Sara Watkins Under The Pepper Tree LP

For two decades, Sara Watkins has been one of the most visible artists in roots music, with her catalog ranging from solo albums and Watkins Family Hour, a duo with her brother Sean Watkins, to her Grammy-winning bands Nickel Creek and I'm With Her.

With the nostalgic and gentle new album Under The Pepper Tree, Sara Watkins offers a comforting record for those moments as daily rhythms fade into nightly rituals - and when a child's imagination comes to life.

Made with families in mind, the personal project encompasses songs she embraced as a child herself, as well as the musical friendships she's made along the way. Recorded in Los Angeles with producer Tyler Chester, Under The Pepper Tree brings storytelling, solace, and encouragement to the listener, no matter the age.

I've never made a record like this before - a record for children. The concept began in the beginning of the pandemic as we embraced what felt like endless days with our own children and families while sheltering in place.

I began a search for songs that ease the shift from day to evening, from the real to the imagined. Many of these songs have been with me since childhood, and returning to them as a parent has reminded me of the magic that happens when we listen with our imaginations.

I hope this record fills homes with delight and calm and helps in the transition from day to night, din to dreams and chaos to rest.

-Sara Watkins

The soft focus of Under the Pepper Tree is alluring, even soothing - a record that could calm the nerves of frazzled parents as they put their child to sleep at the end of a long day.

This charming, hushed album, which pays tribute to the songs and songwriters that captured Watkins' attention as a kid, was constructed for nighttime listening - a post-bath cuddle collection for quiet singalongs and good tidings before bed. And each side of this album was edited to flow together like one continuous song, getting softer and calmer as it goes and ending with the lovely, spare rendition of The Beatles' 'Good Night' that had this listener wiping away tears. Even if you don't have any kids young enough to need an album like this in their nighttime routine, this could become a staple of your own evening music rotation.