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Nickel Creek

Hear live performances from Nickel Creek's first album in nearly a decade

Nickel Creek Josh Goleman/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Josh Goleman/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe Words and Music Podcast

Hear live performances from Nickel Creek's first album in nearly a decade

XPN

Plus, Chris Thile and Sara Watkins join World Cafe to talk about the making of and meaning behind Celebrants.

Nickel Creek on World Cafe

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For the beloved trio's return, Nickel Creek created its own world

Sean Watkins, Chris Thile and Sara Watkins sequenced Nickel Creek's Celebrants as a way to write the album. "We wanted the songs to relate to each other," says Sara Watkins. Josh Goleman/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Josh Goleman/Courtesy of the artist

Music Interviews

For the beloved trio's return, Nickel Creek created its own world

"We had basically farmed every nutrient we could out of the potential of this band's soil and we needed to let it rest," Sara Watkins says of the nine-year break between Nickel Creek albums.

Sara Watkins Reimagines Childhood Music On Beautiful New Album

Sara Watkins Jacob Boll/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Jacob Boll/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

Sara Watkins Reimagines Childhood Music On Beautiful New Album

The singer and fiddler shares the stories and inspiration behind her sweetly affecting record, Under The Pepper Tree in this conversation with All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen.

Sara Watkins Reimagines Childhood Music On Beautiful New Album

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The Year Folk Broke: How Nickel Creek Made Americana The New Indie Rock

Left to right: Sean Watkins, Sara Watkins and Chris Thile chat with Jay Leno on The Tonight Show in June 2001. NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images hide caption

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NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

NPR Music's 20|20

The Year Folk Broke: How Nickel Creek Made Americana The New Indie Rock

Roots music has always had rule-breakers, but its shift this century toward genre-twisting innovation owes a lot to a 2000 album by three kids barely old enough to vote.

Nickel Creek: Tiny Desk Concert

Tiny Desk Concert with Nickel Creek on August 13, 2014. Sarah Tilotta/NPR hide caption

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Sarah Tilotta/NPR

Tiny Desk

Nickel Creek: Tiny Desk Concert

The reunited band was made to sing and play around one microphone, so a Tiny Desk Concert seemed inevitable. All it took was a reunion tour — celebrating 25 years of Nickel Creek — to make it happen.

Nickel Creek: Tiny Desk Concert

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Heavy Rotation: Our Panel's 10 Favorite Songs Of The Year (So Far)

Hawk House may be the face of hip-hop's evolution, and we're all the better for it. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Heavy Rotation

Heavy Rotation: Our Panel's 10 Favorite Songs Of The Year (So Far)

NPR Music asked public radio hosts to choose highlights from the first half of 2014. These are their picks. Stream songs by Hawk House, Jack White, The Orwells, Zara McFarlane and more.

Heavy Rotation: Our Panel's 10 Favorite Songs Of The Year (So Far)

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First Listen: Nickel Creek, 'A Dotted Line'

Nickel Creek's new album, A Dotted Line, comes out April 1. Brantley Gutierrez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Brantley Gutierrez/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Nickel Creek, 'A Dotted Line'

One-time bluegrass prodigies reunite with an album that plays to each musician's strengths. As always, Sara Watkins, Sean Watkins and Chris Thile balance their virtuosity with joyfulness and spunk.

Nickel Creek, 'A Dotted Line'

Audio for First Listens is no longer available after the album is released.
Nickel Creek On Mountain Stage

Nickel Creek performs on Mountain Stage. Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage hide caption

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Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage

Mountain Stage

Nickel Creek On Mountain Stage

Mountain Stage reaches into its vault for this 2005 performance by the now-defunct bluegrass band.

Nickel Creek On Mountain Stage

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Sara And Sean Watkins: Folk In The Family

Sara and Sean Watkins perform a live set on Folk Alley. Joe Gunderman hide caption

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Joe Gunderman

Favorite Sessions

Sara And Sean Watkins: Folk In The Family

Folk Alley

The Watkins siblings got their start in the popular bluegrass band Nickel Creek, which went on indefinite hiatus in 2007. Now, Sara is flourishing as a solo artist, while Sean is working with a number of acts. Together, they join Folk Alley's Jim Blum for a conversation and studio session.

Sara And Sean Watkins: Folk In The Family

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WPA: A Superior Supergroup
courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

WPA: A Superior Supergroup

XPN

Named after FDR's 1939 New Deal initiative, Works Progress Administration features some of the most accomplished musicians in contemporary folk-pop. After a chance meeting between Nickel Creek's Sean Watkins and Grammy-winning engineer Jim Scott, the group was able to record its batch of 17 songs in an impressive five days.

WPA: A Superior Supergroup

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Live in Concert

Nickel Creek Farewell (For Now) Concert

When Nickel Creek began as a bluegrass trio in 1989, its pre-teen members stunned audiences with their remarkable musical gifts. Since then, their sound has evolved into progressive acoustic music, but they're calling it quits. Hear Nickel Creek recorded live in concert in one of the band's final performances.

Nickel Creek in Concert

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Review

The Grammy Awards

Director's Cuts: Grammy Time

Weekend Edition Sunday music director Ned Wharton takes a look beyond Mariah and Bono at some Grammy nominated music you might not have heard. Jimmy Sturr's Shake, Rattle and Polka, anyone?

Director's Cuts: Grammy Time

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Studio Sessions

Nickel Creek, Playing with 'Fire'

The three young musicians in Nickel Creek are known for their polished traditional bluegrass. But a new CD, Why Should the Fire Die?, takes a darker turn. Sean Watkins, Chris Thile and Sara Watkins visit with Debbie Elliott and play some of their music.

Nickel Creek, Playing with 'Fire'

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World Cafe

Nickel Creek, Breaking Down Bluegrass

XPN

Nickel Creek's contemporary take on bluegrass has won over many fans beyond the genre's main audience. The trio has been performing together since they were teenagers. Why Should the Fire Die? is their latest release.

Nickel Creek, Breaking Down Bluegrass

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