Devour Music

Robin Hilton | February 11, 2025

Artists who play the Tiny Desk aren't always sure what they're getting into. "I wasn't expecting it to be in a big building," girl in red's Marie Ulven tells the NPR crowd. "I thought I was going to go into a little house or something."

Any confusion aside, Ulven and her band deliver a set suitable for the kind of cozy space she imagined, one of genuine charm, good humor and unbridled joy — a vibe that girl in red has always cultivated through music. She can find cause for celebration even in life's bleakest moments, like when Ulven and the band deploy rapid-fire handclaps during a song about the emptiness of unrequited love ("Phantom Pain") or the way she says "Depression!" with a smile and a cheerleader's fist in the air just before "Summer Depression." "It's a normal thing to feel like this," she sings, offering a much-needed dose of warmth and empathy on what was an otherwise chilly, overcast day in Washington, D.C.

#nprmusic #tinydesk #girlinred

1. "Phantom Pain"
2. "Summer Depression"
3. "Too Much"
4. "I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend"

MUSICIANS

• Marie Ulven: vocals, guitar
• Martin Dybal: guitar, music director
• Henrik Bakken: bass
• Bror Brorson: guitar
• Erlend Hisdal: drums
• Viljar Dunđerović: keys, piano

TINY DESK TEAM

• Producer: Robin Hilton
• Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
• AUDIO TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Neil Tevault
• Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
• Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Zayrha Rodriguez
• AUDIO ENGINEER: Josh Newell
• Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
• Photographer: Sofia Seidel
• Tiny Desk Team: Lars Gotrich, Maia Stern
• Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
• Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
• VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins