Sarah Jarosz

Biography

Sarah Ellen Jarosz ( jə-ROHZ; born May 23, 1991) is an American singer-songwriter from Wimberley, Texas. Her debut studio album, Song Up in Her Head×Song Up in Her Head16 June 2009 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Song Up in Her Head2:432Edge of a Dream3:423Tell Me True4:084Mansinneedof2:515I Can't Love You Now2:346Broussard's Lament3:367Fischer Store Road2:188Left Home3:249Shankill Butchers4:2210Can't Hide3:1211Long Journey5:1712Come on Up to the House4:2813Little Song2:49, was released in 2009 on Sugar Hill Records and the track "Mansinneedof" was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Country Instrumental Performance. Her second album, Follow Me Down×Follow Me Down13 May 2011 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Run Away3:212Come Around3:333Annabelle Lee3:104Ring Them Bells3:305My Muse4:366Floating in the Balance2:537Old Smitty3:148The Tourist4:529Here nor There3:4710Gypsy3:0711Peace3:15, was released in 2011; one of its songs, "Come Around×Come Around22 April 2011 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Come Around3:32," was a Song of the Year nominee at the Americana Music Association's 2012 Honors and Awards. Her third album, Build Me Up from Bones×Build Me Up From Bones24 September 2013 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 11 tracks1Over the Edge3:212Fuel the Fire3:323Mile on the Moon3:494Build Me Up From Bones3:365Dark Road3:326Simple Twist of Fate4:5371,000 Things3:288Gone Too Soon3:359Anything Else4:5710The Book of Right-On5:3611Rearrange the Art3:52, was released on September 24, 2013 on Sugar Hill. Build Me Up from Bones was nominated for Best Folk Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, and its title track was nominated for Best American Roots Song. In 2016, Jarosz released her fourth studio album, Undercurrent×Undercurrent17 June 2016 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Early Morning Light2:362Green Lights3:353House of Mercy4:384Everything to Hide3:245Back of My Mind3:386Comin’ Undone3:017Take Another Turn2:348Lost Dog3:399Take Me Back2:3410Still Life2:5411Jacqueline3:50. The album won two Grammy Awards – Best Folk Album, and Best American Roots Performance for the song "House of Mercy".
On June 5, 2020, she released World on the Ground, her first solo studio album in four years. It was nominated for two Grammy Awards (Best American Roots Song and Best Americana Album) with Jarosz winning in the Best Americana Album category.

Early life and education

Sarah Ellen Jarosz was born May 23, 1991, in Austin, Texas, and raised in Wimberley, Texas. Her parents were teachers. Jarosz is a Polish name. She began learning the mandolin at age 10 and later began learning to play the guitar, clawhammer banjo, and octave mandolin. During her senior year of high school, Jarosz signed a recording contract with Sugar Hill Records and released her debut album Song Up in Her Head×Song Up in Her Head16 June 2009 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Song Up in Her Head2:432Edge of a Dream3:423Tell Me True4:084Mansinneedof2:515I Can't Love You Now2:346Broussard's Lament3:367Fischer Store Road2:188Left Home3:249Shankill Butchers4:2210Can't Hide3:1211Long Journey5:1712Come on Up to the House4:2813Little Song2:49 in June 2009; it was produced by Jarosz and Gary Paczosa. Guest musicians on the album included Chris Thile, Darrell Scott, Stuart Duncan, and Jerry Douglas. Jarosz enrolled in the New England Conservatory of Music in 2009, and graduated with honors in 2013 with a degree in Contemporary Improvisation.

Career

In 2010 Jarosz recorded the album Follow Me Down×Follow Me Down13 May 2011 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Run Away3:212Come Around3:333Annabelle Lee3:104Ring Them Bells3:305My Muse4:366Floating in the Balance2:537Old Smitty3:148The Tourist4:529Here nor There3:4710Gypsy3:0711Peace3:15 and again shared production duties with Gary Paczosa. The album was recorded in Nashville and features guest musicians Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Viktor Krauss, Dan Tyminski, Shawn Colvin, Darrell Scott, and bandmates Alex Hargreaves and Nathaniel Smith. A session with Punch Brothers in New York produced a cover of the Radiohead song "The Tourist". An American Songwriter reviewer wrote that "Jarosz invites us along with her into a growing sonic space of collaboration and artistry at this the second step in what will surely be a long and productive musical journey."
In 2011 Jarosz performed at Jerry Douglas' the Transatlantic Sessions in Scotland. She performed Bob Dylan's "Ring Them Bells."
In 2012, Jarosz appeared on Kate Rusby's album 20, collaborating with Rusby on the song "Planets".
In 2015, Jarosz toured extensively with Sara Watkins (a founding member of Nickel Creek) and Aoife O'Donovan (of Crooked Still fame) as well as going on tour with Garrison Keillor on The America the Beautiful Tour – A Prairie Home Companion. In 2016, she became a regular performer on the weekly NPR series Live from Here, hosted by Chris Thile.
Together with Watkins and O'Donovan, Jarosz became a founding member of the progressive-folk trio I'm With Her. They released their debut album, See You Around, in 2018.
Her fourth studio album, Undercurrent×Undercurrent17 June 2016 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Early Morning Light2:362Green Lights3:353House of Mercy4:384Everything to Hide3:245Back of My Mind3:386Comin’ Undone3:017Take Another Turn2:348Lost Dog3:399Take Me Back2:3410Still Life2:5411Jacqueline3:50, was released on June 17, 2016. It won the Grammy for Best Folk Album along with the song "House of Mercy" winning the Grammy for Best American Roots Performance at the 2017 Grammy Awards.
In 2020, Jarosz returned to her solo career with her fifth studio album, World on the Ground×World on the Ground5 June 2020 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Eve3:272Pay It No Mind3:173Hometown3:004Johnny4:005Orange and Blue3:386I'll Be Gone3:367Maggie3:308What Do I Do3:249Empty Square3:2010Little Satchel4:25. This was followed 11 months later by the release of her sixth studio album, Blue Heron Suite×Blue Heron Suite7 May 2021 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Mama2:312Morning3:293Across the Canyon3:174Interlude 13:545Painted Blue4:226Interlude 21:147Across the Canyon (reprise)2:348Interlude 32:119Mama (reprise)2:3110Interlude 40:5611Blue Heron4:28. The previously-shelved collection was originally written and recorded between 2017 and 2018.
On September 7, 2023, Jarosz released the official video of her song "Jealous Moon×Jealous Moon7 September 2023 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Jealous Moon4:25", from her album Polaroid Lovers×Polaroid Lovers26 January 2024 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Jealous Moon4:252When the Lights Go Out3:163Runaway Train3:014The Way It Is Now3:465Dying Ember3:386Columbus & 89th4:157Take the High Road4:358Don’t Break Down on Me3:549Days Can Turn Around3:5810Good at What I Do3:4711Mezcal and Lime5:04, which was released on January 26, 2024. October 10 saw the release of "Columbus & 89th", the second single off the album.

Critical reception

Jarosz has been called "a songwriter of uncommon wisdom" by the Austin Chronicle. Jarosz has been interviewed by NPR and Rolling Stone and described as a contemporary-bluegrass prodigy. A New York Times reviewer wrote that Jarosz is "widely regarded as one of acoustic music's most promising young talents: a singer-songwriter and mandolin and banjo prodigy with the taste and poise to strike that rare balance of commercial and critical success."
Her 2013 release, Build Me Up from Bones, was dubbed by Stereo Subversion as an "organic masterwork...a warm, nuanced collection that wraps and enchants the listener", as well as "her boldest work yet" by WNYC Soundcheck.