Biography - Sarah Darling

Don't be surprised when you meet Sarah Darling if she shows up in a Betsey Johnson dress and a pair of mud waders. Or Jimmy Choo high heels and a baseball cap. It's just Sarah's kaleidoscopic personality shining through. She's a farm girl in florals, a riverbank girl with a poet's soul, a deeply introspective writer with a childlike curiosity. And a sophistication and maturity in her songs far beyond her 25 years.

Sarah was born in Des Moines and was raised in small-town Iowa, an only child who still remains very close to her family, especially her grandparents. When a romantic relationship hit the rocks, it was Sarah's grandmother who often got the late-night distress calls. And it was Sarah's grandfather who first turned her on to country music. "My grandfather used to take me to church with him every Sunday morning, and we would listen to country radio," she says. "Somehow country music always felt like home to me. Even now, miles away, it still reminds me of what I love and miss most."

Growing up, Sarah wrote poetry, not music. She never dreamed one day she'd make a living writing songs - but her biggest fan in the family knew differently. "My mom always told me that someday I'd become a songwriter," she recalls." I still don't know how she knew." On her 14th birthday, Sarah received a small sound system and began singing everywhere she could find a willing audience: weddings, birthdays, talent shows, pageants, even the Iowa State Fair. When she wasn't singing, Sarah fished and played first base for her local high school baseball team. (In the final game that won the team the Iowa State championship, a fastball caught Sarah's nose and broke it, quickly ending her sports career.)

In 2002, a year after graduating from high school, Sarah saved $5,000, packed up everything she owned in a horse trailer, and headed for Nashville on the advice of Joe Carter, Tracy Byrd's manager.

"We met at a festival, and he asked me to send him some of my songs," Sarah explains. "I'd always dreamed of making a record and getting discovered in Nashville. After he heard my demos, Joe encouraged me to come to Nashville and signed me to a year's management contract." Although nothing came of it, Sarah says she learned a lot. "I paid my bills waitressing, watching other singers and songwriters, and trying to figure out where I belonged."

In 2003, Sarah auditioned for an E Network reality show called "The Entertainer," hosted by veteran Vegas showman Wayne Newton. Much to her shock, she was chosen as one of the 10 finalists. She spent the next eight weeks living in the Las Vegas Hilton with the other contestants, singing classic crooner songs on the program, and vying for a million-dollar performing contract.

"I didn't win, but I finished in the top three," Sarah says now, "and it was one of the best experiences of my life. It helped my performing so much. They would throw unexpected things at us each week. One night they planted hecklers in the audience to see how we'd handle them. Another time they gave us 30 minutes to put together a complete concert. Wayne Newton took me aside one day and told me I was his favorite singer on the show -- but he said I didn't belong in Las Vegas. He told me I should go back to Nashville and work on my own songs. Being on that show made me realize what I really wanted to do with my life -- write music and be an artist. I came back to Nashville and spent the next three years just writing songs, playing out in clubs, and doing shows."

In addition to supporting herself as a waitress in a Nashville steakhouse, Sarah also did modeling and appeared in a number of country music videos, including "Red High Heels" with Kellie Pickler, "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off" with Joe Nichols, "Too Much Blood In My Alcohol Level" with David Ball, and "Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy" with Big & Rich. (In that video, she played a mannequin, and her stiff, non-blinking portrayal was so convincing that "CMT Insider" held an on-air contest to determine whether she was a live person or a dummy. When viewers overwhelmingly voted "mannequin," Sarah went on the show live to prove she was real.)

A failed romantic relationship became a gold mine of songwriting material for Sarah, and inadvertently led to her record deal with Black River. "I wrote a song called 'Stop the Bleeding' that I put on my MySpace page," says Sarah. "At the same time, Jimmy Nichols had just started Black River Records, and he was looking for a new artist to sign. Jimmy asked the label's interns to start checking MySpace and let him know if they heard anyone exciting. That's how he found me."

From the moment Black River first saw Sarah in a showcase, the label knew it had discovered someone special. Jimmy Nichols' experience as an A-list studio keyboardist (and Faith Hill's band leader) gave him a unique perspective on talent. But more importantly, signing with the label was like coming home for Sarah. "Black River seemed like family to me right away, and I'd never felt that before in Nashville," she explains. "Then when Jimmy and I went into the studio to start recording my album, it was almost magical. He has such an amazing ear, and I learned so much working with him. Jimmy pushed me to the next level as an artist, and showed me it's not how pretty you can sing, it's what you feel inside when you sing. And how you make other people feel when they listen to you. He truly brought out the best in each of the songs. The whole process was unbelievable for me."

Sarah's debut CD, titled Every Monday Morning, features her collaborations with some of Nashville's best songwriters: David Malloy, Marc Beeson, Kim Tribble, Marty Dodson and Jeff Dayton. It also includes a song she co-wrote with former Ambrosia lead singer David Pack. It's a stunning project, showcasing her breathtaking artistry as both a writer and vocalist. The title of the album comes from Sarah's regular rain-or-shine Monday morning writing sessions with Jeff Dayton, and each of the songs reflects a very personal side of her life.

"I do have very different sides to me, and my co-writers have to adjust," she laughs. "I can show up for a writing session and come up with a fun, light-hearted song that's very girly, then turn around and write a deep, serious 'old-soul song' full of my own personal emotion. I think we've all been through experiences in life where we get our hearts broken or are afraid to trust, and I've learned it's okay to write about these in a song."

One of the most unusual co-writers Sarah has worked with is veteran TV news personality Harry Smith of CBS' "The Early Show." Smith came to Nashville to cover the second Obama/McCain political debate and wanted to show viewers how a song gets written and recorded. Sarah helped with the lyrics and melody, and they performed the tune on the air. "It was great fun. Harry went to college in Iowa, so we had something in common, and by the end of the session, I think Harry really did understand how the whole thing comes together in the studio." (CBS featured the song, "Red State Blue State Blues," prominently on its network website during the 2008 election.)

For a small-town girl who moved to Nashville knowing no one ("and with no Plan B as a back-up in case things didn't work out"), Sarah is thrilled with the way everything is falling into place.

"I'm so glad this is all happening for me now rather than when I first came to Nashville," Sarah says, "because I feel like I've gone through so many experiences and ups and downs here. I appreciate everything so much more now. I moved from Iowa to chase my dream in Nashville. For some people, the dream never comes true. But when I look at where I am and the opportunities I've been given, I feel ecstatic and so blessed. I can't wait to see what's coming next!"

Press Releases - Sarah Darling

July 9, 2010 - Sarah Darling to Sing National Anthem Tomorrow

August 21, 2009 - Sarah Darling - Live Chat with Sarah Darling

March 26, 2009 - Black River's Sarah Darling Working with Prominent Film Schools for Video Series

Images - Sarah Darling

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Photographs by Jarrad Lister

More Information - Sarah Darling

Sarah Darling
Cut By Cut

Whenever It Rains: I wrote this song with Jeff Dayton. We've written quite a bit together. I had gotten a text message from the guy that I've written a lot of my songs about, telling me how much he missed me. It was pouring down rain that day, and I was driving to write with Jeff, and I just surrendered to a memory I had in my head. I didn't have anything else to write that day, so I told Jeff whenever it rains, I think about this person. It's almost as if they're still there sometimes, you know . . . when you hear the thunder and see the clouds and the lightning. I remember that Jeff didn't want to write that type of song that day, but I kept saying, I want to write something with a country-alternative feel. It was just the mood I was in. Now when I listen to it, it's almost got an '80s Fleetwood Mac type vibe to it. I think the music is really cool. There are parts of the song - like when you hit the chorus - that almost make you feel you're like you're standing outside in the rain hearing the thunder in the music. This song is alive to me."

I Never Do What I Should: I wrote this song with Liz Rose and Nathan Chapman. Liz and I had written before, but I had never written with Nathan. I was definitely wearing my heart on my sleeve while we were writing that day! I think a lot of people will relate to this song because we all get into relationships and you break up and then you go back for more. For whatever reason, you just want to see the person again, and you don't even know why. I'd end up calling home, and usually I'd call my grandma, because she stays up late like I do - she's kind of a night owl - and we'd sit and talk on the phone for hours about it. I'd tell her the stuff I was going through, and she would give me all kinds of advice and paint pictures of him 20 years down the road to make me realize I didn't want to be with him. The melody is real upbeat, but the lyrics say: I should have learned the last time/I should have learned the time before that/Maybe I'll learn this time/But it's too late for that. My mom laughs now when she hears the song, because the lyrics say: You can call your mama even though it's late/ she'll tell you what you don't want to hear, but I really wrote that about my grandma.

Can't Call Love: I wrote this with David Pack, lead singer for the group Ambrosia. He's an awesome writer. I was so excited (and a little nervous) at the chance to work with him. We sat down and wrote this fairly quickly - he started playing this melody on his guitar almost like a driving train - like a train on a train track. He came up with a line about it's not over 'til it's over in your heart, " and I just love that because you can say you're over something all you want, but it's your heart that has to make that decision. David wrote the melody. I think it's so haunting. We wrote the lyrics together. The song says you aren't who I thought you were, and I don't think you're over her.

Stop the Bleeding: I'd say I'm probably closest to this song. It's the oldest song on the record. I wrote it with Joe Perrault and Shauna Bolton. I remember I didn't have anything that day when I went to write - I had just broken up with my boyfriend, and I didn't understand why he wouldn't leave me alone. I was feeling so much hurt, and that's why I wrote Stop the Bleeding - that's what it felt like. I just needed to heal. Writing this helped me get it off my chest. And this is the song that got me my record deal with Black River. It's the song my producer Jimmy Nichols fell in love with when he went to my MySpace page and listened to my music.

Blue Guitar: This is the first song thatKim Tribble and I wrote. Kim's an amazing writer - he's had so many cuts, and he's a think-outside-the-box kind of songwriter. It was fun to write this with him. It's a bluesy/jazzy/country song that talks about being in a state of loneliness. You have all these guitars to choose from, but you go for the one that has so much character, and that's the one you pour your soul out to. The guitar even has a belt-buckle scar on it from being out so much, but when you're feeling sad, it's the one you turn to. I have three guitars: a Takamini my mother bought me, and a brand new Taylor guitar I bought myself, and then I also have a hot pink guitar - I can be such a girly girl sometimes!

Don't Love Me: This is another favorite of mine on the record. I wrote it with Marty Dodson and Brad Chrisler. Marty Dodson is one of my all-time favorite co-writers, and we're so alike. We have such similar personalities. He's so soft-spoken but so creative. We're just a really good songwriter match. I walked into the room to write with him and Brad, and Brad had a sample going - just a sample, mind you - and it was almost like a rap song, and I thought, oh no, where is this going? And all I could think of was the big bad wolf. I thought why does this keep popping into my head, and that's the first line of the song: There's a big bad wolf behind those eyes / And it's getting harder and harder to hide it. The reason I wrote this song is because the night before, I was talking to my current boyfriend about people who stay in relationships who aren't in love. That's what this song is about. You can't fool people: it says if this is love, if this is what it's like, then don't love me - I'm out the door. It's not just women, either - it's men, too.

Wrapped In Moonlight: I wrote this song with Jeff Dayton and David Malloy, who's a Grammy award-winning producer and songwriter. I was a little nervous writing with David, 'cause he's a pretty big deal! (laughs) I love this song because it's just so romantic and mushy. It takes you right down by the river bank lying there with the one you love and the images are just so amazing. I was surprised that I could write this song with two men—that they'd want to write a song called Wrapped In Moonlight! I think my favorite line in the whole song is "We'll shine on each other like diamonds on the water." I stayed by a lake in Hendersonville just outside of Nashville one summer while my condo was being built, and I'd look out at the lake shining at night, and the stars did look just like diamonds. It has an old fashioned feel to it that's really special to me.

Till the Truth Walks In: I wrote this song with Jeff Dayton, just the two of us. But there's so much truth in this song about me. I used to sing in a group with my ex, and we were always around each other, and then it was over -- only I'd still have to see him. I had it down to a science how to fake happiness and fake this whole persona that I was fine. But then he would walk into a room and my heart would just go crazy. There's a line in the song about paper airplanes in the wind (And I tell myself I'm better off/ that I was right and you were wrong/ But they're just paper airplanes in the wind that I believe/Until the truth walks in." And it's so true. You live in a fantasy where you think everything is just fine, that you're handling everything, until suddenly that person walks back into your life again, and then you just fall apart. I'm really good at not letting people see me fall apart.

Jack of Hearts: Marc Beeson and I wrote this song. It was our first write together. It's kind of an anthem to young girls out there about a guy - a specific kind of guy - that you want to be careful of. He's the charming guy who's not really so charming once you get to know him. He's the bad boy who looks good. You want him - but at the end of the day, he's no good for you at all. The song is saying, why settle for the Jack of Hearts when you can have the King? I couldn't have written this song before I met Jeff, my new boyfriend. He's the complete opposite of the situation I was in before. I ended up with the King of Hearts, but I guess I had to be with the Jack first to recognize it.

All You've Got: This is a true story. I wrote this song with Jeff Dayton about a close friend of mine who passed. His name was Taylor, and we worked together at Stoney River Steakhouse. He had Type 1 diabetes that went undetected, and he died from it. He was 20 years old. He was just the cutest, sweetest kid, and it really affected me a lot. The song is a perspective of life. You can be young, you can be old -- you just don't know the day or the time you'll be taken away. It's about Taylor, and it's about my grandfather, who has something like 10 stints in his heart and has had triple-bypass surgery twice - and he's still alive. They gave him six months to live when I was six years old, and he's still here. You look at this 20 year-old kid who never got to live his life, and you look at my grandfather who just keeps going, and then the last part of the song is about myself and my own spirituality. It's very honest. I come right out and say I fear the darkness because I've felt like hell was running after me. The song is about letting go and being able to move forward in love.

I'll Wait For You: This is a song I wrote after we'd finished recording the whole album and thought we were done. Jeff Dayton and I wrote it at one of our regular Monday writing sessions, and I got so excited afterwards that I couldn't sleep that night. I thought, we've got to put this on the record somehow. Jeff had just gone through a divorce, and when you listen to the lyrics, it's not what you think it's going to be from the title. The song talks about waiting for yourself - loving yourself enough to wait and try to be patient and realize that eventually you will be happy even if you're going through a tough situation at the time. The lyrics could sound like you're waiting for another person, but if you listen closely, it's really about waiting for yourself. I couldn't wait to go into the record company to play the song for Jimmy Nichols. Jimmy fell in love with it right away, just like I did, and he let me go back into the studio to cut it. I'm so happy that it's on the album.

Knowing What I Know About Heaven: I wrote this with Dave Robbins and Billy Austen. Dave Robbins is an exquisite keyboard player, and we were all in one of these moods. Dave had just heard about someone in his family who had passed, and I was worried about my grandfather who was going through heart trouble at the time, I remember. It seemed like every three months, he had some situation where he had to go back into the hospital for something, and we were all on pins and needles about him. I look up to my him so much because he talks about heaven and how wonderful it is, and this song is just painting the picture of what it's like and why would you even want to - I mean, selfishly you want them back, but you know they're in a really amazing place. It's a very positive song when you really listen to it, even though it's sad too. I've had so many emails about this song, how in a really tough time, it brought them light. I think at the end of the day, if you can write a song that really touches people and brings them comfort, it's beautiful.

It Don't Matter Now: I wrote this song with Rick Farrell. He's one of the most talented songwriters I've written with so far. Rick has had some great songs: "Where Would You Be" with Martina McBride, "Something Like That" with Tim McGraw . . . This has a real beachy feel with images like having your toes in the sand and drinking Mojitos - which are my favorite drink, by the way. It's got kind of a Jimmy Buffett feel to it. It feels like summertime to me

 

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