Annahstasia: Tiny Desk Concert
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Elle Mannion | May 26, 2026
Take a deep breath. This is what songwriter Annahstasia tenderly instructs her band to do between songs; it's also an apt description of what listening to her music can feel like.
Annahstasia's voice is soothing, strong, textured and grounded. At the Tiny Desk, it's exquisitely attuned with the band's varied instrumentation. Like deep breaths, each song rises and falls as the group starts softly, builds to a crescendo, then lands in a gentle place.
For the finale, Annahstasia offers a twist on Villain, a standout track from her debut album Tether. What begins as a song about insecurity now ends with a new, more hopeful verse that she sings over Hailey Niswanger's bird-like whistling: Take it, take it back / All that you left within me / All the doubt and the fear / When love was always abundant in me.
SET LIST
Stress Test
Be Kind
Sunday
Villain
MUSICIANS
Annahstasia: vocals, guitar
Mia Garcia: guitar, bass
Yunus Iyriboz: oud, guitar
Aaron Liao: bass, shruti box, piano, music director
Hailey Niswanger: flute, tenor sax
Zander Howard-Scott: cello, piano
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Elle Mannion
Director: Maia Stern
Audio Engineer/Mix: Hannah Gluvna
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant
Video Editor: Nikki Birch
Audio Director/Mix: Josh Newell
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton
#nprmusic #tinydesk #Annahstasia
Support for NPR Music comes from Capital One. Proud supporters of NPR Music and the Tiny Desk Contest. What's in your wallet? Learn more at Capital One dot com.
Take a deep breath. This is what songwriter Annahstasia tenderly instructs her band to do between songs; it's also an apt description of what listening to her music can feel like.
Annahstasia's voice is soothing, strong, textured and grounded. At the Tiny Desk, it's exquisitely attuned with the band's varied instrumentation. Like deep breaths, each song rises and falls as the group starts softly, builds to a crescendo, then lands in a gentle place.
For the finale, Annahstasia offers a twist on Villain, a standout track from her debut album Tether. What begins as a song about insecurity now ends with a new, more hopeful verse that she sings over Hailey Niswanger's bird-like whistling: Take it, take it back / All that you left within me / All the doubt and the fear / When love was always abundant in me.
SET LIST
Stress Test
Be Kind
Sunday
Villain
MUSICIANS
Annahstasia: vocals, guitar
Mia Garcia: guitar, bass
Yunus Iyriboz: oud, guitar
Aaron Liao: bass, shruti box, piano, music director
Hailey Niswanger: flute, tenor sax
Zander Howard-Scott: cello, piano
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Elle Mannion
Director: Maia Stern
Audio Engineer/Mix: Hannah Gluvna
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant
Video Editor: Nikki Birch
Audio Director/Mix: Josh Newell
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton
#nprmusic #tinydesk #Annahstasia
Support for NPR Music comes from Capital One. Proud supporters of NPR Music and the Tiny Desk Contest. What's in your wallet? Learn more at Capital One dot com.