Sarah Harmer
Folk / Americana
ActiveAbout
Sarah Harmer was born in Burlington, Ontario on November 12, 1970. She is a Canadian singer-songwriter who grew up in a musical family, with her father being a farmer and singer, and her mother a pianist and organist. The youngest of six, Harmer picked up a guitar at the age of 17 with the sole purpose of learning three-chord Neil Young songs. At 17, she was invited to join Toronto's roots rock band, the Saddletramps, singing back-up and occasionally lead. She moved to Kingston in 1989 to attend Queen's University, but continued to play gigs with the Saddletramps throughout Quebec and southern Ontario. After leaving the Saddletramps, Harmer put together a band of her own with several Kingston musicians, choosing the name Weeping Tile. The band released its first independent cassette in 1994. Her solo albums include 'Songs for Clem' (1999), 'You Were Here' (2000), which was eventually certified platinum for sales of 100,000 copies in Canada, 'All of Our Names' (2004), 'I'm a Mountain' (2005/2006), 'Oh Little Fire' (2010), which was nominated for three Juno Awards, and 'Are You Gone' (2020) on Arts & Crafts. Time magazine in 2000 labeled 'You Were Here' the year's best debut, featuring hit singles 'Basement Apartment' and 'Don't Get Your Back Up.' She has touched on a range of musical genres throughout her career, including rock, folk, pop, roots and bluegrass.