Don’t put out this fire

By Rebecca Spence, Arts Editor

The Halifax Pop Explosion may be over. But a little fire remains. Singer and songwriter Sarah Harmer is setting out on a four-week North American tour to share her latest album, Oh Little Fire, with her fans. One of her first stops is in Halifax where she will be lighting up the stage tonight at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium

It’s been four and a half years since the Juno-award winning artist released her third solo album, I’m A Mountain, a simple arrangement of rustic rhythms and tranquil tunes. This June she returned to the music scene with Oh Little Fire, which experiments with a more electric, assertive sound, representing a shocking departure from Harmer’s traditional roots in country.

It’s been four years since Harmer has put on a show for a Haligonian audience, and she is certainly excited to be reunited with her East coast followers.

“I just love those couple of hours on stage,” she says over the phone from Kingston, Ont.. “That’s my favourite time. That’s what it’s all about.”

Harmer considers the exchange of energy at her concerts as a two-way street. She is happy so long as an audience responds to the vibe she sends out. She loves to see an audience that is engaged with the music, dancing shoulder-to-shoulder, and drenched from head to toe with sweat. Fans who had been waiting for

Harmer to release her recent album may have been wondering what took so long between records. During her hiatus, Harmer, now 39, has quietly established a sideline as a devoted environmental activist, co-founding an organization called Protecting Escarpment Rural Land. She has been campaigning for the preservation of the Niagara Escarpment area of Ontario, where she grew up and still resides. In particular, she is working to save Mount Nemo, close to her childhood home in rural Ontario, from being levelled to make gravel.

“It’s very close to my heart,” she says. Harmer hopes to be able to stay connected to her environmental and political campaigns while she’s on the road by making the most of her downtime and traveling-time to work.

Although she admits that balancing all of her commitments while on tour can be tough, she believes she is lucky to have a job that she loves. Despite the challenges of traveling to a new place every day, she is always excited to get on stage with her band-mates. She’s also looking forward to seeing how her fans respond to her daring new songs.

“How is this album different?,” Harmer says, repeating my question. She laughs. “You tell me.” Sarah Harmer performs tonight, Oct. 29, at the Rebecca Cohn along with special guest Joey Wright. At press time limited seating was still available for $34.