Multi-instrumentalist Sarah Jarosz performing at virtual Telluride Bluegrass Festival this weekend

From what we've learned about creative folks during a pandemic, so much free time begets one of two results: Either they're inspired to write and record — albeit at home and alone — new material or the world's plight left them overwhelmed and uninspired. "It was a lot of the latter for me," said four-time Grammy Award-winner Sarah Jarosz, calling from Nashville. "It was interesting timing creatively because basically right when the pandemic hit I had just finished writing and recording (2020's) 'World on the Ground.' "Definitely the first few months were kind of reckoning with that reality of not being able to go on the road behind this record. Also, I kind of always creatively work in cycles, so because I had this major output of music really the majority of the pandemic I wasn't writing a lot. I wasn't feeling like I had much to say — just kind of processing and taking it all in." Known for her captivating voice and richly detailed songwriting, the multi-instrumentalist (mandolin, banjo, guitar) six months into the pandemic finally felt a need to express herself. Over the course of late last summer into the fall, Jarosz continued her penchant for unique covers by posting 10 tracks on social media before eventually releasing Billie Eilish's "My Future" and U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" as singles. She also had new music — of sorts — in the mix in the form of her recently released album "Blue Heron Suite," which was written in 2017 as a FreshGrass Festival commission and recorded in 2018 with Jeff Picker (bass) and Jefferson Hamer (guitar and harmony vocals). The stark material was inspired by Texas Gulf Coast town Port Aransas, which she used to visit with her family as a child and which was devastated by Hurricane Harvey, as well as her mother's breast cancer diagnosis. The result takes the listener on a quiet and cathartic journey — buoyed by Hamer's early Neil Young-sounding guitar — that also speaks to living through a pandemic. "I've been thinking about that a lot because I've never gone this long between recording something and then releasing it," Jarosz said. "The fact that it did come out now after this harrowing year, it was kind of like perfect timing in a way because the process of writing the music was so healing for me going through my mom's breast cancer and her treatments. "I feel like it's been really beautiful to hear people's comments about how the music provided healing to them after this last year. So in a way, it all feels like it was weirdly meant to be that it didn't come out until now." As the concert industry — silent for more than a year — slowly restarts around the country, there are a few remaining livestreaming affairs on the schedule. This includes the annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival taking place June 11-13, as well as June 17-20. Set to perform this weekend, Jarosz is looking forward to not only traveling to Colorado for her second live gig but also reaching her fans — albeit virtually — once again. As for when the singer-songwriter may return to Northeast Ohio, that remains up in the air. "It seems like everything I'm doing this year is a rollover from what I missed last year," Jarosz said. "A lot of festivals that were canceled are happening. So my sense right now would be this year is playing catch-up from 2020 and then hopefully later in the fall or early next year folks can be looking for many more tour dates from me. "I'm ready to get to play these songs for people. I think it's going to be just as satisfying if not more satisfying if I had gotten to do it last year." For more information about the virtual Telluride Bluegrass Festival, visit boxoffice.mandolin.com. Contact John Benson at Ndiffrence@att.net.