Sarah Darling Releases New Single After Leaving Black River Entertainment

Sarah Darling might be happily in love with her fiance, British graphic designer James Muriel, but she still remembers when things weren't always so rosy. The 30-year-old's latest single, 'Little Umbrellas,' was written at a time when she says romance was the farthest thing from her mind.

"I wrote it a couple of years ago," she tells Examiner.com. "I think what I realized is that I must have had a fight with my boyfriend at the time. I usually don't write those kinds of songs. It's really funny that's the one that popped up. I just love it because it's fun. It's three minutes of 'You know what? Let's just go to the beach, grab an umbrella drink, sit back and unwind from the day.' It has that female Jimmy Buffett feel to it."

The Iowa native released two albums and a recent EP 'Home to Me' -- which sold more than 125,000 copies -- on Black River Entertainment. Still, the blond beauty is looking at other options for her next project. "That was something I chose to do," she explains of her decision to leave Black River earlier this year. "It was kind of a mutual agreement with where I wanted to go. I definitely wanted to go a different direction. It wasn't like a bad thing. It was a good thing. My manager and I have broken off to do everything on our own."

The singer-songwriter says she doesn't know if she will release another EP or a full-length album next, but she is excited about the opportunities in front of her. "That's the beauty of all of this," she adds. "Even with a new record label, we're definitely open to that. It's [having] people that really believe in what you're doing that can take you to the next level."

One thing is for sure, Darling is moving full speed ahead with her career, and she knows exactly which artist she wants to emulate. "Our styles are completely different, but I think Carrie Underwood has inspired me the most," she notes. "I think she's just graceful and a really amazing artist, humble, sweet."

Sarah Darling's next scheduled show is on Saturday (June 22) at Nashville's renowned Grand Ole Opry. Tickets are still available and can be purchased here.