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Y any classroom of Boston's presti-
i HTH 3 l * ous f^^nd Conservatory
JL JL JL of Husk, you'll likely find plenty
of 20-year-old musk students daydreaming
about nationwide tours, major festival sets
and critically acclaimed records. For many,
♦bat's a dream that may never come to frui-
don, But for Sarah Jarosz, the rising Boston-
ty-way-of-DaUas folk/newgrass phenomenon.
"I am really lucfy to have really supportive
parents who love musk; so growing up I was:
always surrounded by lots of styles," says -
Jarosz. before naming some of those artists
who have served as lifelong influences, Tve
£v?.7T?
ers, as well." ?
Following in tire footsteps of these idols,
it's a dream that she's already living just seven Jarosz has molded her own songwriting style
months after the release of her sophomore
effort. Follow Me Down.
Not unlike a highly touted athlete, Jarosz
faced a tough decision out of high school.
Already signed to Sugar Hill Records by the
time she got her diptdma (the label would
release her debut, Song Op in Her Head, in
June 2009), Jarosz could have easily forgone
into one that's seemingly well beyond her
years.
"The thing that keeps drawing me back to
[songwriting j is that there isn't a formula,"
she says. "I get inspired when I'm being the
best listener. Sometimes we can all be dosed
off to things, and when I'm able to allow
myself to open up a bit more is when I'm able
her music education and hit the touring circuit to be inspired by a lot of things—whether
full-time.
"I went back and forth for a while [on
going to school], but I'm really glad I chose
the school route. I wanted to savor these
great years of my life and let myself be a
. 20-year-old," she says. Tm definitely glad
that I had more of a festival and music camp
that's by other musidans or if Tm reading a
great book or something like that It all makes
its way into the songs."
follow Me Down also includes two cov
ers that have helped Jarosz catch even more
attention: a minimalist take on Radiohead's
"The Tourist" and an achingly gorgeous spin
learning experience before I went to school. I through Bob Dylan's "Ring Them Bells/
feel fortunate to have grown up in that festi
val scene where music was such a fun thing I
Tm a huge Radiohead fen, and I love
["Ring Them Bells"], and never get tired of
was able to fell in love with, and now because singing that song. It was through learning
I grew up with that feeling. I'm able to think
of it in more of a somewhat serious way and
get deeper into it."
It's from that deeper study, and undoubt
edly from the effects of a cross-country
college move, that Folbw Me Down has a
other people's songs that I was able to really
start working on my own and forming my own
stuff," she says. "And when it comes to choos
ing them for a record, I have to see what the
bulk of my original material is like before I
can really see what mood is lacking and might
deddedly darker and more mature sound com- need to be created by another song that I
pared to Jarosz's debut. ’ ; love."
"Musically and personally, I've been placed ' In the classroom or on the road, the set-
out of my comfort zone, and all the influences ting for Jarosz's education seems inconse-
I've gained have really affected my music
and my songwriting," she says. “[Folbw Me
Down] definitely has a little bit of a darker
feel to it than the first one did. It's sort of an
invitation for people to see what I'm doing
musically."
Despite these darker undertones, the record
remains a respectful homage to Jarosz's folk/
biuegrass heroes. The "old school" vibes of
Tim O'Brien and Darrell Scott's songwriting and
instrumental prowess mix welt with the more
contemporary feel of influences like Gillian
Welch and Chris Thile/ The Punch Brothers.
quential. Her eyes and ears are wide open, and
everywhere she goes, it seems fens are left
feeling much the same.
Alec Wooden
---
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THE NEW-YORKER
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JANUARY 11,2012 FWGP0LE.C0M 15
