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In what ways do you make yourself aware?

Watkins: I don't really feel like that needs to be talked about. 

It seems you and your brother [Sean Watkins] often turn up in some new band derivative. How do these side collaborations take away from your solo ambitions?

Watkins: There's only one side project right now, which is the Works Progress Administration [with Sean Watkins, Toad the Wet Sprocket's Glen Phillips, Benmont Tench of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and members of Elvis Costello's band]. I'm a small fraction of the band. There are eight of us, for crying out loud! [Laughs] I don't imagine it will be too much of a distraction.

How does it add to what you are doing with your solo stuff?

Watkins: For me, a healthy dose of variety keeps me excited. It's fun to be a front person. It's fun to be a supporter in a band. And it's fun to be a member of a band. Those are all very different roles and they provide a little relief for the other ones.

With Nickel Creek in 2007

You have been on stage since you were virtually a child. How has living in a perpetual spotlight affected your life offstage?

Watkins: It's hard to say because I've only done it this way. The spotlight, as you put it, was very dim. [Laughs] Toward the end [of touring with Nickel Creek], people who had been coming to the shows for a long time, they know about your life and they've seen you since you were 15 playing on stages, so you do feel like you've been in a spotlight in their lives. But it's nothing compared to what real celebrities go through.

The biggest thing was being gone all the time.

Any regrets?

Watkins: By and large I love how I grew up. From the great years to the challenging and growing years, I've learned a lot that will help me as I continue this career. I needed to grow up this way to feel as comfortable with myself as I do—to be familiar with knowing when I'm pushing myself too hard or putting myself in unhealthy situations.

I could have made some nicer decisions toward other people, but live and learn.

Do you miss being in a band?

Watkins: At first I was a little freaked out by the idea of being by myself. But it's really good for me to have to step up, to figure out what I like and why I like it. I have a lot of friends that play with me, so the reality is I'm not really alone. It's not nearly as isolating as I thought.

What do you miss about Nickel Creek?

Watkins: I don't miss a lot. I miss the guys. It was fun playing for large crowds and being on the bus all the time. But then again, it was a pain being on the bus all the time. It was both great and really hard. We were playing some relatively large shows toward the end. One thing I'm happy to have back is playing for smaller rooms, where I feel like if I stayed long enough I could talk to everybody and have a normal conversation.

Many fans are still wondering: Why did Nickel Creek break up?

Watkins: Because we had done it for 18½ years and needed a break. In order for that band to work we had to tour or write and record at all times just to keep the motor running and keep that income and keep people remembering. We wore ourselves out the last two years.

I have enjoyed being home. It's the first time in maybe seven, ten years, and I really love it. [Nickel Creek] was a great period in my life. I wouldn't mind going back some time. But for now, I'm really enjoying this other side of things.

For more on Sara Watkins, check out her website.

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