Fleet Foxes: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music's Tiny Desk (home) concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It's the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space.

Bob Boilen | March 9, 2021
"I'm Robin Pecknold from Fleet Foxes. Thank you so much for asking me to find the tiniest desk I could, and sing unadorned for the first time in too long."

With his guitar and that unadorned voice, Robin Pecknold performs four songs from Fleet Foxes' 2020 album, Shore. It's an album that pays homage to some of the greats that we've lost — some more recently, including David Berman and Richard Swift, and some long gone but still influential, like Elliott Smith, Curtis Mayfield, Jimi Hendrix and Judee Sill. Robin wrote the songs while driving in the Catskills and (as you hear on "Going-to-the-Sun Road") Montana, a place that feels like home.

It's been a dozen years since Robin Pecknold's first, self-titled Fleet Foxes album, a record filled with harmony that brightened the somewhat dark lyrics. Here, alone, his message comes through even more apparent, and the songs written both before and during the pandemic shine light on darkness.

SET LIST
"Going-to-the-Sun-Road"
"Sunblind"
"Featherweight"
"I'm Not My Season"

MUSICIANS
Robin Pecknold: guitar, vocals

CREDITS
Video: Fortress Entertainment, Riley Burke, Tristan Seniuk, Sean Pecknold
Audio: Jarvis Taveniere

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bob Boilen
Video Producer: Morgan Noelle Smith
Audio Mastering: Josh Rogosin
Associate Producer: Bobby Carter
Tiny Production Team: Kara Frame, Maia Stern
Executive Producer: Lauren Onkey
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#fleetfoxes #tinydesk #nprmusic

[barbietkach]

Cannot even begin to describe how important Fleet Foxes’ music is to me

[papabucks]

For people new to Fleet Foxes, go listen to their album “Helplessness Blues”. It literally saved my life, and it is perfect from start to finish. Trust me

[marsifuentes]

robin pecknold singing in portuguese is one of the things i didnt know i needed

[sarahjones]

Oh god...his voice, his guitar playing, his face, the Birkenstocks. It's all too lovely. I can't...

[JonathanOgdenMusic]

Shore is a masterpiece. These songs really shine with the stripped-back arrangement.

[Ironlungwrdsmth]

Robin Pecknold is more than a songwriter, he is gift to those who feel his music, rather than hear it. A kindred spirit to those with troubled thoughts...lost and in awe of existential chaos... confused by the futility of it all.. trying to find their way. Thank you Robin.

[gui_andraded]

His voice got so better with the time its ridiculous

[scottingram]

that portuguese part of Going to the Sun Road gets me everytime

[jdutra]

Robin singing in portuguese at the end of Going-to-the-Sun-Road is absolutely beautiful. thank you for this

[elphidium]

Robin should definitely be remembered as one of the most influential musicians of the beginning of the 21st century

[Youfoh]

“I’m Not My Season” is my favorite song.

[De_liebste_un_beste_Mensch]

One of the best voices alive. And from a songwriting perspective this is the same league as Simon & Garfunkel. Legit.

[TheDreamingJune]

His voice is so warm and comforting. Like the most delightful hug from an old friend.

[mayamagination]

these stripped back versions are so comfy, his voice really is an instrument in itself

[EllieUchiha]

Here IMMEDIATELY. I LOVE fleet foxes with all my heart and soul. Robin also started with my favorite song from the album. What a blessed Tuesday morning

[Wahlrusberg]

I love all the bells and whistles to Fleet Foxes with the harmonies and stuff, but dude could definitely release a whole album of just him and guitar

[jamesturner]

Featherweight is my anthem of the pandemic, no other piece of music released during the year 2020 encapsulated how everything felt, and still feels. Robin is a wonderful soul.

[jessib]

And just like that, I found my strength for the day

[thetreesify]

Does anyone else tear up hearing 'it's not my season'? Because of the state of my mind and general exhaustion from the past year, i just really feel this song every time It's on.

[kevinchristopher]

It's amazing how well Sunblind fits into the larger Fleet Foxes style