Ollella: Tiny Desk Concert

Ollella: Tiny Desk Concert with tags npr, npr music, national public radio, live, performance, tiny desk, tiny desk concert, tony desk, tiny concert

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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