Tara MacLean is a Maritime-born, Vancouver-based singer-songwriter of ethereal pop, brought to you by Nettwerk Records. Just like Sarah McLachlan, ironically enough.

"I get that all the time," admits MacLean with mock-weariness. "Y'know. Sarah/Tara Mac-something, tomato/tomahto. At the same time, when people ask me what kind of music I do, I go, `Well, do you know Sarah McLachlan?' "

The singer, who's just come off a U.S. tour with Ashley MacIsaac, dispels the myth with a gig tonight at ¿C'est What?

"I don't really mind being put into a category now," she adds. "Hopefully someday people will compare other singers to me."

MacLean is, of course, being gracious. At 23, she has come into her own as a songwriter and could probably live without the references to McLachlan, whom she considers a friend.

Truth is, her early work was strong enough to hook Nettwerk personnel after a chance meeting three years ago on a B.C. ferry, where MacLean was singing her song, Let Her Feel The Rain.

The singer sees nothing odd about her willingness to share untested material with a bunch of Gulf Island commuters.

"You have to sing when its nice outside," she says. "I still do that."

Nettwerk agreed and promptly signed MacLean in the spring of '95. They let her pace herself in preparing last year's debut, Silence.

"There are songs on that album that were written when I was 18," she says. "I can imagine it would be difficult to write on demand. I've already got my next album written so I guess I won't find out for a while."

MacLean adds that she'll always look for new ways to write.

"I still see myself as a baby songwriter who's just learning," she says. "Sometimes I don't even know what I'm talking about until I play a song back. I'll feel like I'm brimming with something and I have to get to a guitar or a piece of paper and work it out. It's just accessing whatever's in me. Just now and then, as I need to. I've always done that. "