b. 28 January 1968, Bedford, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan has featured on the Canadian folk scene since she was a 20-year-old, and through a series of well-received albums and tours has blossomed into a well-rounded folk rock artist and a confident live performer. Her third album, 1993’s Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, was produced by Daniel Lanois’ protégé Pierre Marchand and was inspired partly by a disturbing trip the singer undertook with the World Vision charity to Cambodia and Thailand. The album blended her pastoral and reflective songwriting with a high-tech production that gave her sound a sophisticated edginess. In 1997, McLachlan inaugurated the Lilith Fair touring festival, a hugely successful showcase for female artists. ‘Adia’, taken from her US number 2 album Surfacing, proved to be an enduring radio hit, eventually climbing to number 3 on the singles chart in August 1998.
Less successful in the UK, McLachlan nevertheless enjoyed a big club and pop hit in October 2000 with ‘Silence’, a collaboration with electronica duo Delerium. By this point in her career, McLachlan had retreated from the spotlight to concentrate on her family. She re-emerged in 2003 with Afterglow. As on all her releases her earthy voice is the perfect vehicle for songs about the deeper, darker aspects of the human condition.
