Sean Watkins
Encyclopedia
Sean Charles Watkins is a guitar
ist, vocalist, and songwriter
. He is a member of the contemporary folk
band Nickel Creek
, the duo Fiction Family
and the supergroup
Works Progress Administration.
-- a coveted trophy that Watkins reportedly put on top of his toilet at home. Explaining the somewhat odd situation, Watkins said that "it seems like a humble place. I didn't want to put it out in plain view of my house. I didn't feel like displaying it right when you walk in. It's a nice crown for the porcelain." In addition to playing with Nickel Creek, Watkins has released 3 solo albums and appeared on several others.
Of this experience, Watkins has said, "I've learned now to look back to music that has lasted through the years and to appreciate the timeless value that it has."
As a solo musician, his early material was contemporary bluegrass, but he has since incorporated other influences into his music (especially indie rock). Watkins' solo music career seems to reflect Nickel Creek's: turning from traditional bluegrass
songs to indie rock with bluegrass instrumentation. He is the oldest member of Nickel Creek
. Sean qualified for the National Flatpicking Championship in 1993 at age 16, and "My first instrument was the piano
when I was six", Sean recalled. "I took classic instruction for seven years, but three years into that I discovered bluegrass music
, through my piano teacher's son, who had a bluegrass band that played every Saturday night at a pizza
place in Carlsbad
.
I really got into it, and when Sara Watkins and I met Chris
[Thile], we started playing with him on Saturday nights too."
His sister Sara Watkins
, also a member of Nickel Creek
, plays violin
and sings background vocals on the two latest of his three solo albums. In 2004, Nickel Creek
participated in a project dubbed Mutual Admiration Society, a collaboration with former Toad The Wet Sprocket
singer Glen Phillips
. Sean and Sara
are also part of the 2007 soundtrack for the psychological thriller Bug with the track "No Way to Live".
member Jon Foreman
started a collaborating duo called "The Real SeanJon". In March 2008, the duo announced that they had changed their band name to "Fiction Family
". In a spring 2008 interview, Jon Foreman said that the album would have a summer 2008 release and the duo was considering having the album be distributed by Starbucks
. However, a September 2008 press release by Nickel Creek confirmed that the album, Fiction Family, is to be released on January 20, 2009, on ATO Records
.
In January 2008, it was reported by Billboard
that a new supergroup
octet tentatively named The Scrolls
had formed, now known officially as Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.). The octet is composed of Watkins, his sister Sara Watkins (fiddle), Glen Phillips
(guitar
, vocals), Benmont Tench
(piano), Luke Bulla (fiddle), Greg Leisz
(various), Pete Thomas
(drums), and Davey Faragher
(bass). The group released their self-titled debut album on August 28, 2009. As the group continued, the lead singer-songwriters Watkins (Sean), Phillips, and Bulla were considered the core group and were supported by others when their projects made it possible. Bulla is no longer considered part of the group and as of summer 2011, their most recent lineup was Watkins and Phillips supported by Jerry Roe on drums and Sebastian Steinberg on bass guitar.
Sean and sister Sara play regularly at the Largo
nightclub in Los Angeles as "The Watkins Family Hour." Keyboard Benmont Tench
(of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) and bassist Sebastian Steinberg
(formerly of Soul Coughing) are regular participants and other guest musicians from the Largo family generally show up as well, including Jon Brion
, Fiona Apple
, Don Heffington, Greg Leisz
, and former Nickel Creek bandmate Chris Thile
when he is in town. Sean has also frequently supported his sister Sara on guitar and vocals for her solo dates since the release of her debut album in April 2009.
In addition, Watkins plans to release what he calls "15 minutes of noise" as a digital download on his website. He said that the final product was "very strange", and that there would "be some cool art to go with it".
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist, vocalist, and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. He is a member of the contemporary folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
band Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek was an American progressive acoustic music trio consisting of Chris Thile , Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins . The band was founded in 1989 and released 6 albums between 1993 and 2006...
, the duo Fiction Family
Fiction Family
Fiction Family is a musical collaboration between Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman and Nickel Creek guitarist Sean Watkins. The duo's self-titled, full-length album was released on January 20, 2009....
and the supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
Works Progress Administration.
Nickel Creek
Sean Watkins began his tenure with Nickel Creek playing mandolin, but later switched to guitar. The band has released three albums and a CD composed of their hits (called Reasons Why: The Very Best) and won a Grammy for This SideThis Side
This Side is the Grammy-winning fourth album by the progressive bluegrass band Nickel Creek, released on Sugar Hill in the summer of 2002. It gained some notoriety in indie rock circles due to the group's recording of a Pavement song, Spit on a Stranger...
-- a coveted trophy that Watkins reportedly put on top of his toilet at home. Explaining the somewhat odd situation, Watkins said that "it seems like a humble place. I didn't want to put it out in plain view of my house. I didn't feel like displaying it right when you walk in. It's a nice crown for the porcelain." In addition to playing with Nickel Creek, Watkins has released 3 solo albums and appeared on several others.
Of this experience, Watkins has said, "I've learned now to look back to music that has lasted through the years and to appreciate the timeless value that it has."
As a solo musician, his early material was contemporary bluegrass, but he has since incorporated other influences into his music (especially indie rock). Watkins' solo music career seems to reflect Nickel Creek's: turning from traditional bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
songs to indie rock with bluegrass instrumentation. He is the oldest member of Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek was an American progressive acoustic music trio consisting of Chris Thile , Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins . The band was founded in 1989 and released 6 albums between 1993 and 2006...
. Sean qualified for the National Flatpicking Championship in 1993 at age 16, and "My first instrument was the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
when I was six", Sean recalled. "I took classic instruction for seven years, but three years into that I discovered bluegrass music
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
, through my piano teacher's son, who had a bluegrass band that played every Saturday night at a pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
place in Carlsbad
Carlsbad, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Carlsbad had a population of 105,328. The population density was 2,693.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Carlsbad was 87,205 White, 1,379 African American, 514 Native American, 7,460 Asian, 198 Pacific Islander, 4,189 from other...
.
I really got into it, and when Sara Watkins and I met Chris
Chris Thile
Christopher Scott Thile is an American musician, best known as the mandolinist and a singer for the progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek. His current band is Punch Brothers whose most recent album is Antifogmatic...
[Thile], we started playing with him on Saturday nights too."
His sister Sara Watkins
Sara Watkins
Sara Ullrika Watkins is an American singer-songwriter and fiddler. Watkins debuted in 1989 as the fiddler of the progressive bluegrass group Nickel Creek, which consisted of herself, her elder brother Sean, and mandolinist Chris Thile. As a band, they are notable for three wide-released albums:...
, also a member of Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek was an American progressive acoustic music trio consisting of Chris Thile , Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins . The band was founded in 1989 and released 6 albums between 1993 and 2006...
, plays violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and sings background vocals on the two latest of his three solo albums. In 2004, Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek was an American progressive acoustic music trio consisting of Chris Thile , Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins . The band was founded in 1989 and released 6 albums between 1993 and 2006...
participated in a project dubbed Mutual Admiration Society, a collaboration with former Toad The Wet Sprocket
Toad the Wet Sprocket
Toad the Wet Sprocket is an American alternative rock band formed in 1986. The band consists of singer/guitarist Glen Phillips, guitarist Todd Nichols, bassist Dean Dinning, and drummer Randy Guss. The band enjoyed chart success in the 1990s with the singles "Walk on the Ocean," "All I Want,"...
singer Glen Phillips
Glen Phillips
Glen Phillips is a songwriter, lyricist, singer and guitarist. He is best known as the singer and songwriter of 1990s alternative rock group Toad the Wet Sprocket.-Personal life:...
. Sean and Sara
Sara Watkins
Sara Ullrika Watkins is an American singer-songwriter and fiddler. Watkins debuted in 1989 as the fiddler of the progressive bluegrass group Nickel Creek, which consisted of herself, her elder brother Sean, and mandolinist Chris Thile. As a band, they are notable for three wide-released albums:...
are also part of the 2007 soundtrack for the psychological thriller Bug with the track "No Way to Live".
Current projects
In 2006, Sean and SwitchfootSwitchfoot
Switchfoot is an American rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman , Tim Foreman , Chad Butler , Jerome Fontamillas , and Drew Shirley .After early successes in the Christian rock scene, Switchfoot first gained mainstream...
member Jon Foreman
Jon Foreman
Jonathan Mark Foreman is the lead singer, lead guitarist, main songwriter and co-founder of the alternative rock band Switchfoot. He started Switchfoot in 1996 with drummer Chad Butler and bassist Tim Foreman ....
started a collaborating duo called "The Real SeanJon". In March 2008, the duo announced that they had changed their band name to "Fiction Family
Fiction Family
Fiction Family is a musical collaboration between Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman and Nickel Creek guitarist Sean Watkins. The duo's self-titled, full-length album was released on January 20, 2009....
". In a spring 2008 interview, Jon Foreman said that the album would have a summer 2008 release and the duo was considering having the album be distributed by Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
. However, a September 2008 press release by Nickel Creek confirmed that the album, Fiction Family, is to be released on January 20, 2009, on ATO Records
ATO Records
According to Our Records was founded in early 2000 by Dave Matthews , Coran Capshaw, Chris Tetzeli, and Michael McDonald as a division of RCA Records...
.
In January 2008, it was reported by Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
that a new supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
octet tentatively named The Scrolls
The Scrolls
Works Progress Administration, formerly known under the working title The Scrolls, is an American supergroup led by Sean Watkins, Glen Phillips, and Luke Bulla. They recorded their debut album with Benmont Tench , Sara Watkins , Greg Leisz , Pete Thomas , and Davey Faragher...
had formed, now known officially as Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.). The octet is composed of Watkins, his sister Sara Watkins (fiddle), Glen Phillips
Glen Phillips
Glen Phillips is a songwriter, lyricist, singer and guitarist. He is best known as the singer and songwriter of 1990s alternative rock group Toad the Wet Sprocket.-Personal life:...
(guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals), Benmont Tench
Benmont Tench
Benjamin Montmorency Tench, III is an American keyboardist best known as a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.-Early years:...
(piano), Luke Bulla (fiddle), Greg Leisz
Greg Leisz
Greg Leisz is an American multi-instrumentalist, playing lap and pedal steel guitars, guitar, mandolin, and bass.- Biography :Leisz was influenced early on by the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers, especially pedal steel player "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow...
(various), Pete Thomas
Pete Thomas
Pete Thomas is best known as the longtime drummer for Elvis Costello. Tom Waits has referred to him as "one of the best rock drummers alive".-Career:...
(drums), and Davey Faragher
Davey Faragher
Davey Faragher is an American bass guitarist from Redlands, California. Faragher's career took off and received critical notice as a founding member of the nineties band, Cracker, and his following work with The Imposters, the backing band for Elvis Costello since 2001.Faragher is an accomplished...
(bass). The group released their self-titled debut album on August 28, 2009. As the group continued, the lead singer-songwriters Watkins (Sean), Phillips, and Bulla were considered the core group and were supported by others when their projects made it possible. Bulla is no longer considered part of the group and as of summer 2011, their most recent lineup was Watkins and Phillips supported by Jerry Roe on drums and Sebastian Steinberg on bass guitar.
Sean and sister Sara play regularly at the Largo
Largo (nightclub)
Largo is a nightclub and cabaret in Los Angeles, CA, known informally as Café Largo or Club Largo, known for its retinue of musical and comedic performers and for the Friday night "residency" of singer-songwriter Jon Brion, which has made the club a must-visit for fans and professional...
nightclub in Los Angeles as "The Watkins Family Hour." Keyboard Benmont Tench
Benmont Tench
Benjamin Montmorency Tench, III is an American keyboardist best known as a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.-Early years:...
(of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) and bassist Sebastian Steinberg
Sebastian Steinberg
Sebastian Steinberg is an American 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 1992–2000. He also recorded and performed with guitarist Marc Ribot and appeared on William Shatner's 2004...
(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
Jon Brion is an American rock and pop multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, composer and record producer.-Early life:...
, Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple McAfee Maggart is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Apple met international acclaim for her 1996 debut album, Tidal, which was a critical and commercial success...
, Don Heffington, Greg Leisz
Greg Leisz
Greg Leisz is an American multi-instrumentalist, playing lap and pedal steel guitars, guitar, mandolin, and bass.- Biography :Leisz was influenced early on by the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers, especially pedal steel player "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow...
, and former Nickel Creek bandmate Chris Thile
Chris Thile
Christopher Scott Thile is an American musician, best known as the mandolinist and a singer for the progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek. His current band is Punch Brothers whose most recent album is Antifogmatic...
when he is in town. Sean has also frequently supported his sister Sara on guitar and vocals for her solo dates since the release of her debut album in April 2009.
In addition, Watkins plans to release what he calls "15 minutes of noise" as a digital download on his website. He said that the final product was "very strange", and that there would "be some cool art to go with it".
Solo
| Statistics | Singles |
|---|---|
| Let It Fall Let It Fall Let It Fall is the debut solo album by Sean Watkins. It was released on March 13, 2001, with many well-known special guests. All of the songs on Let It Fall were written by Sean Watkins, except for "Over the Waterfall", a traditional song.-Overview:...
|
Singles Released
None |
| Statistics | Singles |
| 26 Miles 26 Miles -Musical:*Sean Watkins – Guitar, Piano, Guitar , Guitar , Vocals, Producer, Engineer, Harmony Vocals, E-Bow, Sequencing, Drum Samples*Sara Watkins – Fiddle, Vocals...
|
Singles Released
None |
| Statistics | Singles |
| Blinders On Blinders On Blinders On is a 2006 solo album by Sean Watkins. It was released on March 14, 2006. Blinders On is Watkins' third solo album, and his first in three years. The album is not considered bluegrass at all, one critic saying that Blinders On is "pure California road pop"...
|
Singles Released
None |