91.5 Chapel Hill 88.9 Manteo 90.9 Rocky Mount 91.1 Welcome 91.9 Fayetteville 90.5 Buxton 94.1 Lumberton 99.9 Southern Pines 89.9 Chadbourn
NPR Music
NPR Music & Concerts
Music features, reviews and "first listens" from NPR. Find more music at WUNC's Back Porch Music.

Chadwick Stokes: Tiny Desk Concert

By Bob Boilen
Published April 13, 2015 at 1:59 PM EDT
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio

His songs feel familiar; they're old friends before the first play is done. They'd fit nicely on a mix alongside Paul Simon or the McCartney side of The Beatles. But the songs of Chadwick Stokes aren't throwbacks so much as timeless tunes — paintings with words and crafty melodies with changing keys and colors.

The first time I heard Stokes' solo music — he's also the singer for the bands Dispatch and State Radio — came at the top of this year with the release of The Horse Comanche, a brilliant collection of songs filled with simplicity and orchestrations reminiscent of Beatles producer George Martin. Stripped to their core, these tunes still feel strong, making this a great introduction to a talent who deserves a wider audience.

Set List

  • "Pine Needle Tea"

  • "Horse Comanche"

  • "I Want You Like A Seatbelt"

    • Credits

    Producers: Bob Boilen, Maggie Starbard; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Morgan McCloy, Maggie Starbard; Assistant Producer: Annie Bartholomew; photo by Morgan McCloy/NPR

    Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

    NPR MusicNPR Music & ConcertsNPR News
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • Email
    Bob Boilen
    In 1988, a determined Bob Boilen started showing up on NPR's doorstep every day, looking for a way to contribute his skills in music and broadcasting to the network. His persistence paid off, and within a few weeks he was hired, on a temporary basis, to work for All Things Considered. Less than a year later, Boilen was directing the show and continued to do so for the next 18 years.
    See stories by Bob Boilen
    More Stories
    1. Why does TB have such a hold on the Inuit communities of the Canadian Arctic?
    2. Whistleblower Joshua Dean, who raised concerns about Boeing jets, dies at 45
    3. Biden says he supports the right to protest but denounces 'chaos' and hate speech
    4. NYC mayor says 'outside agitators' are co-opting Columbia protests—students disagree
    5. Who will pay to replace Baltimore's Key Bridge? The legal battle has already begun