Emily King: Tiny Desk Concert

Nikki Birch | November 3, 2025

Once, 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”

MUSICIANS
Emily King: vocals, guitar
Randy Runyon: guitar, background vocals
Tim "Smithsoneon" Smith: percussion, background vocals
Jeremy Most: tenor bass, background vocals

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Nikki Birch
Director/Editor: Kara Frame
Audio Technical Director: Neil Tevault
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Sofia Seidel
Audio Engineer: Tiffany Vera Castro
Production Assistants: Dhanika Pineda, Dora Levite
Photographer: Zayrha Rodriguez
Tiny Desk Team: Maia Stern, Josh Newell
Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton

#tinydesk #nprmusic #emilyking

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