Ollella: Tiny Desk Concert

Описание: This week, we celebrate the Tiny Desk Contest community with concerts by some of our favorite entrants over the years.

Dora Levite | January 30, 2026
Before I started working on the Tiny Desk Contest, I had already seen and fallen in love with Ollella. Back in her hometown, Seattle, I'd witnessed Ellie Barber's nostalgic indie folk fill a space with simply a cello and an upright bass. Barber often describes Ollella as more than a band but a "collaborative project across the city" — this iteration behind the Desk is a snapshot of a years-long project.

Barber's music is often playful, occasionally a little sad and always guided by strings. Ollella's set celebrates years of submitting to the Contest with "Lava," a song that explores where our childlike wonder goes as we get older. "At Rest" is a contemplation on stillness, which is punctuated by a sweeping solo from upright bassist Kelsey Mines.

When we looked back on the past decade and change of artists we've found through the Contest, we almost couldn't believe Ollella hadn't come by the Desk already. As Barber and her band played songs that we'd heard countless times during the Contest, it felt like a full circle moment — we couldn't help but sing along.

SET LIST
"Mothers & Colors"
"Lava"
"Optimist"
"At Rest"

MUSICIANS
Ellie Barber: vocals, cello
Abby Gundersen: violin, background vocals
Kelsey Mines: bass
Taylor Heath: keys, piano
Jordan Cunningham: guitar
Henry Allen: drums
Kate Dinsmore: background vocals

TINY DESK TEAM
Producers: Elle Mannion, Bobby Carter
Director/Editor: Maia Stern
Audio Director/Mix: Josh Newell
Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame
Audio Engineer: Neil Tevault
Production Assistant: Dhanika Pineda
Photographer: Zayrha Rodriguez
Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Tiny Desk Team: Ashley Pointer, Felix Contreras
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton

#nprmusic #tinydesk #ollella

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