In Conversation: Tara Maclean

Singer-songwriter Tara MacLean is bringing something special to the UK this May with her Songs & Stories Tour—a series of intimate performances that promise more than just music. Known for her soulful voice and deeply personal songwriting, Tara blends melody with storytelling, inviting audiences into the heart of her creative journey.

Across four unique venues—from Sheffield’s Café 9 to the coastal charm of Robin Hood’s Bay—this tour offers a rare chance to experience her songs in their most authentic form. Each evening is designed to feel personal and reflective, with Tara sharing the stories behind the music that has resonated with listeners around the world.

Ahead of the tour, we caught up with Tara to talk about the inspiration behind Songs & Stories, what audiences can expect from these live shows, and why connecting through music feels more important than ever.

Your memoir is called Song of the Sparrow — if your life right now had to be renamed after a different bird, what would it be and why?

I'd have to say a raven. They have so many songs! They are smart, curious, adaptable, and mischievous but also affectionate. Ravens find a mate for life, and they serenade their partners. Whenever I hear or see a raven, something inside me feels calmer, like I'm with my familiar. Plus, I wear a lot of black, and so do they.

You’ve toured with artists like Dido and Nelly Furtado – who was most likely to make you laugh backstage?

The band that made me laugh the most backstage was the Barenaked Ladies. I toured around the USA with BNL and travelled on their bus. They were brilliant and hilarious and were always cracking me up. Sometimes they'd sing my songs in soundcheck. Love them!

You’ve just ticked off performing at Glastonbury Festival. What was your “is this actually my life?” moment there?

I'd have to say that my performance experience was incredible, and everyone was so pro! But afterward, we walked around, and I saw so many brilliant bands and DJs I'd never heard of, and it reminded me that even though the world feels heavy, it is full of wonderful people and vibrant creativity, and I was part of that thriving, expressive world! Also, The Prodigy were amazing! We saw Neil Young, and he played Harvest Moon, and that's when it hit me that I was at Glastonbury.

If your songwriting process had a warning label on it, what would it say?

My warning label would say, 'Caution!' Emotional minefield! Break chocolate in case of emergency.

What song from your catalogue feels the most like an old friend now?

I have a song called Holy Tears from my first album Silence in 1996. It's a song my sister used to sing before she passed, and I hear from fans all the time that it's a favourite of theirs. So I visit it sometimes. It's super sad, but it's solid poetry, and I love singing it. It's a song about not lettingworld's heartbreak make you numb, and it remainsto be relevant.

If you could go back and give your younger self one album, one meal, and one piece of advice, what would they be?

One album: Acadie by Daniel Lanois. (It's also a gateway drug to Wrecking Ball by Emmylou Harris so they go together.)

One meal: lobster cooked the Mi'kmaw (Indigenous) way on the east coast of Canada over a beach fire. It's unreal! Add melted butter, tea biscuits, and a chocolate brownie!

One piece of advice: To love myself. Fiercely and devotedly. I'd tell myself I don't need outside approval or permission or to be chosen by anyone. I am my own, and I am a wild, beautiful miracle. I would say to never dim my shine or make myself small for anyone.



Your shows blend stories and songs so naturally — what usually comes first for you: the lyric, the melody, or the emotional chaos?

Thank you! The emotional chaos is the storm that needs to move through me to be understood and processed. So, when I am lost, in agony, or confused, I reach for my guitar, and it soothes me and makes me feel safe, and then words and melody just flow out until I'm okay agThen, when I listen back, it helps me understand what was happening within myself. If we're doing this life thing right at all, hopefully we keep elevating, learning, falling, getting up, screaming, crying, loving and creating. Once a song is finished, I feel like I can handle anything. And then the next test presents itself, and I'm reaching for my guitar again until I have an album!

After 25 years and nine albums, is there still anything about performing live that surprises you?

I think I have probably played in every single situation. From grand theatres with symphonies to the corners of pubs, from busking on the street to playing at the Rose Bowl. I've played for dignitaries, for people as they were dying, for babies as they were born, for people getting married and for those burying their beloveds. Two things surprise me. That I can sing these devastating songs and make people cry, make them feel, and then still make them laugh. But the big surprise is that considering how hard it is to make a living as a musician now, I still want to keep doing it until I die. I still have dream stages to play and people I want to sing with and sing for. I'm still searching for the songs I was born to sing. I'm surprised that this is still my path. I am a devotee of deep connection, and that's what performing is for me.

You’ve performed all over the world — which audience has surprised you the most in the best way?

The best recent surprise I think was at the British Country Music Festival. In Canada, my music would be more in the folk/pop realm, but in England, it's a wider category, and the fans are so keen and excited for new music! After that festival, every show I did in England was filled with fans from that performance! It blew my mind!

If your memoir was adapted into a film, who would you cast to play you? (Wild answers encouraged.)

To play me? Ooof... I've been told I look like Julianne Moore. But maybe Kate Winslet? She has that innocent, honest cherubic face that tricks you into thinking she isn't up to something!

What’s one tiny, ordinary thing that instantly makes you feel at home, no matter where you’re touring?

I bring my handmade coffee mug with me everywhere I go. It's called Dove and it was a gift from someone I love very much.

Which song of yours would you recommend to someone who’s never heard your music before — your personal gateway track?

I'd have to say That's Me. There is a new version of it from my 2023 Sparrow release, and I love the video. There is also a sneaky version of that song in the Coyote Ugly Movie if you listen closely!

You’re heading back to Canada to finish a new album — can you describe the next record in just three words?

Epic. Beautiful. Fierce.

Last one: when people leave a Songs & Stories night, what do you secretly hope they’re talking about on the way home?

I hope they have a copy of my book and are talking about how hilarious I am!

UK Songs & Stories Tour Tickets -
https://www.taramacleanmusic.com/shows

May 14th - Cafe 9, Sheffield
May 15th- Town Hall, Kirton in Lindsey
May 16th - The Garden House Concerts- Holbeach
May 17th - The Dolphin, Robin Hood’s Bay

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