Sara Ullrika Watkins (born June 8, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and

fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...

r. Watkins debuted in 1989 as the fiddler of

Nickel Creek Nickel Creek (formerly known as the Nickel Creek Band) is an American bluegrass music, bluegrass band consisting of Chris Thile (mandolin), and siblings Sara Watkins (fiddle) and Sean Watkins (guitar). Formed in 1989 in Southern California, the ...

, the

progressive bluegrass Bluegrass music is a Music genre, genre of American roots music that developed in the 1940s in the Appalachian region of the United States. The genre derives its name from the band Bill Monroe, Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. Bluegrass has r ...

group she formed with her brother

Sean Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Hiberno-English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name '' Yohanan'' (), Seán ( anglicized as '' Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; a ...

and

mandolin A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...

ist

Chris Thile Christopher Scott Thile (; born February 20, 1981) is an American mandolinist, singer, songwriter, composer, and radio personality, best known for his work in the progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek and the acoustic folk and progressive blue ...

. In addition to singing and fiddling, Watkins also plays the

ukulele The ukulele ( ; ); also called a uke (informally), is a member of the lute (ancient guitar) family of instruments. The ukulele is of Portuguese origin and was popularized in Hawaii. The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and con ...

and the guitar, and also played percussion while touring with

the Decemberists The Decemberists are an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon, formed in 2000. The band consists of Colin Meloy (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Funk (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (piano, keyboards, accordion, backing vocals ...

. In 2012, she and her brother played with

Jackson Browne Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American rock musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 30 million albums in the United States. Emerging as a teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he had his ...

during his "I'll Do Anything" acoustic tour. With Nickel Creek, Watkins released five studio albums, one

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...

, and seven singles. During the band's seven-year hiatus, she released three solo albums: '' Sara Watkins'' and '' Sun Midnight Sun'' on

Nonesuch Records Nonesuch Records is an American record company and label owned by Warner Music Group, distributed by Warner Records (formerly Warner Bros. Records), and based in New York City. Founded by Jac Holzman in 1964 as a budget classical label, Nonesuch ...

and '' Young in All the Wrong Ways'' on New West Records."Nonesuch Signs Sara Watkins"
.

. November 25, 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008.

Biography

1989–2007, 2014–present: Nickel Creek

2007–present: Solo career

In late 2005, Watkins stated in a

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...

interview when discussing her first solo-written recorded song, "Anthony", that she "definitely akesthe effort o write more but it's something that doesn't come too easy for me. Nor does it come really easy for the guys, I think they've just been doing it for a very long time."Tranter, Nikki
"Understanding and Ability"
. ''

''. November 18, 2005. Retrieved March 27, 2008. SaraWatkinsACL

Watkins signed as a solo artist with

in fall 2008 and released her self-titled debut solo album on April 7, 2009. Watkins started recording the album in February 2008, and it was jointly recorded in

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

and Los Angeles. ''Sara Watkins'' was produced by bassist

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regard ...

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...

fame, who first performed with Watkins on a Mutual Admiration Society tour in 2004.Dickens, Tad
"End of the road for Nickel Creek?"
''

The Roanoke Times ''The Roanoke Times'' is the primary newspaper in Southwestern Virginia and is based in Roanoke, Virginia, United States. It is published by Lee Enterprises. In addition to its headquarters in Roanoke, it maintains a bureau in Christiansburg, ...

''. November 2, 2007. Retrieved March 1, 2008. Watkins toured the United States as an opening act in 2008. She performed short tours as an opening act for singer-songwriter

Tift Merritt Catherine Tift Merritt (born January 8, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She has released seven studio albums, two for Lost Highway Records, two for Fantasy Records, and three for Yep Roc Records. Early life and education Me ...

along the West Coast in March and April"Nickel Creek members' tours stop in NC"
. ''Triangle Music''. January 24, 2008. Retrieved March 1, 2008. and with Robert Earl Keen around

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

in September, as well as doing a 17-date tour with

Donavon Frankenreiter Donavon Frankenreiter (born December 10, 1972) is an American musician and surfer. His debut self-titled album was released in 2004 on Brushfire Records through Universal Music. Career Frankenreiter was born in Downey, California, United Stat ...

in October. On April 14, 2009, she appeared on ''

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show was the third installment of the '' Late Night'' franchise. Hosted by Jimmy Fallon,

'', with Jones on bass,

Questlove Ahmir K. Thompson (born January 20, 1971), known professionally as Questlove (stylized as ), is an American drummer, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Thought ...

The Roots The Roots are an American Hip-hop, hip hop band formed in 1987 by singer Black Thought, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and drummer Questlove, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''T ...

on drums, and her brother Sean Watkins on guitar. On August 28, 2011, she made her debut with ''

A Prairie Home Companion ''A Prairie Home Companion'' was a weekly radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor that aired live from 1974 to 2016. In 2016, musician Chris Thile took over as host, and the successor show was eventually renamed ''Live from He ...

,'' at the

Minnesota State Fair The Minnesota State Fair is the state fair of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Also known by its slogan, "The Great Minnesota Get-Together", it is the largest state fair in the United States by average daily attendance and the second-largest state f ...

. In 2012, she toured with

as the opening act for his acoustic winter tour. In September 2011, Watkins indicated via Twitter that she would begin work on a second album in the fall of 2011. In May 2012, Watkins released her second solo album, '' Sun Midnight Sun'', again on

. Produced by former Simon Dawes guitarist Blake Mills, it features guest appearances from

Fiona Apple Fiona Apple McAfee-Maggart (born September 13, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. She released five albums from 1996 to 2020, all of which reached the top 20 on the U.S. Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200 chart. As of 2021, she has sold over ...

and Jackson Browne. In 2016, Watkins won "Instrumentalist of the Year" at the Americana Music Honors & Awards.

Other projects

In 2002, Watkins starred in an advertisement for cell phone provider Cingular Wireless alongside her former fiddle teacher Dennis Caplinger, as well as other prominent bluegrass artists."A Most Cingular Sensation"
. ''Wright For You''. June 2002. Retrieved June 21, 2008.
. Between 2000 and 2004, Watkins and the other members of

(

and Sean Watkins), Glen Phillips,

, and Pete Thomas collaborated on an EP, '' Mutual Admiration Society Solo Sampler''; an album, ''Mutual Admiration Society'' (recorded in 2000); and a brief tour. The 2007 documentary film ''

Arctic Tale ''Arctic Tale'' is a 2007 American documentary film from the National Geographic Society about the life cycle of a walrus and her calf, and a polar bear and her cubs, in a similar vein to the 2005 hit production ''March of the Penguins'', which ...

'' featured a song by Watkins and musician Grant-Lee Phillips, titled "Song of the North (Beneath the Sun)". Watkins lent her vocal talents to the film alongside other performers such as

Aimee Mann Aimee Elizabeth Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released ten studio albums as a solo artist. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyrics about dark subjects, often d ...

and

Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (June 20, 1942 – June 11, 2025) was an American musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often Brian Wilson is a genius, called a genius for his novel approaches to pop compositio ...

. In January 2008, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' reported a new supergroup octet tentatively named The Scrolls, later named Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.). The octet is composed of Watkins, her brother Sean Watkins (guitar), Glen Phillips (guitar, vocals),

Benmont Tench Benjamin Montmorency "Benmont" Tench III (born September 7, 1953) is an American musician and singer, and a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Early years Tench was born in Gainesville, Florida, the second child of Benjamin M ...

(piano), Luke Bulla (fiddle),

Greg Leisz Gregory Brian Leisz ( ; born September 18, 1949) is an American musician. He is a songwriter, recording artist, and producer. He plays guitar, dobro, mandolin, banjo, lap steel and pedal steel guitar. Biography Leisz grew up in the garage ba ...

(various), Pete Thomas (drums), and Davey Faragher (bass). The group released their album ''WPA'' in September 2009. Watkins is featured on

Needtobreathe Needtobreathe (stylized as NEEDTOBREATHE) is an American rock band from Seneca, South Carolina. The group first gained fame for their Christian themes, eventually reaching crossover success. The band is composed of Bear Rinehart (lead vocals, ...

's 2009 CD '' The Outsiders'' on the track "Stones Under Rushing Water". In late January and early February 2010, Watkins undertook a short tour with

Jerry Douglas Gerald Calvin Douglas (born May 28, 1956) is an American Dobro and lap steel guitar player and record producer. He is widely regarded as "perhaps the finest Dobro player in contemporary acoustic music, and certainly the most celebrated and prol ...

and Aly Bain in Scotland and England under the " Transatlantic Sessions" banner, culminating in a performance in the

Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London, England. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a G ...

in London on February 6, 2010. In June 2010, Watkins appeared on the

Nerdist Nerdist Industries, LLC (also simply known as Nerdist) is part of the digital division of Legendary Entertainment. Nerdist Industries was founded as a sole podcast ( The Nerdist Podcast) created by Chris Hardwick but later spread to include a net ...

podcast as a musical guest, performing her best-known solo song, "Long Hot Summer Days" (a John Hartford cover). Later that summer, she participated in the Summer Love Tour with

Garrison Keillor Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor (; born August 7, 1942) is an American author, singer, humorist, voice actor, and radio personality. He created the Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) show ''A Prairie Home Companion'' (called ''Garrison Keillor's Radio ...

in venues across the United States. She guest hosted Keillor's show, ''

'', on January 15, 2011. Watkins contributed fiddle, guitar, percussion, and vocals on

The Decemberists The Decemberists are an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon, formed in 2000. The band consists of Colin Meloy (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Funk (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (piano, keyboards, accordion, backing vocals ...

' 2011 tour. Also in 2011, she (and her brother Sean) began to perform as a musician and singer in the humor/retro-radio podcast " Thrilling Adventure Hour". Watkins played violin and sang on "A Face To Call Home" on

John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but he left for Atlanta in 1997 with fellow guitarist Clay Cook, with whom he formed the short-liv ...

's 2012 album '' Born and Raised''. During 2012 and 2013, she toured with Jackson Browne, both as an opening act and accompanying him during the performance. Watkins and her brother Sean play regularly at the Largo nightclub in Los Angeles as " Watkins Family Hour". Keyboardist

(of

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were an American rock band formed in Gainesville, Florida, in 1976. The band originally comprised lead singer and rhythm guitarist Tom Petty, lead guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench, drummer ...

) and bassist

Sebastian Steinberg Sebastian Steinberg (born February 20, 1959) is an American double bass, bass player, best known for his work in the band Soul Coughing. Biography Steinberg played with Soul Coughing throughout the band's entire history, from 1992 to 2000. In 200 ...

(formerly of Soul Coughing) are regular participants, and other guest musicians from the Largo family generally show up as well, including

Jon Brion Jon Brion (born December 11, 1963) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and composer. He performed with the Excerpts, the Bats, 'Til Tuesday and The Grays (band), the Grays before becoming an established pro ...

, Fiona Apple, Don Heffington,

, and former Nickel Creek bandmate

when he is in town. The irregular collaborations led to a 2015 album and tour under the same name. Also in 2015, Watkins toured extensively with Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O'Donovan (of Crooked Still fame). The trio, who since then have played under the name I'm With Her, hosted the radio show ''

'' on October 10, 2015. Watkins also performed vocals for "June & Johnny" on

Jon Foreman Jonathan Mark Foreman (born October 22, 1976) is an American musician who is the lead singer, guitarist, primary songwriter, and co-founder of the alternative rock band Switchfoot. As a solo act, Foreman has released 14 extended plays and two st ...

's 2015 EP '' The Wonderlands: Darkness''. In 2020, she played fiddle on

Phoebe Bridgers Phoebe Lucille Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American singer-songwriter. Her indie folk music typically centers on acoustic guitar and Electronic music, electronic production, with melancholic lyrical themes. She has won four Grammy Aw ...

's record ''

Punisher The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher ma ...

'', on track 10 "Graceland Too". In 2021, she played fiddle on

The Killers The Killers are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After the band went through a number of short-term bas ...

's record ''

Pressure Machine ''Pressure Machine'' is the seventh studio album by American rock band the Killers. It was released on August 13, 2021. The album features the return of guitarist Dave Keuning to the studio with the band, after his absence on the previous album, ...

'' (Tracks: ''West Fields'', ''Cody'', ''Pressure Machine'') and violin on ''In Another Life''.

Personal life

On August 16, 2008, Watkins married Todd Cooper in her parents' backyard in

Vista Vista may refer to: Software *Windows Vista, the line of Microsoft Windows client operating systems released in 2006 and 2007 * VistA, (Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture) a medical records system of the United States ...

, California."Sept – Northampton, MA"
. Sarawatkins.com. September 2008. Retrieved September 16, 2008. On June 15, 2017, she announced via Twitter that she and her husband were expecting a child in September.

Discography

Solo career

Studio albums

Music videos

With Nickel Creek

Albums

*1993: '' Little Cowpoke'' *1997: '' Here to There'' *2000: ''

'' *2002: ''

This Side ''This Side'' is the Grammy-winning third album by the progressive bluegrass band Nickel Creek, released on Sugar Hill in the summer of 2002. It gained attention in indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that o ...

'' *2005: '' Why Should the Fire Die?'' *2014: ''

A Dotted Line ''A Dotted Line'' is the fourth major album release and sixth studio album overall by progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek. Produced by Eric Valentine, the album was released on Nonesuch Records on April 1, 2014, in the United States.

'' *2023: ''Celebrants''

Compilations

*2006: '' Reasons Why: The Very Best'' *2007: '' I'll Fly Away: Country Hymns and Songs of Faith''

Singles

*2001: " When You Come Back Down" *2001: " The Lighthouse's Tale" *2002: "Reasons Why" *2003: "

" *2003: "Speak" *2003: "Smoothie Song" *2005: "When in Rome" *2009: "Too Much"

With Watkins Family Hour

Albums

*2015: ''Watkins Family Hour'' *2020: ''Brother Sister'' *2022: ''Vol. II''

With I'm With Her

Singles

*2015: "Crossing Muddy Waters" / "Be My Husband" *2017: "Little Lies" *2017: "Send My Love (to Your New Lover) – ive – Feat. Paul Kowert *2019: "Call My Name"

Albums

*2018: ''See You Around'' *2025: ''Wild And Clear And Blue''

References

External links

Official website

Interviews

Interview on Metromix.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watkins, Sara American acoustic guitarists American bluegrass fiddlers American bluegrass guitarists American women country singers American country singer-songwriters Nickel Creek members People from Vista, California Place of birth missing (living people) Singer-songwriters from California 1981 births Living people 21st-century American singer-songwriters 21st-century American women singers Works Progress Administration (band) members I'm with Her (band) members Mutual Admiration Society (band) members