2001 - Nickel Creek is composed of Chris Thile (mandolin, bouzouki, banjo & vocals), Sara Watkins (fiddle & vocals), and Sean Watkins (guitar, mandolin & vocals). Nickel Creek's sound is based on bluegrass and modern folk, but is kissed by their wide ranging tastes and musical passions.
"Bluegrass Revivalists," "Acoustic Innovators," "Youthgrass" are just some of the terms that have been used to describe the group over the past year -- perhaps producer Alison Krauss says it best with, "It's just Nickel Creek music."
Regardless of classification, the band's self-titled debut album has been experiencing the kind of grassroots build that happens rarely in the world of expensive marketing schemes to promote the next big band. Obviously, today's listeners are eager to hear original acoustic music as evidenced by the ever-growing legions of Nickel Creek fans.
Since the release just over a year ago, Nickel Creek has received two Grammy nominations, held a Top 20 spot on Billboard's Country Album chart, toured with Lyle Lovett, backed Dolly Parton on the Grammy Awards, sold out clubs across the country, had two hit videos on CMT along with a documentary-style special, named in TIME Magazine as one of five Music Innovators for the Millennium, and recently profiled in the prestigious New York Times with the headline, "Bluegrass That Can Twang And Be Cool Too..."
Both "Nickel Creek" and Sean's "Let it Fall" CD's were in the top 10 of the July, 2001 Bluegrass Now magazine.
Album reviews: