Singer songwriter Tara MacLean has had an extraordinary music career. From being discovered singing on a BC ferry to touring with Dido, Tom Cochrane and Lilith Fair, her solo albums and those with the band Shaye have touched legions of fans. But she hasn’t, until now, disclosed the details of how the power of song saved her from a childhood filled with danger.
From her earliest days in the backwoods of PEI, Tara was surrounded by nature, by the songs of her musician father and by the love of her actor mother. But love was not enough to feed their growing family, nor were the at first Wiccan, then evangelical Christian teachings her parents followed. Poverty and uncertainty were constant companions as were the dangers that began to enter their world. Predators can come in many forms from even the most trusted circles, and Tara soon learned that a young girl is never safe. It was only through Tara’s inner strength and the sanctuary she found in singing and songwriting that she created a refuge and a future for herself.
Song of the Sparrow is a daring, heartbreaking and provocative memoir of a life filled with music, told with the same raw, open and elegant poetry that Tara’s fans have come to expect. From her early days in PEI through her teenage years in BC to her meteoric rise in music, Song of the Sparrow reveals Tara’s remarkable strength and shows that a song and a wide open heart are the best weapons for fighting monsters.
Song of the Sparrow, hit the Best Seller List the week it was released and Tara quickly followed up with “Sparrow” - the soundtrack for the book.
Tara recently won Contemporary Roots Recording of the Year at the Music PEI 2025 awards for her EP, Live in My Hometown. She is currenly on tour in the UK and Canada, about to release a new album in October, and finishing her second book.
