The John Paul Jones produced album by Nickel Creek songwriter/fiddler Sarah Watkins is due for release on April 7th 2009. Sarah has just signed a record deal with Nonesuch Records. The self-titled debut album Sara Watkins, features a wide range of colleagues and old friends, including alt-country duo Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench, Elvis Costello drummer Pete Thomas; colleagues from the bluegrass world like Tim O’Brien, Punch Brothers’ Chris Eldridge, Ronnie McCoury, and Rayna Gellert; and her Nickel Creek band mates Chris Thile and Sean Watkins. Already widely respected for her musical ability on the fiddle, Watkins’ skills as a vocalist and songwriter are highlighted on this solo project. She wrote or co-wrote eight of the 14 songs on the record, which also includes renditions of tracks by Jimmie Rodgers, Jon Brion, Norman Blake, and Tom Waits. 

Sarah Watkins got to know John Paul Jones when they briefly toured together in 2004 in an ad hoc group called Mutual Admiration Society. He had long encouraged her to make a record of her own, offering his services. As Watkins recalls, “A couple of years ago I saw John Paul Jones at the Cambridge folk festival. He came up after Nickel Creek’s performance and said that if I didn’t let him produce my record he would never talk to me again. I was thrilled that he was that excited about it.” She continues, “John was an absolute dream to work with. I can’t imagine anyone else with whom I would have felt more confident or comfortable. I think his undeniable musicianship and kindness made the ensemble on each song sound like a band that had played together for years.”