Sean Watkins

Sean Watkins
Sean Watkins playing with Fiction Family, at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City.
Background information
Birth name	Sean Charles Watkins
Born	(1977-02-18) February 18, 1977 (age 39)
Origin	Vista, California, United States
Genres	Progressive bluegrass, folk, country
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, piano, mandolin, ukulele, bouzouki
Years active	1989–present
Labels	ATO Records Sugar Hill Records
Associated acts	Nickel Creek, Fiction Family, Works Progress Administration, Mutual Admiration Society, Sara Watkins, Switchfoot
Website	seanwatkins.com

Sean Charles Watkins (born February 18, 1977) is a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He is a member of the contemporary folk band Nickel Creek, the duo Fiction Family and the supergroup Works Progress Administration. He is the brother of Sara Watkins.

Sean Watkins began his tenure with Nickel Creek playing mandolin, but later switched to guitar. The band has released three albums and a CD composed of their hits (called Reasons Why: The Very Best) and won a Grammy for This Side – a coveted trophy that Watkins reportedly put on top of his toilet at home. Explaining the somewhat odd situation, Watkins said that "it seems like a humble place. I didn't want to put it out in plain view of my house. I didn't feel like displaying it right when you walk in. It's a nice crown for the porcelain." In addition to playing with Nickel Creek, Watkins has released 4 solo albums.

As a solo musician, his early material was contemporary bluegrass, but he has since incorporated other influences into his music (especially indie rock.) Watkins' solo music career seems to reflect Nickel Creek's: turning from traditional bluegrass songs to indie rock with bluegrass instrumentation. He is the oldest member of Nickel Creek. Sean qualified for the National Flatpicking Championship in 1993 at age 16.

"My first instrument was the piano when I was six", Sean recalled. "I took classic instruction for seven years, but three years into that I discovered bluegrass music, through my piano teacher's son, who had a bluegrass band that played every Saturday night at a pizza place in Carlsbad. I really got into it, and when Sara and I met Chris [Thile], we started playing with him on Saturday nights too."

His sister Sara Watkins, also a member of Nickel Creek, plays violin and sings background vocals on the two latest of his three solo albums. In 2004, Nickel Creek participated in a project dubbed Mutual Admiration Society, a collaboration with former Toad The Wet Sprocket singer Glen Phillips. Sean and Sara are also part of the 2007 soundtrack for the psychological thriller Bug with the track "No Way to Live".