Sarah McLachlan has weathered many storms over her 30-year career and hopes her newest projects can help people find release and navigate their own feelings during these uncertain times.
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Few artists encapsulate the spirit of the 1990s like Sarah McLachlan. In a decade remembered for girl power pioneers, grunge introspects, and pop optimists, McLachlan embodied them all.
This fall, the Canadian artist returns with a set of songs for our new chaotic era – Better Broken – and new documentary, Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery, about the all-women music festival she launched and co-founded.
Sarah recently sat down with BUST to chat about her new album, spending time in nature, and the legacy of Lilith Fair.
BUST: In a recent interview with the Toronto Sun, you spoke a bit about Mother Nature and how as you’ve gotten older, solitude in nature has been a very healing force for you. That was very resonant for me personally, but also I know for an entire generation of people. Have there been any formative experiences recently that really awakened that in you, or has it been more a gradual shift where that sense of solitude in nature really hit you?
Sarah McLachlan: I think when I got a dog quite honestly. I have two of them now, Poppy and Tallulah. I’ve had dogs for my whole adult life. I’m going to say maybe in the last 10 years or so, just realizing that I’m so close to the woods here, I just started going out every day with her and realized how much I enjoy being by myself in the woods, being without other people. Especially when I’m writing, I would just go in the woods and I would work on lyrics as I was walking. It was just so contemplative, and I would sing along as I was walking to the same pace of my footsteps, just having this great experience. No people, no cement, no glass, no concrete. It just freed my mind to just be way more expansive.
BUST: I hear it on the new album. Several of the songs have a natural theme woven through them both lyrically and acoustically; they have this sort of organic texture. Was it a deliberate act in the recording process, bringing in those kinds of natural world themes?
Sarah McLachlan: Yeah. I gravitate towards wood resonating instruments, towards natural sounds that are rich and lush and have some sort of internal life to them; things that have a tone that feels like breath. And you’re right. Better Broken is full of all these really cool percussive sounds that are actually mostly instruments that are made from shells and from gourds; there are seagull and ocean sounds made on an Oberheim four-voice synthesizer. I live surrounded by nature. I find it incredibly important, especially the ocean. I could not live anywhere where there is no ocean, I’m very lucky and grateful that I get to live on the coast of British Columbia, where it’s within walking distance. There’s something incredibly powerful about it.
BUST: Speaking of nature and natural wonder and beauty, if this isn’t too indelicate, does the phrase ‘aging gracefully’ mean something to you, and/or if you feel you have wisdom in that regard?
Sarah McLachlan: I feel like it’s a work in progress. I am trying to age gracefully. I’m 57. And so far, it’s been relatively easy. I love that part of getting older because I do feel like I have some knowledge and wisdom under my belt. I feel like I have a better handle on things and I care less about stupid things. I think I’ve always had a fairly solid sense of myself and I’ve never worried too much about what I look like. I always feel like the most important thing for me is: how do I feel inside? How do I feel about myself? How do I feel about what I’ve done today? What are my actions? Have I lived a purposeful day? Have I hurt someone or have I made people feel better? I’m by nature deeply a people pleaser, so a lot of my desire is driven from: Am I doing no harm? Am I doing good in the world? Am I helping people? If I have a greater purpose, for me, it’s helping other people.
I think that’s why, you know, music has been such an amazing gift for me. It’s like medicine for myself and I feel like it is for other people, too. It’s like a salve, and I feel like putting out this record now, for me anyway, is really important because I think the world needs a different kind of energy. I think with all the shit that’s going on in the world and all the unrest and fear and uncertainty, art is one of those things that can quell the noise for a bit.
What music does for me, like you know, if you are struggling with something and you hear something in a piece of music that really articulates what you’re feeling, but you can’t quite articulate it yourself, it makes you feel less alone. And I think music really does that for me, and if I can do that for other people, if these songs can help people feel like they’re connected to something, or connect to their own emotional worlds.
We need music. We need music. We need connection. We need to figure out a way through together because the only way we’re going to get through this is together. We cannot keep fighting and being on opposite ends of the sides of things.
BUST: Let’s talk Lilith Fair. I hear there’s a documentary coming out about it.
Sarah McLachlan: It’s fantastic. It’s been in the works a long time, so it sort of feels like a miracle. I cried three times watching it. It’s a beautiful reminder of what happened and what went on and what was achieved. Because it was shown through the eyes of so many different women who were there and hearing those perspectives, even though I was there, it’s just a wonderful reminder that we changed a lot of things.
We created a community for ourselves and for everybody who came, where it’s like, you get to show up as whoever you are, and you are valued, and you’re seen, and you’re loved. Creating that safe space — we didn’t even realize we’re doing that. You know, it was just a natural extension of the energy that we were trying to create, which was like: we want to celebrate everybody — and celebrating women who are all doing this weird job that is kind of isolating and alienating in some ways, especially because the music industry pitted us against each other. Defying that and throwing out that concept and going ‘No, we actually want to be together, we want to bring other women along, because we are strong together.’ The crazy thing that I always had to dispel, mostly because of just the machismo male energy of the industry at the time, was, ‘Why do you hate men?’ What in the world does celebrating women have to do with hating men?
It just made no sense to me. But you know, I was so green and naive to how the world really worked. I think in part because I was incredibly lucky and blessed to be working with a bunch of guys who always treated me as an equal, even when I didn’t know what I was doing. There was never that sexist element, at least within my camp, so I’m sure we still grew up in a bubble, you know, and then went out in the world like, ‘Why would you think I can’t do that? Of course we can do this. Of course it will be successful.’
Watching that all unfold, being reminded of all the challenges too, just made me feel incredibly proud that I got to be part of that and spearheaded that without really any thought of what the outcome would be other than: ‘This will be fun and this will feel good. Let’s all do this together.’ So yeah, I can’t wait for the world to see it. There’s a whole new generation of women who are discovering it and realizing that there were some really good lessons in there. That sense of connection, that sense of community, that creating a safe space for ourselves and our audience that didn’t exist at that time. I think that’s just a really powerful message to the world today. Like, if you bring everybody to the table, and you have those voices there, and you listen to everybody, a lot of shit can move in a really good direction.
BUST: Do you think Lilith Fair 2025 or ‘26 could happen? Or do you think that it was of its time?
Sarah McLachlan: I think it happened organically. There were so many women who were having a lot of success in their niches, but women were very unrepresented in the festival market. Creating the situation where we could all come together and do something like that ourselves for some reason was revolutionary. A lot of guys said we couldn’t do it, which of course just put a fire in me to prove them wrong.
I think a Lilith Fair ’25 or ‘26 would be amazing. But at the same time, women hold a very different place of power in the industry now. If you look at the charts now, it’s dominated by women. I think if we do it again, hell yeah, but is it me spearheading that at this point? No. I’m 57 years old. I think that it would be great to have something like that again, but it would need to be brought forward by someone younger, like Chappell Roan, you know? A young, up-and-coming artist who’s hungry.
There’s this sentiment that it’s happening all around us. Taylor Swift, Brandi Carlisle, they’re already doing it. There are these amazing examples of artists just constantly bringing alongside all these women and bringing different voices to the table. It’s happening all around us.
BUST: There’s been a bit of 90s nostalgia, and I’m curious if there’s anything about the 90s you would love to bring back or anything you especially miss?
Sarah McLachlan: Grunge and grunge culture. I used to like to dress like that. I still dress like that. That sort of pretty lacey vintage top with the combat boot kind of vibe.
BUST: Is there a musician, mentor, or idol that you’d love to meet or discuss or interview on your own?
Sarah McLachlan: I would say Liz Fraser of Cocteau Twins and Dead Can Dance would be up there for sure. It would be great to get to talk to her. I’ve gotten to meet so many amazing women, so many amazing musicians. Most of my musical heroes were mostly men, interestingly. Peter Gabriel, I got to meet him and hang out with him. There’s a guy, that, wow, talk about using his platform for good. He’s just done so much in the world for elevating other musicians, for elevating world music, for creating so many platforms, for helping people outside of music. So yeah, he’s pretty inspiring.
BUST: Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for young musicians, especially young women who may be just getting started or feeling discouraged?
Sarah McLachlan: I mean, advice is so hard to give. Everybody’s path is so unique. I would say, be kind to yourselves. Surround yourselves with people who believe in you. Follow your gut. Get a really good lawyer. Ask to see the budget. And perhaps most importantly, ask a lot of questions and do not be satisfied with the answer until you are actually satisfied. And don’t be afraid to use your voice.
All Images Courtesy Of: Kharen Hill
