Sarah Darling talks to us about the making of Wonderland.

It's always a pleasure to catch up with Sarah Darling and to see her back once again at SummerTyne Americana Festival up in Gateshead! She was keen to chat to us about her latest album Wonderland and what's next!

Since we last spoke you've released a new album Wonderland, can you tell me about the process of writing and recording that record?

Yes, oh my goodness I can't believe it's out! First of all it's one of the sweetest releases for me because of the time and being away from home, basically over the last five years of my life I've been touring over in England more than the States. So I thought I'd write and record my next album after Dream Country in the UK so all of last year I was in England, it was the hottest summer ever over here and I was writing amazing songs with [producers and using beats and tracks mixed with Country music. It was probably one of coolest experiences musically that I've ever had. I learnt a lot about myself and what I could experiment with. I was homesick a lot of the time but it feels like such an amazing release but now that it's over and it's out I feel like I need to go on vacation or something!

Focusing on this record, if there's. anyone out there who is unfamiliar with you and your music what's the one song on Wonderland that you'd tell them to listen to to find out more about you?

I love the song Fire, it's one of those songs that I feel I write a lot, about dream chasing and passion and the idea that we have these passions inside of us and as much as we say I'm not going to do this anymore, it's part of our identity so we can't stop. If I was to say I'm not going to do music anymore... I probably could just never do that! I love the production of it too, it feels like a perfect bridge after Dream Country so I always say if you get a chance to listen to that song it lets you know who I am.

So I've got a little mascot, Ellie the Elephant, I wondered if you had a mascot or something that you take on tour with you?

I do, I tend to bring a lot of images of my husband and I together, for a while I didn't but photos are quite important to me now, so not so much a mascot but I like to be surrounded with pictures of the people I love.

What's next for you?

I'm already thinking about the next album but I'm going to tour until the end of the year and start making new music!

Can you tell us anything about the next record, who you've been writing with lately?

I've already started writing, here's what I'll say, Dream Country was a very "don't give up on your dreams" kind of album, Wonderland was more fun and "you never know what to expect on the journey of life" it was like a road trip album but already the songs I'm writing are a little bit deeper and have a side to them I've never written so if I was to give any hints it would be that I think it's going to be a completely different sounding record.