Sara Petite was born and raised in the countryside of Sumner, Washington, later relocating to San Diego. Her rural youth helped shaped her songwriting, which often incorporates accordian, pedal steel guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and accordion.

Her song "Coming Home" won the "Best Song Award" in the Country/Americana category in the 2006 Portland Songwriting Contest. The song turned up on a French Country Music compilation CD (Universal Music of France) and on Petite's 2007 album, The United States of Americana (Shut Eye Records).

Her 2009 album features the Sugar Daddies and the Tiger Mountain Boys. In September of that year, she won Best Americana or Country Artist at the San Diego Music Awards. In July 2010, her album Doghouse Rose debuted at number 33 on the Top 40 Americana Album Chart.

Drummer John Kuhlken (Sara Petite’s Sugar Daddies, the Nards, Brawley), passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer, despite having been in remission for several years.

In August 2012, Petite won Best Americana at the San Diego Music Awards, a trophy she won again in October 2013.

Her country rock full-length Rare Bird was released in February 2021 on JTM Music, preceded by a music video for its first single "The Misfits." The album was recorded with collaborators like fiddle legend Bobby Furgo (Leonard Cohen, Nancy Sinatra) and guitarist Mike Butler (Billy Bob Thorton's Boxmasters). Rare Bird also marks the final work from Grammy-winning producer David Bianco (Tom Petty, Lucinda Williams, Bob Dylan), who began recording with Petite before passing away during the album's early stages. Petite later teamed up with co-producer/engineer Ben Moore to finish the record, taking a principal role in the songs' creation and their arrangements. A Belly Up virtual release party is planned for February 26, and the album has already been added to the Sirius XM Outlaw Radio playlist.

In April 2022, Petite won San Diego Music Awards for Best Country or Americana Album and Best Country or Americana Artist.