More Than Music
Sarah Slean Gets Grand with Metaphysics
By Adam Kovac
It ’ s been a topsy-turvy few years in the life of Sarah Slean .
Just two years ago , the talented multipotentialite wasn ’ t onstage in front of thousands of fans . She wasn ’ t in the studio , working on complex string arrangements . She wasn ’ t working on her painting or preparing for one of her occasional film roles .
Slean , one of Canada ’ s most celebrated vocalists and songwriters , who has travelled the world and sold hundreds of thousands of records throughout a career that has now lasted over two decades , was in the Ontario dirt , coaxing radishes out of the ground .
This wasn ’ t some kind of Neil Young-esque retreat to a ranch to recharge ; music was the last thing on her mind . In fact , in her mind , the odds were good she would never perform again .
And yet , I find myself chatting with her in early spring 2017 , shortly after the release of Metaphysics , her 11 th album and first new material in almost six years .
“ Don ’ t say it like that . A half-decade ? Oh lord !” she exclaims with a chuckle . “ It has been quite a long time ; that ’ s what people keep saying , but it doesn ’ t really feel like it .”
To be fair , a lot has happened to the songstress in that time – artistic experiments and personal upheaval that made her temporary relocation to farmland seem like a minor adjustment .
“ The process of this record started very painfully ,” she recalls . “ When I moved to the farm , I was pretty sure I was done . I didn ’ t want to get on stage again . I didn ’ t want to have to get into the ring again because that ’ s often what it can feel like in the music business . I was thinking , ‘ I don ’ t think I want to do that anymore .’ That was my mentality . I just needed the earth so bad . I ’ d been going really , really fast and I just wanted to put my hands in the soil .”
It ’ s no wonder Slean was exhausted . In 2011 , she released Land & Sea , an ambitious double album that featured complex orchestral arrangements as well as catchy pop-leaning tunes . The touring cycle behind that record spanned two years and featured several challenging symphonic concerts mixed in among the shows . As if that wasn ’ t exhausting enough , there were a few dates spent playing contemporary classical compositions on piano .
Those kinds of commitments would be enough to stagger even the most seasoned road dog .
“ The touring thing is really exhausting ,” says Slean . “ It ’ s really , really hard on the body . When you ’ re in your 20s , doing 230 shows a year , you ’ re really resilient , but then as you get older , it gets harder and harder , especially when you have disruptions in your personal life .”
On the personal side , a 2013 divorce took an emotional toll . Complicating things even more was Slean ’ s choice to take over her own management duties that same year – a decision that “ sometimes makes [ her ] want to jump off a bridge .”
Her time on the farm allowed her to recharge and refocus her creative energy . It wasn ’ t an easy process and required a considerable amount of effort – spiritual , emotional , mental , and physical .
“ My mind was just really aching to be still and to not strive and to not dig and not be active ,” she says . “ I feel like the whole process of renovating my house was really symbolic . I was tearing out all these leaky pipes and this rotting wall and the things that weren ’ t quite right . No cosmetic fixes would do . I had to really redo the entire thing . I think that ’ s what was happening in my mind . I had gotten to the point where everything needed to be dismantled and rebuilt .”
The album that came out of those hard years is a resounding triumph . Metaphysics is a collection of lush soundscapes featuring strings arranged by Slean herself . While not a conventional pop record by any stretch of the imagination , Slean ’ s vocal melodies are often infectious , her powerhouse voice the force that binds the often layered instrumentation together .
Taken separately , the tracks run the gamut from melancholic to euphoric . As a package , they become a sweeping celebration of music , of life , and , as the title implies , the mysteries that are found therein .
The writing process was a gradual one , with pieces coming together over the course of several months as Slean collaborated with a murderer ’ s row of Canadian talent . Known names like
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