 Since her debut in 1988,
Sarah McLachlan's atmospheric folk-pop has gained a devoted following of
fans not only in Canada, where she has established star status, but also
in the U.S. and U.K. Each album has shown her growing both as a musician and
songwriter, continually redefining herself and emerging as a major voice in the
growing adult alternative pop format.
Sarah McLachlan was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on January 28, 1968, where she
took vocal training in addition to classical piano and guitar lessons as a
child. After a year of art training at the Nova Scotia School of Design, while
fronting a new wave band, October Game, Nettwerk Records approached her for a
solo deal. She initially turned it down in favor of continued studies, but took
them up on the offer in late 1987 and relocated to Vancouver. On the strength of
her debut, 1988's Touch, she was signed to Arista for international
distribution. The album eventually reached gold status in Canada and was
reissued worldwide in 1989. In 1991, she followed up with Solace, an impressive
collection that showed a great leap in songcraft and built a strong cult
following in the U.S.
In September 1992, following a 14-month promotional tour,
Sarah McLachlan traveled to Cambodia and Thailand for work on a Canadian-sponsored
documentary on poverty and child prostitution, World Vision. Inspired by her
experiences, she retreated to a secluded house outside of Montreal to write
material for her next album. After six months in a Montreal studio with
collaborator/producer Pierre Marchand, Fumbling Toward Ecstasy, her strongest
and most personal effort to date, was released in late 1993. The album peaked in
the U.S. charts at number 50 and by the end of 1994, it reached platinum status
after 62 weeks on the chart. "Possession," the single from the album, broke the
Top 100 and received considerable airplay, especially on modern rock radio,
where it reached number 14. "Good Enough" also found a home in that format,
reaching number 16. The Freedom Sessions, consisting mainly of alternate
versions of tracks from Fumbling, was released in 1995, and Rarities, B-Sides &
Other Stuff, a collection of non-LP tracks and remixes, was issued in Canada in
1996. In 1997,
Sarah McLachlan began work on her fourth album, the enormously successful
Surfacing, which debuted at number two on the pop albums chart. In addition to
her own albums, she has contributed tracks to several cause-related releases,
provided the theme for the film Brothers McMullen ("I Will Remember You"), and
organized the Lilith Fair tour, a package tour focusing on emerging women
singer/songwriters. 1999's multi-platinum Mirrorball chronicled
Sarah McLachlan's performances on that tour and was her first live release. In
2003, after a short hiatus from the business, she put out the successful
Afterglow, followed by the live CD/DVD Afterglow Live. The album eventually went
four-times platinum, the DVD double platinum, and
Sarah McLachlan continued to tour
through 2005. In June of that year she performed on the Philadelphia stage of
Live 8, the multi-city anniversary celebration of Live Aid and G8 summit protest
coordinated by Live Aid founder Bob Geldof. In August she released Bloom, her
second remix collection. While most of its material was drawn from Afterglow, it
also included a version of the 1989 McLachlan track "Vox" and a previously
unreleased collaboration with DMC and the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am. ~ Chris
Woodstra, All Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book
Sarah McLachlan for your next corporate or private event.
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