NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The trio of musicians in Nickel Creek grew up performing together, but ultimately it was the nearly seven years spent concentrating on their own separate musical interests that made returning the stage together all the more exciting.
Fiddler Sara Watkins, her brother and guitarist Sean Watkins and mandolin player Chris Thile reunited last year in Los Angeles with the modest goal of a small 25-city tour to mark 25 years since the band formed and an EP of new songs. They wondered if their fans would return nine years after their last record.
“It’s really easy to lose fans these days,” Sara Watkins said.
Instead, the reunion resulted in a full-length album, sold-out shows and an expanded tour, which includes performances this month at Forecastle Festival in Louisville, Kentucky, and the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island. “A Dotted Line” debuted at No. 7 on the all-genre Billboard 200 this spring – a strong showing for a bluegrass album that answered the question about fan interest.
They built that fan base for more than a decade before stepping away. Starting out in southern California as pre-teens hitting the bluegrass circuit, the trio achieved a Grammy Award, two gold albums and popularity outside the genre by the time members reached their 20s. But they took a break after realizing they couldn’t fit all their musical interests and pursuits under the Nickel Creek umbrella.