Audrey Hobert Brings Ladders, Trampolines and Pop Bangers to NPR's Tiny Desk
Audrey Hobert turned her NPR Tiny Desk Concert into a variety show, balancing on a ladder hidden inside a trench coat and bouncing on a mini trampoline between songs. The performance video was published on August 13, 2026, by NPR Music.
The concert drew from Hobert's debut album Who's The Clown?, released around 2025. She performed the songs "Thirst Trap" and "Sue Me," and introduced one track, "Phoebe," with a confession: she has seen all but one and a half seasons of the sitcom Friends. NPR Music had teased the appearance a day earlier on its official Instagram, describing Hobert's catchy pop songs as putting words to the embarrassing thoughts people have.
The comedic bits are no accident. Hobert began her career writing for a Nickelodeon sitcom before stepping into music, and her live set carries that writer's instinct for timing into performance. She has also self-directed music videos for her songs "Silver Jubilee" and "Sex and the City."
Hobert's rise has been built on touring and festival crowds. She sold out two North American tours and drew large audiences at Governor's Ball and Lollapalooza, according to Pitchfork. Her writing credits extend beyond her own material: she co-wrote "That's So True" with her childhood best friend Gracie Abrams, a track that became one of Abrams' breakout singles.
Pitchfork ranked Who's The Clown? at No. 20 on its list of The Best Pop Albums of 2025. For an artist who was writing for children's television not long ago, the Tiny Desk slot places her in a series that has hosted everyone from established veterans to rising acts — NPR's long-running concert format, where artists perform behind a desk in the network's Washington offices with minimal production.
For fans who already know the album, the Tiny Desk set offers stripped-back versions of songs that have been heard at full festival volume. For everyone else, it is a compact introduction to a songwriter who treats a pop performance as something that can be funny, awkward and catchy in the same three minutes.
