Sarah Jarosz and Parker Millsap are two of the brightest young names in Americana, and they’re currently on an eight-stop co-headlining tour supporting new albums that are being drenched with praise. The 23-year-old Millsap (no relation to Ronnie) keeps a righteous howl tucked away in his wiry frame. Jarosz, 25, wields a Grammy-nominated picking technique that’s earned her a place at the table with bluegrass greats like Gillian Welch and Ricky Skaggs. Her touring partner who won’t even attempt to learn some of her material.
“I consider myself a blues guitarist, and the blues is mostly five notes,” Millsap told CL in the days leading up to their show at Skipper’s Smokehouse tonight. "Sarah is capable of employing all twelve notes.” Jarosz is equally complimentary about Millsap’s narrative-rich single, “Heaven Sent.” when queried on which Millsap song she wishes she wrote. “It is brilliant from start to finish,” she said. “It was an honor to sing harmony on that tune.”
The pair will share the stage several times during the course of their jaunt across the South, but there’s still a lot they’ve yet to learn about each other. CL caught up with both of them before their show at Skipper’s Smokehouse in Tampa tonight. Read our Q&A below, and listen to more music via cltampa.com/music.
Sarah and Parker, which of each other’s do you wish you would’ve written?
Sarah Jarosz: “Heaven Sent” is a brilliant from start to finish, and it was an honor to sing harmony on that tune.
Parker Millsap: “Over the Edge,” because it rules. It is distinctly Sarah, which means I couldn’t have written it in the first place, and that’s what I like about it.
Parker, “Heaven Sent” uses storytelling to addresses some of the darker parts in the world. Do you feel it’s your place to soapbox considering the microphone you have?
PM: I try not to talk too much onstage. I’m better at music.
Sarah, you’re on a co-headlining tour, but I made the mistake of marking you as opener when initially listing the show. It is harder for women to stand out in music? If so, how do you approach that challenge day to day?
SJ: I’ve always approached my career and music making with an attitude of just trying to make the best music I can make, and I think if that’s the focus, then it’s easier to transcend those kinds of factors. My goal as a musician is to constantly surround myself with great artists and people who challenge me to be the best artist I can be. I want to release music that I feel is genuine and is an honest representation of my musicianship. I think it’s pretty obvious when you listen to music that sounds manufactured or disconnected from any true artistic intention, so when I’m in the studio or on stage, I only want to play music that I believe in 100-percent.
Parker, you started playing guitar to pass the time. Nowadays, there’s not a lot of time to pass, so what do you do with the rare quiet moment? Which old Delta blues albums would you suggest fans pick up to hear some of your influences?
PM: I mostly hang out with my dog, Mavis, when there’s nothing else going on. Anything by Robert Johnson, Mississippi John Hurt, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Skip James, Lightnin Hopkins (though he’s a Texan) and Mance Lipscomb is good. I could go on and on…
Sarah, you’ve been nominated for three Grammys. Do you ever think about wanting to win one?
SJ: I’ve been so honored to be nominated, and while that certainly isn’t why I make music, it’s an ultra-exciting thing. If anything, it’s an honor to be recognized by my peers. Of course I would love to win a Grammy someday, but in the end it all comes down to working hard at the music. The biggest rewards are getting to play with musicians who I deeply admire and respect.
What are some of the things you do to open your mind up to fresh ideas when hitting lulls in creativity?
SJ: Time off the road is good for being re-inspired. I love living in New York, and I find it to be an incredibly energized city full of new inspiration. I like to spend my off time running in Central Park, reading and seeing live music.
What kinds of new things do you want to learn or record as far as your guitar playing goes?
SJ: I’d love to get into playing more electric guitar. I played electric on one song on my new record, and it’s a whole other world of sounds outside of the acoustic world I’ve come to know so well.
Sarah, I am also a recovered NSync fan. Why do you think so many in our generation latched on to that?
SJ: I loved NSync growing up, and am not ashamed to admit it! I’ll still jam out to their records every now and then on a run or car ride. Of all the boy bands, they were my favorite, and I was lucky enough to see them live when I was little. I think they’re incredible entertainers and they had some great songs.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKuRS9agEvJWho do you think will have the worst eating habits on the road?
PM: Me. I’m not particularly kind to my digestive tract on the road.
SJ: Everyone on this tour seems pretty healthy, although there has been talk of visiting a Waffle House… I’ve never been so I’m up for the experience.
You’re going to sing with each other on this tour. What excites your about that? You have pretty different vocals.
SJ: I’ll definitely be doing some singing with Parker on this tour. We’ve had the opportunity to sing more together in the last month and I think our voices blend really well together, despite their seemingly different timbres. I can’t wait to do more!!
PM: Our vocals are different but they blend well. We also share phrasing instincts and are pretty good about locking into the timing without it sounding rigid.
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This article appears in Sep 22-29, 2016.