April 29, 2011

Publication title: The Province, vol. -, Iss. -, pg. –
Place: Unknown
Writer: Tom Harrison

Sarah all about moving forward

For Sarah McLachlan, “It’s all about moving forward.”

“I’m 43,” the singer says. “I’m not interested in being complacent. I just feel I’ve got to try something new. That’s exciting.”

Excitement and moving forward pop up a lot during a phone conversation, she calling from the Calgary airport as her luggage is being collected. McLachlan has wrapped up a brief Canadian tour that features Butterfly Boucher as an opening act and as members of her band.

“This has been the funnest tour I’ve ever done,” McLachlan says. She likes being able to stand back and let Butterfly Boucher fill in the blanks and has an opportunity to interact with her audience.

“I like to think that, regardless of how many people are in the building, I try to connect with everyone. It’s really freeing.

“I’ve been reminded about how much I love playing music for people,” she continues. “And when you’re making music with people, it’s a powerful family.”

Her excitement could easily be apprehension. Moving forward could be difficult.

At 43 and now a single mother of two daughters, McLachlan increasingly has been particular about her concert appearances, her last album, Laws of Illusion, tanked, the once-popular Lilith Fair was a disaster last summer and she broke with her manager of more than 20 years, Terry McBride. Divorcing, approaching middle age, jump-starting a career, the Lilith setback. Not good signs.

Then again, her excitement could be rewarded. Moving forward signifies having a clean slate.

McLachlan’s children are old enough to have a sense of independence, she is single again, is back on tour, aims to write for an album that will be released next year that won’t be a collaboration with her producer of 20 years, Pierre Marchand, and has a new manager, Michael McDonald, whom she praises for his ethics.

“On a gut level, Michael seemed the right guy to go with.”

But McLachlan doesn’t want to talk about that, though she holds out the prospect of opening up some time in the future. Right now, her eye is on this moving forward.

“I feel like I’ve had some pretty intense experiences,” McLachlan says. “I think I’ve come out the other side. I’m wiser, I hope, and happier.

“More than anything, I needed to change. I needed to change everything. I turned 40 and needed to make everything new.

“Changing my dynamic in all my relationships was important to me,” she concludes. “It’s exciting and scary, too.