LEO: Do you prefer playing outdoor shows or in clubs and theaters?
Sarah Jarosz: I like 'em both, honestly. There are different settings sometimes that I prefer – vlubs and theaters because it's a little more of a listening vibe, but when it comes to really being inspired and being reminded why I was so inspired by music in the first place, I think festivals really help with that vibe.
LEO: Now that you're getting a little older, are you starting to get younger players coming up to you, wanting to jam, like you did when you were younger?
SJ: I guess... I'm still just 20, so I think maybe it might be a few years before its more in number. There was a little girl, Bella, who came up to me at Telluride, who just started playing mandolin – she's, like, 11. I've definitely met a few young people along the way; it's always really inspiring to see other people coming up and doing it, reminding me of when I was that age and falling in love with this.
LEO: Does that make you feel more like a veteran?
SJ: (laughing) I wouldn't say “veteran,” but it makes me feel time a little more, and where I'm at in my life.
LEO: You're 20 now. Are you looking forward to having your first beer next year?
SJ: (laughing) It will be a monumental occasion.
LEO: You've been nominated for a Grammy, and AMAs, and other awards.
SJ: Yep, yep, it's all quite an honor, for sure. I'm still very encouraged by all the support.
LEO: Does that make you feel like the Grammys sometimes actually get it right?
SJ: (laughing) Yeah, definitely. I have a lot of respect for them, and it was such an exciting thing to get to go and experience. But, y'know, what I say often is that, as much as all of that support means, even if none of it existed, I would still be doing this. I'm not doing this for all that. It's just a nice extra thing that I feel honored by.
LEO: Do you see it helping to raise awareness, to get people out to see you or listen to your albums?
SJ: I think so. People obviously pay attention to that, so it definitely helps. I'm very thankful and fortunate to have that at a young age.
LEO: How many different instruments do you play?
SJ: Well, usually on the road, I travel with four instruments: mandolin, octave mandolin, clawhammer banjo and guitar. So, those are my main things. When it comes to being in the studio, it always opens itself up to experimentation. On the record, I was playing wurlitzer, electric guitar and a lot of different things.
LEO: Do they all come easily to you? Or are some harder to master?
SJ: I don't know, I just feel a different connection to each instrument. I know my way best around mandolin, but when it comes to songwriting, it's nice to be able to play all of them, because if you're looking for a different sort of sound, or have a lack of inspiration, then switching over to a different instrument, at times, helps give ideas.
LEO: Is there a style that you're really feeling right now?
SJ: Being at Telluride, I saw Tim O'Brien play; it's interesting, he's one of the reasons I even started playing music, I grew up listening to him... just revisiting the stuff I grew up listening to a long time ago. Like, the Punch Brothers – they're sounding so amazing right now.
LEO: Do you prefer playing versus singing or writing?
SJ: I like it all. I do go through phases of things that I really feel I need to work on – and, a lot of times, it's all three. But I think that they all feed into each other. A lot of the people that I've really respected growing up have been singers and instrumentalists and writers, and so that's something I strive to get better at.
LEO: Are there other artists outside of what people might think you'd be into that inspire you?
SJ: Oh, yeah, totally. That's one thing I feel fortunate enough to have had were parents that listened to a bunch of different stuff, all around the house. They're big music lovers – my mom plays a little guitar and writes songs, and my dad just loves it. A band like Radiohead, or the Decemberists, or Wilco – and then, now that I'm at the New England Conservatory up in Boston, getting into more jazz things that I'd never listened to before. It's just all really inspiring.
LEO: How much longer do you have at the Conservatory?
SJ: I just finished my second year, and I have two more years left.
LEO: I'm curious if you have any regrets yet?
SJ: I feel fortunate to say that I don't. Yet (laughing). I think for me, so far, that has to do with feeling really fortunate to be surrounded by a great team of people that have been helping me; the whole Sugar Hill Records team, my management- there's so many crazy things in this music business, and I feel really lucky to be with people that I can trust. They're supportive of me going to school and supportive of the music that I try to make. Also, having the opportunity to be surrounded by so many musicians that I feel inspired by on a daily basis, it's really special.
photo by Scott Simontacchi
