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NPR Music & Concerts
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SOAK: Tiny Desk Concert

By Bob Boilen
Published August 3, 2015 at 10:59 AM EDT
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The opening line of SOAK's debut album — "A teenage heart is an unguided dart" — contains the first words I heard from 19-year-old singer-songwriter Bridie Monds-Watson. Now, she's bringing that fragile, pure, thickly Irish-accented voice to the Tiny Desk.

Before We Forgot How To Dream, SOAK's debut, is one of my favorite albums of 2015. Monds-Watson's songs are about growing up and trying to understand adults and friends and life; though they're quiet, they aren't dour. They can be funny and smart, atmospheric and delicate — so much more than might be expected from a lone Irish teenager with an acoustic guitar.

Set List

  • "Sea Creatures"

  • "B a noBody"

  • "Wait"

    • Credits

    Producers: Bob Boilen, Morgan Walker; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Morgan Walker, Lani Milton; Assistant Producer: Mina Tavakoli; photo by Lydia Thompson/NPR

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

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    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
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