McLachlan, Sarah

SARAH McLACHLAN

Born: Halifax, Nova Scotia, 28 January 1968

Genre: Rock

Best-selling album since 1990: Surfacing (1997)

Hit songs since 1990: "Possession," "Building a Mystery," "Angel"

Sarah McLachlan is a Canadian singer and songwriter with an ethereal soprano that can go from a whisper to a soar in a split second. McLachlan gained a foothold in the pop music landscape in the early 1990s with her breakthrough third album, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, thanks to the success of the radio hit "Possession." McLachlan used her success to help pave the way for other female singer/songwriters when she formed an all-female touring group in 1997, which she dubbed Lilith Fair. McLachlan, who plays piano and guitar, writes songs that are honest, emotional, confessional, and other-worldly—qualities that struck a chord with thousands of young female singers and songwriters.

McLachlan's childhood in Halifax was sheltered and solitary. The daughter of Doris and Jack, an American marine biologist, she spent much of her youth writing songs. From the outset of her career at the age of nineteen, with the debut album Touch (1988), critics compared McLachlan's superb vocal range to other singer/songwriters, namely Tori Amos for her frankness, Joni Mitchell for her honesty, and Kate Bush for her tone.

Most critics regard her third album, Fumbling Toward Ecstasy (1993), as her watershed achievement. It is a mature, feminine, ethereal collection. The lyrics explore male-female relationships from the perspective of an empathetic woman who has grown to accept herself and what she may expect from others. Ironically, "Possession," a song she wrote about her experience with someone who stalked her through correspondence, became a hit single. "Possession" is a beautiful yet obsessive ode to love. It is a classic Sarah McLachlan song that remains in mid-tempo while building a tension that simmers through the surface. On the chorus McLachlan shows her range, nearly quaking on the high notes toward the end of the lyric: "I will be the one / To hold you down / Kiss you so hard / I'll take your breath away."

Following the success of Fumbling, which remained on the charts for more than a year and became a multi-platinum hit, McLachlan toured. In February 1997 she eloped with Ashwin Sood, who plays drums and percussion in her band. That year she released Surfacing, which debuted on the Billboard chart in the number two slot and brought her two hit songs and two Grammys: Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Building a Mystery" and Best Pop Instrumental Performance for "Last Dance." The ballads, "Adia" and "Angel," are lovely and ethereal offerings that enjoyed steady airplay.

Spot Light: Lilith Fair: A Celebration of Women in Music

The Canadian singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan is responsible for launching the sold-out and acclaimed Lilith Fair, a summer touring group of all-female performers from around the world. A tour with a conscience and an agenda, Lilith grossed more than $28 million, with more than $2 million going to local and national charities and nonprofit organizations such as Planned Parenthood, RAINN, and the Breast Cancer Fund. At each performance a dollar from each ticket sale was donated to a local women's shelter. McLachlan brought along heavyweight talents such as Sheryl Crow, Indigo Girls, the Dixie Chicks, the Pretenders, Natalie Merchant, Shawn Colvin, Queen Latifah, and Missy Elliott; critical favorites such as Juliana Hatfield, Me'shell Ndegéocello, and Aimee Mann; and rising stars such as Beth Orton and Nelly Furtado. Many of the women involved in Lilith Fair saw a considerable boost in their careers and record sales thanks to their involvement. Lilith Fair lasted for three years, from 1997 through 1999. Rather than push it beyond its natural course, McLachlan called it quits after 139 dates and the participation of more than 100 artists. The tour not only inspired good will and good deeds but also led to several compilation albums and a documentary, Lilith Fair: A Celebration of Women in Music (2002).

Perhaps the most significant event in 1997 for McLachlan was the launching of the heralded Lilith Fair, an all-female summer tour. In its three years Lilith Fair grossed more than $20 million, some of which was donated to national and local charities in the United States and Canada. After Lilith Fair ended in 1999, McLachlan released Mirrorball, a live album that chronicles her 1998 tour. It bought her some time as she went on hiatus and took a break to start a family. McLachlan gave birth to a daughter, India Ann Sushil Sood, in April 2002.

SELECTIVE DISCOGRAPHY:

Fumbling Toward Ecstasy (Arista, 1993); The Freedom Sessions (Arista, 1995); Surfacing (Arista, 1997); Mirrorball (Arista, 1999).

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

B. Childerhorse, From Lilith to Lilith Fair: The Authorized Story (New York, 1998); J. Fitzgerald, Building a Mystery: The Story of Sarah McLachlan and Lilith Fair (Kingston, Ontario, 2000).

carrie havranek