Grammy winners and astonishingly fabulous musicians Chris Thile, Sean Watkins, and Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek join us to chat about their fresh approach to songwriting on their most recent album, Celebrants. PART ONEPaul and Scott chat about musical virtuosity, Beyonce, Ricky Skaggs, and the blending of musical genres. PART TWOOur in-depth conversation with Nickel CreekABOUT NICKEL CREEKGRAMMY Award-winning trio Nickel Creek—mandolinist Chris Thile, violinist Sara Watkins, and guitarist Sean Watkins—formed a group as young children in Southern California and honed their chops on the bluegrass circuit for a decade before signing with Sugar Hill Records. Their platinum-selling debut self-titled album was produced by Alison Krauss in 2000 and revolutionized bluegrass and folk music, helping usher in a new era of what we now know as Americana. The genre-bending group has earned nine Grammy nominations across categories in bluegrass, country, folk, contemporary folk, Americana, and American Roots.    

Each member of Nickel Creek has taken part in a number of outside projects over the years. Thile is a 2012 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and served as the host of the radio show Live from Here (formerly known as A Prairie Home Companion) from 2016 to 2020. He has also released collaborative albums with world-renowned musicians as well as six studio albums with his Grammy-winning band Punch Brothers. Sean Watkins is a co-founder of Watkins Family Hour alongside Sara, which has released three albums and maintains a long-running collaborative show in Los Angeles. Sean has also released a string of solo albums, while Sara’s extracurricular projects include the aforementioned Watkins Family Hour, as well as the Grammy-winning roots trio I’m With Her. Sara has released four studio albums and has contributed fiddle to recordings by artists such as Phoebe Bridgers, the Killers and John Mayer.

The Grammy-nominated Celebrants, Nickel Creek’s fifth studio album and first project in nine years, was recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A and released to overwhelming critical acclaim in 2023.