Featured
Reunited on the road: Nickel Creek's 'Celebrants' is new body of work in nine years, tour stops at Revel
It takes a little bit of time for Sean Watkins to shift back to domestic life after being on tour for months.
鈥淚鈥檓 here in Los Angeles doing my thing,鈥� he says with a laugh. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an interesting contrast of the two ways of life. They are very different. When you鈥檙e single and don鈥檛 have kids, touring is like a vacation. Once you鈥檙e out of that single zone, you鈥檙e coming back into a life that鈥檚 more set.鈥�
Watkins is one-third of the bluegrass band Nickel Creek. He is joined in the trio by Chris Thile and his sister, Sara Watkins.
Nickel Creek is hitting the road and its tour will make a stop at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, at Revel ABQ.
The trio is touring in support of its most recent album, 鈥淐elebrants,鈥� which marks the band鈥檚 fifth studio album.
It is also the first new release in nine years for the trio.
The album was recorded at RCA Studio A in Nashville, Tennessee, and is produced by longtime collaborator Eric Valentine and features Mike Elizondo on bass.
Watkins says the first day of writing for 鈥淐elebrants鈥� began on Feb. 18, 2021.
鈥淭hat kicked off one solid month of writing,鈥� he says. 鈥淔rom start to finish, it took just under two years to complete. There were about 75 days of writing together through that process. The writing went up until we went into the studio.鈥�
Nickel Creek formed in 1989, and picked up a Grammy Award in 2003, for Best Folk Album for 鈥淭his Side.鈥�
Reunited on the road: Nickel Creek's 'Celebrants' is new body of work in nine years, tour stops at Revel
With five studio albums under its belt, the trio鈥檚 catalog of music has a lot to choose from.
Watkins says there are about eight songs from 鈥淐elebrants.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e doing as much of the new record as we can,鈥� he says. 鈥淥f course, we always have to play the songs that we鈥檙e known for. That鈥檚 always an interesting balance.鈥�
Watkins, 46, has been performing music since he was a teenager.
Over the course of his musical journey, a lot has changed.
鈥淎s I鈥檝e changed as a person, my love for performing has embraced the joy I feel when I鈥檓 connecting with people,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I had one moment when I was playing and I didn鈥檛 realize how grateful I am. Sure, being on stage can be nerve wracking and anxiety creeps in. Overall, it鈥檚 me also connecting with Sara and Chris. We鈥檙e a part of something greater.鈥�
After nine years of not releasing music, Nickel Creek did put some pressure on themselves to create another body of work that ups the ante.
鈥淎 lot of times, we tend to feel individually,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 sometimes feel like I鈥檓 not as good. Every time we present something new, I want people to see the work we鈥檝e put into the new material. We keep raising the bar in a healthy way where it doesn鈥檛 burn each one of us out.鈥�
