Sarah Masen is an American singer-songwriter originally from the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. For several years she has lived in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband, the author David Dark, and their three children. Initially signed to Charlie Peacock's re:think label, and subsequently to Word, she is now independent. As a songwriter, she has collaborated with Béla Fleck, Julie Lee and Sam Ashworth.
Masen began her music career as the singer for the acoustic folk-pop band The Art Institute, which released one album, The Holding, on TAI Records. In 1996, her first album, Sarah Masen won considerable attention and its single, &All Fall Down&, was included in the soundtrack for the TV show Party of Five. Subsequent albums have not received similar mass media attention but have continued to earn critical plaudits.
In 1998 she released Carry Us Through, and in 1999 BEC Recordings reissued The Holding as a Sarah Masen solo album. After the release of The Dreamlife of Angels in 2001, Masen did not release her own new material for six years, although in 2004 she did contribute two tracks to the album Stars and Sirens by Pristina, a collective of female artists teamed with the producer Joey B. of The Echoing Green.She also continued to do occasional live performances and offered new recordings through her website.
In 2007, she self-released three EPs containing a total of 15 songs. The new works were first performed at the Festival of Faith and Music at Calvin College when she shared the bill with Sufjan Stevens, Emmylou Harris and Neko Case, among others.
Jon Foreman, of the band Switchfoot, is Masen's brother-in-law (Foreman is married to her sister Emily).She and Emily performed backing vocals on the song &Love Isn't Made& by Jon Foreman on his EP Spring.Masen also sang on &Deep in your eyes& and &The House of God, Forever& on Foreman's EP Summer.