Sarah McLachlan announces first North American tour dates in five years

Singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan is scheduled to open her first North American tour since 1999 on July 5, and will remain on the road until at least September.

The outing opens in Seattle, and will hit much of the continent before winding up in her nearby hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia. Ticket on-sale information hasn't been announced.

Last year, McLachlan emerged from a six-year recording hiatus with the release of a new set titled "Afterglow," which spawned the hit single "Fallen." A Sophie Miller-directed music video for the album's second single, "Stupid," is scheduled to be shot next week in Los Angeles, according to Arista Records. Miller has worked in the past with Annie Lennox, Eurythmics, Blur, No Doubt, among others.

According to Arista, the double-platinum "Afterglow" has spent 12 weeks on The Billboard 200 album chart, all but one of which were in the Top 15.

In a press release, McLachlan described "Afterglow" as a "transitional" album that came in the wake of her mother's death from cancer in 1997 and the birth of her daughter India five months later. The set was written over two-and-a-half years, and recorded at the home studios of McLachlan and producer Pierre Marchand.

"['Afterglow' is about] love and loss," McLachlan said. "That's my truth. It's honest, and it brought me to a much happier place. I'm loving music again."

McLachlan has won three Grammy awards over the course of her career, and has sold more than 25 million records worldwide, according to Arista. She spearheaded the Lilith Fair festival tours of the '90s, which spotlighted female artists and raised more than $7 million for charities.

On April 4, McLachlan will be among the performers at the 2004 Juno Awards, the Canadian version of the Grammys. The awards will be handed out on April 4 at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta. Other scheduled performers include Avril Lavigne, Barenaked Ladies, Nickelback, Michael Buble and Nelly Furtado.