32 -- Wednesday. August 21, 1991 - North Shore News

Sarah McLachian finds
solace in her muse

HE HAS a singular voice and strikingly deep soulful
eyes. She also nas a commercially-successful new
recording on the charts.

Music Now recently spoke with
23-year-old Sarah McLachlan
while she was at the Vancouver
office of her record label, Nett-
werk. She is scheduled to play the
Coca-Cola stage at the PNE tenight
at 7.50 p.m.

Her new release, Solace, and
the 1988 debut Touch reveal a
precociously mature, classically-
trained talent who neatly fuses
romantic vision with earthy real-
ism.

The promotiona! image envelop-
ing McLachlan would have us
believe her to be a sort of
ephemeral nymph of the wood.

The truth of the matter is closer
to this:

Music Now: Are you comfort-
able with words like ethereal,
dark, moody, frail beauty,
seductive — all cf these terms
that make the mystique of

Sarah?

McLachlan: “The trouble is | sort
of created that myself. The power
of image — | really didn’t know it
existed. The album covers, the
videos the way they are, they are
my choice, tt has to do with the
music and making sense of it. The
new record 1 think is more honest
and down-to-earth than the last
one. I’m a totally romantic person
and there are influences of that in
the music. But there is also a sense
of reality. But the whole thing with
music is that sometimes | want to
get away from that reality. With
the videos | want to be romantic
and have wild exotic things hap-
pening. It just lends itself to the
music and it’s like an escape.”
Music Now: You seem to be
single-mindedly following ycur
own muse, How do you

manage to pull it off given the
pressures for popular success

in the music business?
McLachlan: ‘‘! want to do what |
want to do. Music is a very per-
sonal, sensitive thing to me and |
don’t want anybody eise telling
me how to do it. tt happens that

.B.Q.

Michael Becker
RECORD REVIEW

somehow | manage to make a liv-
ing making music, which is pretty
wild for me to think about, but I
do and because of that it’s a
commodity. | can make money off
it and other people can make
money off it and so it’s a money
making venture to them. But I
need to make music and ! love do-
ing it. If the songs | write have
popular potential that's fine but 1
refuse to write a song to get played
on the radio. A good song is just a
good song.”

Music Now: How do you per-
sonally measure your own suc-
cess? Is it done in terms of
laughing on your way to the
bank?

Mc Lachlan: “I look at my success

as how | fee! about myseli, how
confident | am. | fook at myself in
the morning and go, ‘Yeah, I'ma
good person and Vin happy with
the way I turned out.” And 1am, |
am, TE think I've been suc-
cesstul for a long time because I'm
happy and that’s the most impor-
tant thing, that’s what most people
strive for — and te be peaceful.”
Music Now: ts there a typical
fan you’ve developed? Do you
look out from the stage and
see a homogenecus mass? Who
is out there?
McLachlan: “‘It’s really varied ac-
tually. This one guy ! saw at one
gig looked totally like a Skinny
Puppy fan. He was all in black
leather, earrings everywhere,
emaciated and just looking like
death warmed over. But there he
was, just grooving to the music. |
thought, wow, that’s great. It’s
quite wonderful the kinds of peo-
ple ! meet on tour. When I look
out into the audience | see people
anywhere from age 14 to 50. It’s
quite nice to see that. It’s generally
a respectful and mature au-
dience.”’
Music Now: Growing up, did
you have any female singers
influence you?
McLachlan: ‘‘Realiy early it was
eopte like Joan Baez. Mostly I've
listened to males, Cat Stevens was
a huge influence on me. t still ap-
preciate his music for what it is.""

really

Seymour Art Gallery planning
architectural tour for fall

THE SEYMOUR Art Gallery is
combing greater Deep Cove for
architecturally interesting homes.

Anyone who owns such 4
home should contact the gallery
at 929-7981. It's all part of a
proposed architectural tour of
the area, planned for some time
in October.

“We're looking for homes
that are architecturally

STEAKS

Canada Grade A

stimulting, with history or stories
behind them,” said Seymour
Gallery’s John Barker.

The event is being planned as a
self-guided, one-day tour. it’s be-
ing held as a fundraiser for the
new Seymour Gallery, which will
be housed in the yet-to-be com-
pleted Deep Cove Cultural Cen-

tre. |

48

.

DESIGNER CLEARANCE acs

y’: ie

Heidemann, K.S.
Shacok, Sunny Choi

HEATHERINGTONS

Temporary location upstairs
old Geneve location

PARK ROYAL SOUTH 926-0085

TUESDAYS:
WEDNESDAYS S:

Deep Cove’s
New

Restaurant
4355 Gallant Ave,

929-4677

Beef Blade Chuck
Cut Fresh

pa LB
3**ke
SALE ENDS AUGUST 24/91

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Sat gam-/pm, Sun Yam-6pm

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