezTiny Desk Team: Maia Stern, Josh NewellSeries Editor: Lars GotrichExecutive Producer: Suraya MohamedExecutive Director: Sonali MehtaSeries Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton#tinydesk #nprmusic #emilykingSupport for NPR Music comes from Moises, an AI platform for musicians of all levels to learn, create, and collaborate. Learn more at Moises.AI
