McLachlan Sarah
MOVING FORWARD WITH HER LAWS OF ILLUSION
AND BRINGING BACK LILITH TOUR
by bill biss
June is seriously bustin’ out all over for Sarah McLachlan. The multi-platinum and Grammy-winning singer
and songwriter returns to the musical spotlight this month with her new CD titled Laws of Illusion set for release on June 15. While June 27 marks the launch of Lilith Tour 2010, a revival of the all-female touring festival she co-founded in 1997. The Lilith Tour has raised more than $10 million for women’s causes during its three-year
run. The 42-year-old Vancouver resident, who performed at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony earlier this year, opens up about her current state of mind, a fresh take on Lilith Tour, closeted entertainers and her genderless outlook on the laws of attraction and love.
The Rage Monthly: What are some of the themes or emotions you wrote about on your new CD?
Sarah McLachlan: Loss. Illusions. Denial. Loss. (laughs) It’s about coming to terms with
things not working out the way you think they will. It’s about how strong and powerful those illusions are, how we build our lives around them, and how when they’re taken away or they disintegrate, you’re left with an ugly, unpleasant reality. Then you have to pick up the pieces and figure out how to move forward. For me, it’s been two years of huge, hard growth and change.
Rage: Did the reality of separating from your husband come into play emotionally at times for this?
SM: Yes…very much so. That’s just the reality of what I’m going through. It’s a very autobiographical record, but there are also lighthearted, fun songs on there.
Rage: Like your first single “Loving You Is Easy,” that sure has a breezy and positive tone for the summertime. You seem upbeat.
SM: I’m doing well, yeah, thank you. (laughs) I’ve come through slaughter quite well.
Rage: Welcome back to the sunshine. It’s hard to believe it has been seven years since a new release.
SM: I’ve had the luxury of being able to pick and choose what I want to do with my
career and I’ve had the great luxury of just being able to be a mom. I didn’t want to miss that. I also wasn’t particularly hungry. I definitely slowed down my production. But after seven years, I knew I couldn’t keep putting out holiday records and greatest hits. I wanted to get a new record out there.
Rage: Why did you decide to bring back Lilith?
SM: My three partners, my managers and my agent were all talking about Lilith memories, as we do pretty much every time we get together and we just became
incredibly nostalgic. There’s a whole wealth of fantastic new artists out there from a lot of different genres, so we knew we could make it even bigger and better.
Rage: And a whole new set of songs to perform along with your catalogue…
SM: Well, we knew we were doing Lilith a year and a half ago, but yes, it’s very fortuitous
that I happen to have a record coming out at the same time. I could’ve done Lilith without a new record, but it makes way more sense — and it’s way more fun to have a new record. I can kill two birds with one stone because I only go on tour during the summer.
Rage: Does Lilith’s return signal a new era of female performers for you?
SM: The rock market has changed a lot over the past 12 years. There are a lot of other
genres of music that are also getting huge recognition like the country and R&B mar- kets, which have exploded with great female talent.
Rage: Yes, some mainstream pop artists on the upcoming bill like Rihanna, Selena Gomez or Ke$ha aren’t the singer-songwriter types one might think of being associated with Lilith Tour.
SM: That’s the trouble with the idea that it was a singer-songwriter tour. That was
never my intention. Back then we asked female artists from all different genres of music, but whoever said “yes” was who we had to put onto the bill. The first year, certainly, we got dubbed the “white chick folk fest.” It was a label that we’ve been constantly battling and trying to change.
Rage: Do you have any personal favorites on the new tour?
SM: I’m very excited about the Go-Gos, Loretta Lynn, and Mary J. Blige. I’m also excited about Cat Power, Tegan and Sara…
Rage: It’s an impressive line-up.
SM: We have some really great artists! It’s pretty cool.
JUNE 2010 | RAGE monthly 35
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