Sarah Jarosz

Featuring support by The Ballroom Thieves 

Four-time GRAMMY winner Sarah Jarosz has announced her new album, Polaroid Lovers. The record is set for
release on January 26th, 2024 via Rounder Records.  The song finds Jarosz backed by a decidedly more electric
band, with her Texas lilt as clear and evocative as ever. Polaroid Lovers is available for pre-order today digitally and
on vinyl with gray, lavender, orange and green splatter variants. Indie retailers will also have a special blue and
green splatter vinyl. For more information visit https://store.sarahjarosz.com/

Sarah Jarosz on “Jealous Moon”
I wrote this song with Daniel Tashian in Monteagle, TN on a screened in porch with birds chirping all around. It was a
warm summer afternoon. It started as a quiet melody on ukulele and nylon string guitar, but when we got to the
studio it became something much more powerful. It’s a song about the times when the parts of ourselves that we
try to keep hidden rise to the surface and we have no choice but to ride the wave. Sometimes that means doing
your own thing to figure it out so you can emerge stronger on the other side. It’s not about the end of a relationship,
but rather a moment of self reflection and a promise to keep showing up even when things get tough. Once Daniel
played the opening riff on piano I knew it had to open the album. I’m always seeking to push myself into new sonic
territory, and this song gave me permission to not hold back.
The seventh album from Sarah Jarosz finds the highly decorated songwriter at the apex of change. A Texas native,
she’s spent most of her adult life living in New York City, but shortly before writing the album Jarosz left her adopted
home to join her soon-to-be husband in Nashville, TN. The geographic shake-up led to a sonic one as well for
Polaroid Lovers. For the first time in her career she opened herself up to collaborators, leading to writing sessions
with Daniel Tashian, Ruston Kelly and Natalie Hemby. The creative reorganization of her writing process evolved to
include a much richer and more electric sound in the studio and being in Nashville meant access to a world of hot
shot players. She tapped guitarist Rob McNelley (Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood), Tom Bukovac (Tom Petty,
Vince Gill) on guitar and organ, her husband- bassist Jeff Picker (Nickel Creek), and drummer Fred Eltringham (Sheryl
Crow, Lucinda Williams) for the album recording. Tashian took the helm as producer and the whole album was laid
down at the legendary Sound Emporium.
As it goes with all change, Jarosz’s major life events had her feeling contemplative. While sitting on the precipice of
adulthood, Polaroid Lovers finds her reflecting on past loves, childhood dreams, the places she lived in and all the
versions of herself that she’s been. Although the listener experiences the sonic shift forward, the album’s subject
matter is a photo album of the past. Jarosz has never sounded more assured. Polaroid Lovers is filled with the kind
of confidence that comes from hard won life experiences and the conviction of someone who truly knows herself.
Sarah Jarosz released her debut album at the age of 18 and was immediately nominated for her first GRAMMY.
Raised in Texas, she began playing mandolin at age 10 and soon after guitar and banjo. To date, she has released six
studio albums, has netted ten GRAMMY Nominations and four wins. In 2018, she joined Sara Watkins of Nickel
Creek and Aoife O’Donovan to form the supergroup, I’m With Her. The group released their debut album See You
Around, and won duo/group of the year at the Americana Awards. Their song, “Call My Name” won the GRAMMY
for Best American Roots song.
More About Sarah Jarosz and Polaroid Lovers:
The seventh full-length from four-time Grammy Award-winner Sarah Jarosz, Polaroid Lovers is an album-long
meditation on those strangely ephemeral moments that indelibly shape our lives. “What I love about a Polaroid is
that it’s capturing something so fleeting, but at the same time it makes that moment last forever,” says the Texas-
born singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist. “It made sense as a title for a record where all the songs are
snapshots of different love stories, and there’s a feeling of time being expansive despite that impermanence.”
Thanks to the rarefied alchemy that infuses all of Jarosz’s output — her finely wrought lyricism, ravishing vocal work,
virtuosic yet unfettered musicality — Polaroid Lovers performs the much-needed magic of leading us toward a
heightened sense of presence, all while casting a lovely spell with her timelessly powerful songs.
The follow-up to 2020’s studio album World on the Ground (winner of the Grammy Award for Best Americana
Album) and 2021’s song cycle Blue Heron Suite, Polaroid Lovers embodies a bold new vitality that has much to do
with a deliberate shift in Jarosz’s writing process and sonic approach. “Historically I’ve been somewhat closed off to
co-writing, but in the past couple of years I’ve felt curious to get out of my comfort zone,” says the newly Nashville-
based artist, who released her debut album at just 18-years-old. “For a long time it was important to me to write for
myself, so that I wouldn’t get lost in those rooms full of amazing writers. But now that I’m more confident in my
musical identity, I know I can collaborate but still stay true to my own voice.” In one of her first co-writing sessions
for Polaroid Lovers, Jarosz joined forces with Daniel Tashian (a songwriter/musician/producer known for his multi-
award-winning work on Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour) and immediately felt an undeniable creative connection.
“Daniel and I were both so excited by the idea of creating a new sound together, and he pushed me in ways I felt
completely ready for and open to,” she says. “It felt really good to allow myself that freedom, and to take that leap
into something new.”
Produced by Tashian at the legendary Sound Emporium, Polaroid Lovers took shape as Jarosz recorded live with
musicians like guitarist Rob McNelley (Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood), Tom Bukovac (Tom Petty, Vince Gill)
on guitar and organ, her husband bassist Jeff Picker (Nickel Creek), and drummer Fred Eltringham (Sheryl Crow,
Lucinda Williams), carving out a viscerally potent but resplendent brand of folk-rock. Along with layering in such
delicately crafted details as otherworldly textures and luminous synth tones, Jarosz and Tashian forged the album’s
singular sound by foregrounding her spirited performance on octave mandolin. “Out of everything I play, the octave
mandolin is definitely my soulmate,” says Jarosz, who first took up mandolin at age nine, quickly gained major
acclaim in the bluegrass world, and also plays guitar and banjo throughout Polaroid Lovers. “I started playing it when
I was 16, and that’s when I started writing songs that truly felt like me — there’s something about the tonality that
really lets my voice shine through.”
With her co-writers on Polaroid Lovers also including artists like Ruston Kelly, Natalie Hemby, and Sarah Buxton as
well as heavy-hitters like Jon Randall (Miranda Lambert, Emmylou Harris) and Gordie Sampson (Willie Nelson, Trisha
Yearwood), Jarosz opens the album on “Jealous Moon”: a gloriously soaring and exquisitely nuanced track that
instantly sweeps the listener up in its bristling emotionality. “That song is about the parts of ourselves that we try to
keep hidden, and the moments when they rise to the surface and we just have to ride the wave,” says Jarosz, who
co-wrote “Jealous Moon” with Tashian on a trip to his family’s summer house in Monteagle, Tennessee. “Daniel and
I call it our little Monteagle song that could — it started off with me playing ukulele and him playing nylon-string
guitar on the porch, then blossomed into this very powerful song that knocked me off my feet.”
Next, on “When the Lights Go Out,” Jarosz shares the sweetly lilting reverie that gave the album its title (from the
first verse: “In a dream we were Polaroid lovers/In the deep where the edges don’t lie”). “I wrote that song with Jon
Randall and Gordie Sampson, who suggested we try something in a 6/8 time signature — which is such a simple
idea, but took us in a direction I might never have gone otherwise,” she says. “To me the lyrics are a way of asking
someone you’re intrigued by, ‘Who are you when all the shine and attention isn’t on you anymore? Who are you
really?'” Another track co-written with Randall, “Runaway Train” kicks the album into high gear as Jarosz serves up a
bright and soulful love song built on a wildly sing-along-ready chorus (“You’ve got a heart like a runaway
train/Screaming down the mountainside/Burning like a fever that you can’t contain/Humming like the 405”).
“Coming out of the pandemic and playing shows again, I realized that a lot of the more uptempo songs in my set
were covers,” she says. “I wanted to write a love song that would give people that joyful feeling, and Jon and I had
so much fun playing with all those images of California and Colorado and Texas Hill Country, which is where I grew
up.”
One of the most poignant moments on Polaroid Lovers, “Columbus & 89th” drifts into a dreamlike beauty as Jarosz
reflects on the ineffable heartache of leaving her longtime home of New York City back in 2020. “New York signified
this childhood dream that I’d had for so long, so moving to Nashville was like turning the page from youth to
adulthood,” she says. “‘Columbus & 89th’ ended up just pouring out of me once Daniel and I started working on it —
there was so much nostalgia and melancholy that I needed to process, and now I still tear up whenever I hear it. As a
songwriter my main goal is to tell the truth about my experience, and I think the fact that that song makes me so
emotional means that I was tapping into real feeling.” Written on the same trip that yielded “Columbus & 89th” (a
journey to Alabama’s Orange Beach with Tashian’s family), “Days Can Turn Around” unfolds as a gently swaying folk
song threaded with warmly delivered instruction for living well no matter what the circumstances (e.g., “Never turn
down cold champagne/Don’t change your plans for a little rain”). “Both of those songs have similar themes of
thinking back and looking forward, but trying your best to be in the moment,” says Jarosz. “With ‘Days Can Turn
Around,’ I wanted to talk about all those little gems of wisdom you hear from you parents that end up taking on a
whole new meaning when you finally become an adult.”
As Jarosz reveals, her very first co-writing session with Tashian helped draw out the deep-rooted confidence that
informed all of the album’s creation. “That first day Daniel and I worked together we wrote a song called ‘Take the
High Road,’ which is about taking the time to really know yourself and get comfortable in your own skin, even if it
might take a little longer to get to where you want to be,” she says. “There was something so beautiful about that
being the first song we wrote for this album — it gave me the push I needed to not be afraid, to move beyond the
boundaries and explore new sounds.” A widely beloved musician whose past efforts include teaming up with fellow
singer/songwriters Sara Watkins and Aoife O’Donovan to form the Grammy Award-winning trio I’m With Her — as
well as appearing on albums by iconic artists like David Crosby and Amy Ray of Indigo Girls — Jarosz derived a
particularly profound sense of purpose from the highly collaborative process behind Polaroid Lovers. “Maybe more
than any record I’ve ever made, I felt so present and hyper-emotional with this album because I believed in it so
much,” she says. “It was so joyful to work with all these writers and musicians, and I think that joy really comes
through.”
Looking back on the making of Polaroid Lovers, Jarosz notes that shaking up her process ultimately left her eager to
further expand her creative horizons. “It was a big step for me to reach out to Daniel, but in the end it showed me
how important it is to keep taking thoughtful chances,” she says. “This whole album reminded me that I never want
to play it safe — if anything, I want there to always be that element of being a little scared, because that means I’m
taking a risk. In a way that’s what’s so wonderful about art: if you’re lucky, you never reach the finish line. You just
keep searching and chiseling away at the stone, and putting everything you can into making something that tells the
truth but hopefully leaves space for others to find meaning too.”

The Ballroom Thieves

Early in 2020, an article was released declaring that the music industry needed more happy songs. As Martin
Earley and Calin Peters recall, they laughed while reading it, knowing that their work as The Ballroom Thieves
explores the spirit of that paradigm. Well, sort of…they’re not interested in easily defined worldviews.
“We read that article and thought, ‘how are we supposed to write happy songs right now?'” says Earley. “We
don’t write happy songs, but this time we decided to try something new by pairing optimistic sounding music with
dark lyrics. If the listener is not a lyrics person, they might not notice.”
The Ballroom Thieves’ fourth album, Clouds, is a song cycle born of mixed experiences and fueled by the power
of imagination. The album is a lush meditation on longing to return to touring – to see different sunsets and cities.
But, it’s also a reflection of its difficulties, e.g., insomnia brought on by sleeping in different hotel rooms every
night. After a major car accident and the departure of a band member, the duo has taken the duality of all these
experiences and translated them into song.
“We miss exploring the country,” says Peters. “The road offers us structure and it gives us something to write
about. These past two years we learned just how much we love and need it.”
As they leaned into their wanderlust, themes became apparent – the idea of a life spent in motion (“Shine”), the
power of the storm representing a relationship transformed into heartbreak (“The Lightning”), Man’s ceaseless
degradation of resources and Nature’s inevitable fury (“Worldender”), and Harry Styles (“Harry Styles”), who
should be considered a force of Nature as far as Peters and Earley are concerned. “We were sitting around our
woodstove, and Callie looked over at me and said, ‘I think I’m in love with Harry Styles,'” Earley recalls. “And my
first thought was, ‘wait a minute, I love Harry Styles! You can’t have him!’”
Clouds became an opportunity for the band to mine the challenges of the past three years for creative inspiration.
“We were able to step away from a lot of the big three-part harmonies and for the first time we recorded most of
the album live,” says Earley. “We try to let change inspire us, even when it comes with difficulty.”
It’s an artistic statement that doubles as a life mission. The pair both emphasize that they’ve learned to navigate
complicated situations, including their struggles with depression, which often colors their songs. If they can impart
anything to listeners, it’s that talking about mental health is not a weakness—and that sharing any of life’s trials
can be a source of strength.
“There’s so much material out there on fighting mental illnesses and keeping our heads up but I think it’s also
just important to know that it’s okay to be affected. The human experience can be ugly and difficult and it’s okay
to feel things deeply,” says Peters. “Not every day has to be seized.”
“I’m so glad it’s more common for people to talk openly about depression these days, because it can be tough
when you think you’re the only one feeling it,” adds Earley. “We figured if it helps us when others are candid
about their experiences with mental illness, maybe it’ll help someone else if we do the same.”
Clouds will be released on July 15 via Nettwerk Records.
Learn more about The Ballroom Thieves on their website. 

Enjoy all of our upcoming performances on our new Byrider Stage!