It makes perfect sense that Loreena McKennitt is looking to the past for her newest record release.

After all, the Canadian singer-songwriter-producer has spent her entire career weaving elements of history into her music.

In this case, McKennitt is looking back her own history with a re-release of "The Visit," which has sold more than 1.5 million copies since its release in 1991. This time around, McKennitt is releasing the beloved album on limited edition vinyl.

"We felt that this was very compatible with my music," said McKennitt, speaking at a mid-tour stop in the Great Smoky Mountains. "This format seemed to allow this music to shine."

The release of "The Visit" on vinyl coincides with a tour of the U.S. and Canada, including a stop in Hamilton Nov. 8. The tour, which has taken her through 22 different cities, will feature smaller arrangements of McKennitt's repertoire with guitarist Brian Hughes and cellist Caroline Lavelle.

McKennitt – who often jokes that her talented backup musicians never get to reveal the full breadth of their musical prowess – says the trio format of her new tour allows for a personal experience for the audience.

"It's a much more intimate experience because I don't have all of those idling Porsches behind me," she said.

As well as offering pared-down renditions of McKennitt's musical catalogue, McKennitt's concert will also feature a performance piece she calls "a 15-minute collage of words and music." It tells the story of the Irish fleeing the potato famine in the mid-19th century – a historical situation that McKennitt says is echoed by the current-day plight of Syrian refugees.

"What's been really fascinating is seeing in how many ways the current refugee crisis in the Mediterranean mirrors this migration," she said, noting that both groups were fleeing uninhabitable, life-threatening situations only to encounter hostile receptions in their new countries.

Throughout McKennitt's career, she has stretched the boundaries of folk, pop and world music alike – thanks in part to her record label, Quinlan Road, which she started in 1985. She remains its only owner, operator and artist.

Having her own record label has allowed her to forge her own musical path, she said.

"Maybe it's the lineage of my Celtic roots. They were always quite stubborn," she said with a laugh. "It has been advantageous that I have chosen to run my own career."

McKennitt chose to exercise this creative independence with her vinyl release of "The Visit." She says she has fond memories of listening to artists such as Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, Simon and Garfunkel and Tom Waits on vinyl.

"There's a whole other set of frequencies to the human ear that are available on vinyl," she said. "When I listen to vinyl now I'm brought back to those early days of listening to some of my favourite artists – I think, 'Oh, yes, there's that feeling.'"

Loreena McKennitt: A Trio Performance When: Tuesday, Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Hamilton Place Great Hall

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Tickets: 905-546-4040 or at ticketmaster.ca