By Whitney Baker
Having been a longtime fan of The Bachelor, rising star Sarah Darling loves when her fellow country music artists make special appearances on the show. As many of you saw last night, Darling was that lucky singer on Monday’s episode, performing a surprise concert in Whitefish, Montana, on Sean Lowe’s one-on-one date with Lindsay Yenter.
“It was an awesome experience to be a part of such a big show, especially with me being a new artist,” Darling said. “Sean is just like he comes across on television: super down-to-earth and sweet, like a Southern boy.”
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And what about the bachelor’s date with Yenter? “It was so romantic and gorgeous. They were slow dancing in a crowd of people and looked like they were having the time of their lives,” she shared. “It was definitely a magical moment.”
As for her song choice, ‘Home to Me,’ Darling’s most recent single, is a great fit for The Bachelor, a show that takes the search for love to the most unexpected place: reality television. Describing the song, Darling says home “isn’t necessarily a place but a feeling. A person can be home to you, no matter where you are — and even if the two of you are apart.”
That notion rings particularly true for Darling, who is currently in a long-distance relationship. With her boyfriend living in London, it’s important for them to spend time together even when they’re apart. “We like to have Skype cooking dates, which is really fun. And we make sure we always have something to look forward to.”
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Of course, being on The Bachelor wasn’t this country music star’s first experience with reality television. In 2003, shortly after moving to Nashville to pursue her music career, she traveled to Las Vegas to compete on The Entertainer, a show on E! hosted by Wayne Newton.
After landing in the top three, she returned to Nashville with a better idea of what was next for her. “It really taught me what I wanted to do and what I didn’t want to do,” Darling said. “For me, I decided that I needed to focus on songwriting, so that’s what I did.”
Of her songwriting process, Darling explains that she tries to focus on what’s going on in her life at that particular time. “I never know when I’m going to get inspired, but when I do, it’s usually a really fast process. I feel like the best songs are written very quickly and very true to the moment.”
Country music fans are already looking forward to hearing more of Darling’s songwriting on her upcoming album, which will be released this summer. “This album represents how I’ve always wanted my music to be portrayed,” she shared. “My producer, Dan Huff, listened to me, and we worked together on making an album that was really ‘me.’”
“It really lets me be an artist and be different, which is really, really good,” she adds.
As Darling puts the finishing touches on her album and prepares for the Valentine’s Day opening of her Weekend Road Trip Tour with Scotty McCreery, she stills finds time to keep up The Bachelor and Lowe’s search for love. So who is her favorite contestant this season? “I’m a big fan of Lesley M.!”
You can check out Darling’s ‘Home to Me’ EP on iTunes and catch her on tour with Scotty McCreery. For more information, follow her on Twitter or visit www.sarahdarling.com.
