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Alana Springsteen: Tiny Desk Concert

We first started talking with Alana Springsteen about a Tiny Desk concert more than a year ago, back when she began releasing the three EPs that would make up her stunning debut album Twenty Something. By the time we finally got her in the office, she showed up ready to make it count, with a carefully arranged set list she delivered in an impossible-to-miss, bright red, leather suit, backed by an incredible band.

Springsteen’s set featured multiple surprises, including a version of the Tiësto song “Hot Honey” (a track she guested on when Tiësto released it last month). She also performed a brand new song we’re premiering called “feels good,” a twisted tale about flirting with death, going to extremes and self-sabotage.

Springsteen also included a slow-burning version of “ghost in my guitar,” swapping the electric guitar performed by Chris Stapleton on her album for a cello, before closing with a stripped-down version of the title cut to Twenty Something, a deeply moving coming-of-age song that left a lot of us at the office in tears.

SET LIST

  • “ghost in my guitar”
  • “Hot Honey”
  • “feels good”
  • “twenty something”

MUSICIANS

  • Alana Springsteen: lead vocals, acoustic guitar, piano
  • Alec Parrish: drums, vocals
  • Josh Beatty: lead guitar, acoustic guitar
  • Gideon Klein: steel guitar, cello
  • Daniel Cooper: piano, guitar, vocals

TINY DESK TEAM

  • Producer: Robin Hilton 
  • Director/Editor: Kara Frame
  • Audio Technical Director: Neil Tevault
  • Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
  • Videographers: Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Grace Raver
  • Audio Engineer: Valentina Rodriguez Sanchez
  • Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
  • Photographer: Sofia Seidel
  • Tiny Desk Copy Editor: Hazel Cills
  • Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
  • Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
  • VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

Copyright 2024 NPR

Corrected: August 5, 2024 at 9:18 AM CDT
A previous version of this story incorrectly referred to Alec Parrish as Alex Parrish. It was also updated to include Daniel Cooper as pianist.
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Robin Hilton is a producer and co-host of the popular NPR Music show All Songs Considered.