Sara Watkins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sara Watkins
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Sara Watkins in 2009 at the ArtsCenter in Carrboro, North Carolina
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Sara Ullrika Watkins |
| Born | June 8, 1981 |
| Origin | Vista, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Bluegrass, folk, country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, fiddle, guitar, ukulele, percussion |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels | Nonesuch Records Sugar Hill Records |
| Associated acts | Nickel Creek, Sean Watkins, Chris Thile, Mutual Admiration Society, Works Progress Administration, The Decemberists, Dan Wilson, I'm With Her, Aoife O'Donovan, Sarah Jarosz, The Killers, Jackson Browne |
Sara Ullrika Watkins (born June 8, 1981) is an American singer and songwriter. She is also a talented fiddle player. Sara started her music career in 1989. She was the fiddler for Nickel Creek, a progressive bluegrass band. She formed this group with her brother Sean and mandolin player Chris Thile.
Besides singing and playing the fiddle, Sara also plays the ukulele and the guitar. She even played percussion when she toured with the Decemberists. In 2012, she and her brother performed with Jackson Browne on his acoustic tour. With Nickel Creek, Sara released five studio albums. She also released three solo albums during the band's break.
Contents
About Sara Watkins
Nickel Creek: Her First Band
Sara Watkins began her music journey with the band Nickel Creek. She was just eight years old when the group started in 1989. The band included her brother Sean Watkins and Chris Thile. They played a type of music called progressive bluegrass.
Nickel Creek released several albums together. Some of their popular albums include Nickel Creek (2000) and This Side (2002). The band took a break for seven years, starting in 2007. They got back together in 2014 and have continued to make music. Their album Celebrants was released in 2023.
Sara's Solo Music Career
In 2005, Sara Watkins shared that writing songs was a bit challenging for her. However, she kept trying to write more of her own music. In 2008, she signed a deal to release music as a solo artist.
Her first solo album, Sara Watkins, came out on April 7, 2009. This album was produced by John Paul Jones. He is famous for being the bassist in the band Led Zeppelin. They had worked together before on a tour in 2004.
Sara toured a lot in 2008 to promote her music. She opened for other artists like Tift Merritt and Robert Earl Keen. She also appeared on TV shows like Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. In 2011, she performed on A Prairie Home Companion for the first time. She also toured with Jackson Browne in 2012.
In May 2012, Sara released her second solo album, Sun Midnight Sun. This album also featured guest artists like Fiona Apple and Jackson Browne. In 2016, Sara won "Instrumentalist of the Year" at the Americana Music Honors & Awards. This award recognized her amazing musical skills. Her album Under the Pepper Tree was released in 2021.
Other Music Projects
Sara Watkins has been part of many other music projects. In 2002, she was in a TV advertisement for a phone company. She also worked with other musicians on an album called Mutual Admiration Society in 2000.
In 2007, Sara sang a song called "Song of the North (Beneath the Sun)" for the documentary film Arctic Tale. She joined other famous singers like Aimee Mann and Brian Wilson on the film's soundtrack.
In 2008, Sara became part of a new music group called Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.). This group had eight members, including her brother Sean. They released their album WPA in 2009. Sara also sang on a song called "Stones Under Rushing Water" for the band Needtobreathe in 2009.
In 2010, Sara toured Scotland and England with other musicians. She also appeared on a podcast called The Nerdist. Later that summer, she toured with Garrison Keillor. She even hosted his radio show, A Prairie Home Companion, in 2011. Sara also played fiddle, guitar, and sang for The Decemberists' tour in 2011. She also performed in a radio podcast called "Thrilling Adventure Hour".
Sara played violin and sang on a song for John Mayer's 2012 album Born and Raised. She continued to tour with Jackson Browne in 2012 and 2013.
Sara and her brother Sean often perform together at a club in Los Angeles. They call themselves "Watkins Family Hour". Other musicians often join them, including Jon Brion and Fiona Apple. They released an album and went on tour under this name in 2015.
Also in 2015, Sara toured with Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O'Donovan. This trio later formed a band called I'm With Her. They even hosted A Prairie Home Companion together. In 2020, Sara played fiddle on a song for Phoebe Bridgers's album Punisher. In 2021, she played fiddle and violin on several songs for The Killers's album Pressure Machine.
Sara's Personal Life
Sara Watkins married Todd Cooper on August 16, 2008. They got married in her parents' backyard in Vista, California. In June 2017, Sara announced that they were going to have a child.
Sara's Music Albums
Solo Albums
Studio Albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
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| US |
US Folk |
US Heat |
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| Sara Watkins |
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— | — | 13 |
| Sun Midnight Sun |
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— | 11 | 16 |
| Young in All the Wrong Ways |
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200 | 7 | 1 |
| Under the Pepper Tree |
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| "—" means the album did not appear on that chart. | ||||
Music Videos
| Year | Video | Director |
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| 2012 | "When It Pleases You" | Peter Zavadil |
| 2013 | "You and Me" | Russ Kendall |
| 2016 | "Move Me" | Allister Ann |
| "Say So" | Alex Chaloff | |
| "Young in All The Wrong Ways" | Emilie Sabath |
Albums with Nickel Creek
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Compilation Albums
Singles
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Albums with Watkins Family Hour
- 2015: Watkins Family Hour
- 2020: Brother Sister
- 2022: Vol. II
Music with I'm With Her
Singles
- 2015: "Crossing Muddy Waters" / "Be My Husband"
- 2017: "Little Lies"
- 2017: "Send My Love (to Your New Lover) – [Live – Feat. Paul Kowert]"
- 2019: "Call My Name"
Albums
- 2018: See You Around
- 2025: Wild And Clear And Blue
