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GenreCountry, Ethnic/Folk
Rank−
Albums5
Songs66
About
Distinguished by their youth and eclectic taste, Nickel Creek became a
word-of-mouth sensation on the progressive bluegrass scene and soon
found their appeal spreading beyond the genre's core audience. Guitarist
Sean Watkins, fiddler Sara Watkins (his younger sister), and
mandolin/banjo/bouzouki player Chris Thile first started performing
together in 1989, when all three were preteens and taking music lessons in
their native San Diego. They met while watching the local band Bluegrass
Etc., which put on weekly performances in a pizza parlor. A bluegrass
promoter liked the idea of such a young band, and thus Nickel Creek was
formed, with Thile's father Scott joining them on bass. Nickel Creek were
regulars on the festival circuit through most of the '90s, and during that
time, Thile recorded two solo albums, 1994's Leading Off... and 1997's
Stealing Second. In 1998, with help from Alison Krauss, Nickel Creek l
anded a record deal with the roots music label Sugar Hill. Krauss produced
their self-titled debut album, which was released in 2000; with the kids
apparently all right, Scott subsequently retired from the band. Though it
was decidedly a bluegrass record, Nickel Creek boasted elements of
classical, jazz, and rock & roll both classic and alternative; naturally, the
influence of progressive bluegrass figures like Krauss, Edgar Meyer, and
Béla Fleck was also apparent. Perhaps aided by the success of O Brother,
Where Art Thou?, which brought traditional roots music to a whole new
collegiate audience, Nickel Creek became a slow-building hit; by early
2002, it had gone gold, climbed into the country Top 20, and earned a
Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album. Meanwhile, Sean released
his solo debut, Let It Fall, in 2001, and Thile followed suit with Not All Who
Wander Are Lost. Nickel Creek released their sophomore set, This Side, in
2002; it debuted in the Top 20 of the pop charts and went all the way to
number two on the country listings. Even more eclectic than its
predecessor, the Krauss-produced album turned indie rock fans' heads
with a cover of Pavement's "Spit on a Stranger." This Side won a Grammy
for Best Contemporary Folk Album in early 2003, after which Sean issued
his second solo album, 26 Miles.
by Steve Huey
from: www.allmusic.com
Distinguished by their youth and eclectic taste, Nickel Creek became a
word-of-mouth sensation on the progressive bluegrass scene and soon
found their appeal spreading beyond the genre's core audience. Guitarist
Sean Watkins, fiddler Sara Watkins (his younger sister), and
mandolin/banjo/bouzouki player Chris Thile first started performing
together in 1989, when all three were preteens and taking music lessons in
their native San Diego. They met while watching the local band Bluegrass
Etc., which put on weekly performances in a pizza parlor. A bluegrass
promoter liked the idea of such a young band, and thus Nickel Creek was
formed, with Thile's father Scott joining them on bass. Nickel Creek were
regulars on the festival circuit through most of the '90s, and during that
time, Thile recorded two solo albums, 1994's Leading Off... and 1997's
Stealing Second. In 1998, with help from Alison Krauss, Nickel Creek l
anded a record deal with the roots music label Sugar Hill. Krauss produced
their self-titled debut album, which was released in 2000; with the kids
apparently all right, Scott subsequently retired from the band. Though it
was decidedly a bluegrass record, Nickel Creek boasted elements of
classical, jazz, and rock & roll both classic and alternative; naturally, the
influence of progressive bluegrass figures like Krauss, Edgar Meyer, and
Béla Fleck was also apparent. Perhaps aided by the success of O Brother,
Where Art Thou?, which brought traditional roots music to a whole new
collegiate audience, Nickel Creek became a slow-building hit; by early
2002, it had gone gold, climbed into the country Top 20, and earned a
Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album. Meanwhile, Sean released
his solo debut, Let It Fall, in 2001, and Thile followed suit with Not All Who
Wander Are Lost. Nickel Creek released their sophomore set, This Side, in
2002; it debuted in the Top 20 of the pop charts and went all the way to
number two on the country listings. Even more eclectic than its
predecessor, the Krauss-produced album turned indie rock fans' heads
with a cover of Pavement's "Spit on a Stranger." This Side won a Grammy
for Best Contemporary Folk Album in early 2003, after which Sean issued
his second solo album, 26 Miles.
by Steve Huey
from: www.allmusic.com
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