Sara Watkins

Sara Watkins grew up in San Diego, California, where her father Jim Watkins played in the bluegrass band Nickel Creek. She started on fiddle early, and later her music absorbed folk and pop elements alongside that bluegrass foundation. She was part of Nickel Creek for their albums in the early 2000s, including 'This Side' and 'Why Should the Fire Die?', before leaving the group in 2004 to focus on her own work.

Her solo albums began with 'Sara Watkins' in 2009, followed by 'Sun Midnight Sun' and 'Under the Shadows'. Songs like 'Stay Awake' and 'Say So' show her leaning into delicate, introspective writing. She has worked with musicians like Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch, and her sister Aoife Watkins was also in Nickel Creek.

Watkins' 2022 album 'Yours in Truth' continued in that vein. Her version of 'Pure Imagination' from 2015 became a quiet standout, fitting with her ethereal vocal style. She keeps the fiddle central but lets the arrangements breathe, avoiding big production in favor of something more intimate.