When organizers of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame asked KD Lang if she would induct Jane Siberry in recognition of her career writing lyrical gems, she quickly said yes.
“There was no doubt because Jane's songwriting meant so much to me,” Lang explained in a recent interview.
“She is 100 percent an artist. She is intelligent, free spirited, unique and fearless. She falls quite easily into the great lineage of Canadian songwriters,” she said.
“I’m not entirely sure she’s from this planet, to be honest,” she added.
It's hard to explain what exactly resonates with Siberry's songs.
Many of her best known works, including Mimi on the beach And It can't rain all the timethrive on their lyrical mystery, both specific and deliberately imprecise.
Seaberry tells stories that weave together the individual, the collective, and the spiritual. They are rich in complex themes and deep introspection into the intangible human experience.
“She's like Leonard Cohen—her lyrics always provide some parallel to your own life,” Lang said. “It doesn’t give you solutions, but it does give you the ability to generate your own compassion.”
The Grammy-winning performer intends to express those sentiments to Seaberry during the Hall of Fame gala at the Meridian Arts Center in Toronto on Friday.
Siberry is part of this year's cohort in the Legends Induction Series, an offshoot of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame's main event.
The evening will celebrate Canadian songwriters who have helped define Canadian culture and shape the global soundscape. Siberry was joined by fellow inductees Andy Kim, Gino Vannelli, Ian Thomas and rock trio Triumph.
Siberry admits there were some mixed emotions at first when she learned of her honor, as she was busy working on a three-part studio album project, her first release in a decade.
“I was uncomfortable at first, but now I'm really into it,” she said of the intro. “I think I was so focused on the new record. I just didn’t want to come off and it seemed like a distraction.”
After some reflection, Siberry said her ego may have gotten in the way for a while.
“I cleared it up for myself and realized that this was an opportunity for great happiness,” Siberry added.
In a press release, Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame executive director Nick Fedor said this year's honorees “embody the values that define Canadian songwriting: creative courage, cultural contribution and storytelling that transcends genre and language.”
“The Legends Series is more than just an awards ceremony,” he said. “This is a national stage to celebrate heritage, inspire the next generation and elevate the role of the songwriter in our cultural identity.”
Songwriting legends François Cousineau, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Michel Pagliaro and Florent Volland will be honored in Montreal next month.
Following ceremonies in Toronto and Montreal, this year's inductees will be added to the CSHF's permanent location at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, in Calgary.
