Hailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Sarah McLachlan was discovered by Nettwerk Records after years of studying guitar, classical piano and voice. Although she was only 19 and had little experience writing original works, she was signed to a development deal which would take her to Vancouver to begin what has become an outstanding career.
In 1988, three years after landing in Vancouver, McLachlan’s recording debut Touch was launched. The lead-off single “Vox” sent the album to gold in Canada. With the help of an expanding underground base, a second album was released in 1991. Solace gave McLachlan the growing well- deserved respect as an artist with the release of videos for “Drawn to the Rhythm” and “Into the Fire”. Both videos were well received by both MuchMusic and MTV.
The enthusiam continued in 1993 with the release of Fumbling Towards Ectasy. McLachlan jumped from opening act to headlining her own venues. Radio hits from this album “Hold On”, “Possession” and “Good Enough” established her in the coveted US market.
After a gruelling tour schedule and a bout of writer’s block, the 1997 release Surfacing arrived. That same summer launched Lilith Fair, McLachlan’s own idea and design.
A tour highlighting female artists and their accompanying acts stormed across North America and ended up being one of the top grossing 1997 concert draws.
McLachlan took Lilith Fair on the road again in 1998, with 1999 being its last outing.
The phenomenal success of Lilith Fair brought enormous media exposure and tapped into a whole new audience for Sarah .
The live album released in 1999 Mirrorball was more proof of the recognition McLachlan received from Lilith Fair. Pre- orders at Amazon for the album began two months before its release while first week orders pushed Mirrorball to the Number 1 on music charts.
The success of McLachlan has been found through dedication to her work and tremendous touring efforts. Rewards have been found numerous times at the Junos, on movie soundtracks and most recently at the Grammys. She took home the prized award for her hit “I Will Remember You”.
The acoustic folk sound of Sarah McLachlan is a new to the music scene, especially to that of female artists. We can expect continued success as the enthusiasm for her work continues to grow