The Daily Telegraph | Basking in the glow
Daily Telegraph
Excerpt
[Sarah McLachlan talks about difficulties adjusting to motherhood as she worked on her new album. - JC]

"'I hated everything I was writing. I think that was mostly because I was pushing myself back into music too soon after having my child. That didn't work at all and I ended up resenting it.


'That was a bit frightening. I was so sleep-deprived but I wasn't thinking about that being to blame or trying to blame anything, really. I just thought all the music I was writing was complete crap.


'And I love making music. It's a joyous thing for me and at that time, there was no joy.'


India's arrival also meant a change to McLachlan's modus operandi for songwriting. Being a mum meant she could no longer isolate herself for months on end to focus on her work.


'I used to go and lock myself away in a cabin %u2013 because I'm such a procrastinator %u2013 and just write the album,' she says. 'But having a kid means you're lucky if you have an hour a day to focus on writing and that's not enough.


'So I stopped trying to make it enough and decided to focus on being a mother and not trying so hard.


'The fog lifted after I finished breast-feeding. I've spoken to a lot of mothers who've said exactly the same thing %u2013 that literally a week after you finish breast-feeding, you feel like a different person.


'And India had become a little more independent and strong and could handle a few hours away from mum.'"