Sarah Darling Blends Experimental, Soothing Sounds On ‘Dream Country’

Sarah Darling’s latest album, Dream Country, which released Feb. 10, finds the singer-songwriter in an experimental space, connecting the concepts of dreams, celestial imagery, aspirations and of course, music.

The project’s 10 tracks (seven of those penned by Darling) revel in pensive musings, and incorporate elements of country, jazz, and pop into an ethereal tone.

Her latest single, “Halley’s Comet,” was one of the first penned for the new album, and served as a catalyst for Dream Country’s whimsical theme. Darling co-wrote the song with Cheyenne Medders and Rebekah Powell.

“I had no idea where I was going to go musically,” Darling said. “This album is very different from what I’ve done before and this was me being me and putting my heart into something I love. ‘Halley’s Comet’ is about chasing a dream and understanding the challenges that come with that. Nobody said it’s going to be easy. That’s the best part about it.”

Darling offered an acoustic take on several tracks off the project during a recent visit to the MusicRow offices, including “Where Cowboys Ride,” a love letter to the state of Wyoming, and “Starry Eyes,” a letter of encouragement to her younger self.

Sarah Darling with MusicRow owner/publisher Sherod Robertson.

Darling teamed with musician and producer Larissa Maestro to assemble Dream Country, after first partnering for a performance of “Halley’s Comet” on the Grand Ole Opry, featuring Darling on vocals and Maestro on cello.

“There was something that connected musically, with my voice and the strings. I was trying to figure out where to go and I asked her to make a record. It’s very melodic, and there are a lot of string parts. There was definitely some girl power going on.”

Darling has been creating music in Nashville since 2006. Darling was signed to Black River Entertainment for several years, before stepping out on her own to make Dream Country.

“This album is really honest. A lot of the songs are about what it felt like to transition out of having a team to figuring out how to move forward with just me. That opened up a deep place in my heart to write about dreaming.”

The album’s airy quality lends itself to possible sync licensing, which Darling intends to focus on this year.

“Everyone who has heard this album has mentioned sync licensing, so I’m going to work on that,” Darling said. “There is a song called ‘Montmartre’ on the album that just sounds made for a movie. My husband took us to Paris on our first date, which he totally set the bar really high. We went back there last September and I shot a music video there and it will come out in May.”

Darling will take Dream Country’s universal themes overseas again in May, when she plays a series of shows in UK markets.

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Jessica Nicholson

Jessica Nicholson serves as the Managing Editor for MusicRow magazine. Her previous music journalism experience includes work with Country Weekly magazine and Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) magazine. She holds a BBA degree in Music Business and Marketing from Belmont University. She welcomes your feedback at [email protected].

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