The moment you hear her sing, there’s no mistaking the voice of Canadian music icon Sarah McLachlan. While the three-time Grammy Award winner has continued touring steadily over the past decade, it’s been more than 10 years since she released a new album. That will change this fall, when McLachlan will release her highly anticipated record Better Broken. The title track was released Thursday morning.
“It’s supposed to be a joyful and euphoric song,” McLachlan told CityNews in an exclusive Canadian television interview. “Even though it’s about looking back and thinking, ‘Wow, I stayed in that too long,’ or ‘I sat in that place of, should I stay or should I go?’ I came to the realization that I’m way better off on my own. I’m stronger on my own, and I’m actually just fine. That realization, that reclamation, is really important.”
Some of the songs on Better Broken have been in the works for nearly a decade.
“They weren’t finished songs,” she said. “Better Broken was semi-finished. For the song ‘This Is the End,’ I just had the guitar part, the chorus, and a rough guide vocal but no lyrics.”
The album was mostly recorded in Los Angeles at the legendary Sound City Studios with producers Tony Berg and Will MacLellan, both new collaborators for McLachlan.
“Oh, so many!” she said with a big smile when asked if working with new producers brought any surprises. “It kind of happened every day, which was so delightful. Tony would hear a part and say, ‘Oh, I have the perfect musician for this.’ Everyone lived so close, and it was such a great community, so many eccentric characters who came in and added these unique elements that really elevated the songs. It was such a beautiful collaboration.”
In just a few months, fans will be able to hear the full collection of 11 tracks that McLachlan is proud to share with the world, filled with her signature lyrics and musicianship.
“I’m so excited. I’m so proud of it,” she said. “I went into it with a bit of trepidation, as I always do, wondering, ‘Do I have enough good material? Do I have anything to say?’ And it turns out I did have quite a bit to say,” she laughed. “I’m really proud of it and I love it so much.”
Sarah McLachlan is set to release her new album on Sept. 19, 2025. (Photo credit: Kharen Hill)
Her last studio release was the holiday album Wonderland in 2016, while her most recent album of original music, Shine On, came out in 2014. In that time, the music industry has changed drastically.
“I’ve been lucky in my career to pick when and where I work, and I’m fully aware that I’ve been out of the game for a long time. It’ll take work to get back in,” she said. “I used to promote an album for nine months and then go on tour. I don’t think I need to do that now because so much lives on social media and content creation. I’ve tried,” she laughed, “but feeding that beast daily isn’t something I naturally think about. I have to be reminded. Still, I’m excited to get the record out, play the songs, and hear how fans react.”
Over her remarkable 30-plus-year career, McLachlan has won 12 Juno Awards, sold over 40 million albums, and founded the groundbreaking all-female music festival Lilith Fair. But just a few months ago, she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to sing again.
She had to cancel the Canadian leg of her Fumbling Towards Ecstasy 30th anniversary tour because of laryngitis.
“I lost my voice after the first show from some wicked virus, and then I had two months of no voice, so I had to cancel the whole tour. And I had done damage. I had already injured my voice on the previous tour, I blew it out right at the beginning and kept pushing through. I sang and sang and sang, taking steroids the whole time to get through it. It did damage. I took the summer off to heal, but it didn’t help, and then I went into the next tour and got another virus. It was the perfect storm.”
She paused.
“So, I went on vocal rest for about three months. I slowly started talking and singing again, but for most of the winter, I didn’t know if I’d be able to sing again. I’m very lucky. I feel I have a lot of purpose in life but singing is a huge one. It defines me in many ways. I wasn’t sure I’d get to continue. But I’m back. My voice has healed. I don’t know if it’s stronger, but it’s different—and it’s really good. I’m so grateful.”
Now inspired and ready to share her music once again, McLachlan is set to release Better Broken via Concord Records on Sept. 19. Her Canadian tour kicks off on Oct. 15.
