|PIC1|Jon Foreman of Switchfoot and Sean Watkins of folk band Nickel Creek have joined forces on an exciting new collaboration called Fiction Family.

Their self-titled debut album will be released on January 20 via ATO Records/Credential Recordings.

Fiction Family is also offering a free download of the song "When She's Near" at www.fictionfamily.com when fans sign up for their newsletter.

Both Fiction Family artists have achieved immense success with their respective bands. Jon Foreman is the guitarist and lead singer of the Grammy-nominated rock band Switchfoot, which has sold over five million records worldwide.

Foreman has had considerable success as a solo artist as well. He released two double-EPs in 2007 to critical acclaim with the Philadelphia Daily News applauding his “brooding, sensitive folk-pop" and likening his music to that of Damien Rice and David Gray.

Sean Watkins is the guitar player and founding member of the Grammy Award-winning trio Nickel Creek. Watkins has a weekly residency at the popular live music venue Largo in Los Angeles known as “The Watkins Family Hour”, which regularly features guests such as his sister and fellow Nickel Creek bandmate Sara Watkins, as well as Fiona Apple, John C Reilly, Greg Leisz and Benmont Tench of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

The seemingly unlikely duo met a few years ago at a show featuring Wilco, R.E.M., Nickel Creek and Switchfoot. Over time, they began writing songs together, which quickly turned into a full-length album consisting of 12 original tracks written, arranged and recorded by Watkins and Foreman at their homes in San Diego.

Since they are both vocalists and multi-instrumentalists, they often take turns singing lead vocals, and they both play several instruments on each song including guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion, baritone ukulele, piano, organ, mandolin, steel guitar, 12-string guitar and more. Nickel Creek fiddle player Sara Watkins is featured on a few songs as well.

“It’s almost the ideal artistic setup,” Foreman explains, “because you don’t really care about timing or any commercial aspect. We figured it’d probably never come out and we’d probably never finish it. But, hey, we’ve got these songs, so we’re just gonna work on them when we feel like it.”