From top to (cheeky) bottom, CMAT's Tiny Desk has it all: captivating stage presence, sharp songwriting, vocal range, a great band and comedic timing.
Across this set, the Irish singer-songwriter offers a refreshing perspective for country music. On the pop hit "Take a Sexy Picture of Me," she uses humor as a response to cruel comments she's received about her appearance. On "When a Good Man Cries," CMAT deals with the guilt of hurting an ex who was good to her; as the song builds, she raises her hands above her head as her powerhouse vocals harmonize with the band and repeats, "Kyrie eleison," which translates to "Lord, have mercy." "I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby!" is a classic-sounding, country two-step about social anxiety and emotional detachment.
CMAT closes with a song that she doesn't usually play live. She spends most of "Lord, Let That Tesla Crash" with her eyes closed, sitting inside the devastating words written in memory of Jo Rose, a musician from Manchester, England who died in 2024. But as she opens herself up in the final moments, she lets out one last cackle, knowing that her "gorgeous egomaniac" friend "would get a kick out of this."
SET LIST
- "Take a Sexy Picture of Me"
- "When a Good Man Cries"
- "I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby!"
- "Lord, Let That Tesla Crash"
MUSICIANS
- CMAT: vocals, guitar
- Jack Wolter: guitar, background vocals
- Colm Conlan: piano, keys, background vocals
- Holly Carpenter: violin, percussion, background vocals
- Oli Deakin: guitar
- Daniel Vildósola: pedal steel
- Willy Bish: bass
- Morgan Karabel: drums
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Elle Mannion
- Director/Editor: Kara Frame
- Audio Director/Mix: Josh Newell
- Creative Director: Bobby Carter
- Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern
- Audio Engineer: Hannah Gluvna
- Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
- Photographer: Vanessa Castillo
- Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton
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