Elle Mannion | August 13, 2026 Audrey Hobert loves a comedic bit. In concert, she’ll stand on a tall ladder hidden by a taller trench coat. Or bounce on a mini trampoline. Or dribble basketballs. Knowing that she's inspired by comedian (and musician) Steve Martin, this all makes more sense. But take away those tricks in a setting like the Tiny Desk, and Hobert’s catchy pop songs are just as captivating. Hobert arrived with a debut album last year, Who's the Clown?, already with a distinct songwriting voice. The Los Angeles artist has a knack for putting words to the sometimes embarrassing thoughts many of us have rolling around in our heads — and singing them with a satisfying cadence over a banging beat. Her storytelling shines on songs like “Sex and the city” and the Friends-inspired “Phoebe.” (Given her background in screenwriting, it’s not surprising that her songs reference these hit shows and paint amusing characters.) “The seat is up, the place is haunted / He's heating up and eating up a pizza pocket / I wanted one, but he forgot it,” she muses on “Sex and the city.” The songwriting is funny, but it’s also a vulnerable exploration of desire. “Sometimes when you’re a burgeoning artist, you have one hit,” Hobert says before the last song. “I would classify this as a hit.” She adds that “it’s only a hit with time,” a statement that would prove true: “Sue me” entered the Billboard Hot 100 just this week. SET LIST “Shooting star” “Thirst Trap” “Phoebe” “Sex and the city” “Sue me” MUSICIANS Audrey Hobert: vocals, guitar Ricky Gourmet: guitar Hayley Briasco: guitar, banjo Lana Drincic: keys, piano Steven Brickman: sax, keys, piano, bass Andrew Pham: bass Cameron Allen: drums TINY DESK TEAM Producer: Elle Mannion Director/Editor: Kara Frame Audio Engineer/Mix: Josephine Nyounai Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter Videographers: Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Alanté Serene Audio Director: Josh Newell Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer Photographer: Michael Zamora Tiny Desk Team: Joshua Bryant, Felix Contreras Series Editor: Lars Gotrich Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed Executive Director: Sonali Mehta Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton #tinydesk #nprmusic #audreyhobert Support for NPR comes from Moises, the creative suite for musicians, used by over 75 million artists worldwide to learn, create and collaborate. Available for phone, tablet and desktop.