ACL Fest Interviews

Nickel Creek

Youth, great songs, and stellar-level playing make Nickel Creek a necessity for progressive-bluegrass fans. That, and a love of the road.

"We love playing on the West Coast," noted Nickel Creek fiddler and native San Diegan Sara Watkins. "But what we're really looking forward to is coming back to the Austin City Limits Fest. It was so much fun last year, and we were all amazed at how well it was run."

Indeed, Watkins had plenty to say about Austin, reflecting on their last show at Stubb's and the support that KGSR has shown the band along with other AAA radio stations ("Smoothie Song" becoming a No. 1 single) and giving shout-outs to old pals Davíd Garza and the Old 97's. Nickel Creek has been touring three weeks at a time, with a week off in between, and recently made a brief run through Europe and Ireland to appreciative audiences.

"We've been writing tons of new songs that'll be on our next record," Watkins remarked, "so we're trying 'em out on the road."

Watkins didn't have any idea of how much bigger the ACL Festival is expected to be this year, but if the band's performance last year was any indication, they'll do just fine.