As a founding member of the Grammy-Award winning trio Nickel Creek, Sara Watkins had spent nearly two
decades with her prodigious bandmates, including brother Sean and mandolin prodigy Chris Thile, creating
a niche in the bluegrass world with diverse original songs and well-crafted instrumentals.
She was also the only Nickel Creek member without a solo album. So when the band announced a long-term
touring and recording hiatus a few years ago, there was little surprise that Watkins would go into the
studio. The only question is what direction the album would go.
Watkins answered that question earlier this year when her self-titled debut was released. Produced by Led
Zeppelin legend John Paul Jones and featuring a who’s-who of contemporary Americana players, the album
is a showcase of Watkins’ maturity as a musician, songwriter and a statement of confidence in her
ability to step out of the legend of Nickel Creek.
"We were a band for almost 20 years, so there was a certain method that we worked out for ourselves
that made us functional," she said in a recent telephone interview. "Adjusting out of that
took a little time, but I am really enjoying doing my own show and having the ability to organize a show
for people and feeling more and more confident that I know how to do that."
Watkins will perform at the Cla-Zel in downtown Bowling Green on Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 in
advance and $15 at the door. She will be joined by her brother on guitar and vocals, Sebastian Steinberg
on bass and Don Heffington on drums.
Known primarily as a talented fiddler and vocalist, Watkins’ foray as a band leader and songwriter has
been a long time coming. Although she helped pen a few songs for Nickel Creek, her band mates largely
assumed the songwriting duties, both vocally and instrumentally.
In retrospect, Watkins gradual movement from band mate and collaborator to band leader and primary
songwriter was best served as a slow evolution, fostered by time, patience and a gradual increase in
confidence and comfort level.
For several years she has done a weekly gig in Los Angeles with her brother called the "Watkins
Family Hour." This, in addition to supporting side projects on the road and in the studio, has
provided an outlet to play with some of the area’s best musicians, try out original material and build
poise.
"Insecurities are not always merited, but they have a pretty real effect on me, especially after so
many years of not feeling comfortable with my song writing," Watkins said. "I think the lack
of pressure from myself probably helped."
"I didn’t have anything that I thought was particularly original to say (in Nickel Creek) and as the
years went by I found myself wanting to create something," she added about her debut album.
"Sara Watkins" features eight original songs (including two original instrumentals) and six
carefully chosen covers that create a palate of sounds, genres and influences ranging from Norman
Blake’s "Lord Won’t You Help Me" to Tom Waits’ "Pony."
Add in luminary and tasteful Americana musicians like Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, Tim O’Brien, Ronnie
McCoury, Rayna Gellert and Aoife O’Donovan, and you end up with an engaging work that is well produced
and strongly supported, without being showy or trite.
Working with Jones, who helped nurture her original material and song selections, she was able to connect
with her bluegrass and Nickel Creek roots, while drawing a line to her future as a diverse musician,
songwriter and band leader.
"A lot of producers have their own goals with what they want to do with an artist, I didn’t feel
like he had that at all," Watkins said of Jones. "He wanted to help me make the best album I
possibly could. That was such a great validation for me."
"I found that a lot of the things that he suggested or made note of where things I had not through
of," she added. "On the other hand he also really cared about my opinion. We found common
ground on the project."
