Sarah became actively involved in music as a child by learning piano, playing flute and joining a children's choir. She sang Patty Loveless' "Blame It On Your Heart" at a talent show as a junior in high school. As she learned more about music, she became interested in songwriters and began writing poetry. After graduation, she met one of her musical idols, Stevie Nicks, who encouraged her to pursue music and move to Nashville, Tennessee.

Buxton enrolled at Nashville's Belmont University and started a Southern rock band called Stoik Oak, which toured the region for three years. After an 18-month engagement, she married Christopher Robin of the Christopher Robin Band when she was 22. However, they divorced shortly afterwards. She also felt discouraged about finding a place for her voice in the music business but found further encouragement from one of her friends, John Rich of Big & Rich. She asked her publisher to set up some co-writing sessions, and she became more confident in her approach to singing and songwriting. Her first recording to appear on an album was her guest vocal on Cowboy Troy's 2005 single "If You Don't Wanna Love Me", the second single from his album Loco Motive.