Sarah Darling Sings to the Dreamer on New Album ‘Dream Country’

When you listen to Sarah Darling's new album, Dream Country, don't be surprised if it takes you to a place of whimsy.

Darling has branded this new sub-sect of the country genre with her new album, a title she says was inspired by the sound of the project and the fact that she's always been a dreamer.

"I am country, but the things that I love to write about are dreamy," she explains, citing Paris and Wyoming as places where her dreams take her. "All the pieces that we put together by adding strings and making everything really cinematic, it just fit, so I think it all just kind of worked together."

Darling was introduced to country audiences in 2012 with her single, "Home to Me," which broke the Top 40 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart and became the top-selling digital single from a new female artist that year. Darling says Dream Country is a whole new experience for her and gives fans a taste of who she is as an artist.

"I think a lot of the songs that are on this album really mean something to me, so I think overall, my fans will get to know what I'm about and who I am through this project more than anything I've ever done," she states.

Each song on the album speaks to a different facet of the singer, from her love of Paris to her dreamer's heart. One track she's particularly fond of is "Where Cowboys Ride," a song she calls her "love letter to Jackson, Wyo." After traveling to the state and being charmed by its beauty, Darling became inspired to write the country track. "I love this song so much, this is one that I could probably sing forever," she gushes. "It's just a classic-sounding song."

Her love of Paris is reflected in full on "Montmartre," revealing that Paris is where she fell in love with her husband and learned to make French macarons, a skill she's turned into a business with Sweet Darling Patisserie. "That song is really special to me, it's probably the most cinematic song on the album," Darling says of "Montmartre."

The singer's admiration for the stars and dreaming come in full force on tracks like "Halley's Comet" and "Stargazer," the former of which she calls the most personal song on the album. It was written after Darling split from her label deal at Black River Entertainment.

"It really takes me back to being like a little kid and dreaming in Iowa about moving to Nashville, and that's what I love about it," she says of "Halley's Comet."

"It's really just a song for the dreamer and understanding that everybody wants a place to shine in the world. It's a really beautiful sentiment."

Fans will also hear a familiar voice on "Anchor," a song she co-wrote with Sam Palladio, also known as Gunnar Scott on CMT's Nashville, marking his first professional cut from an artist.

"I didn't know who I was making it for, I just know that I had to do it for me," Darling admits of Dream Country. "And then what I realized is that's really what's important to your fans is that if they get to see you, that's the where the deepest connection comes from."

Dream Country was released on Feb. 10. Visit Darling's official website for updates on tour dates.

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