Some people write songs because they have a gift. Tara MacLean wrote songs because she needed somewhere safe to put the things that hurt.
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Growing up in a household where music was ever-present but life was anything but predictable, the Canadian-Irish singer-songwriter discovered early that songs could become both sanctuary and survival. Guitars were always close at hand, new songs seemed to appear as naturally as conversation, and amid the upheaval of childhood, music became her constant companion.
“Writing songs has been my life raft,” she says. “Without those, I don’t know how I would have gotten through it all.”
MacLean’s recently published memoir, Song of the Sparrow, is a beautifully written account of a childhood marked by instability, abuse and loss. It is not an easy read, yet what emerges most strongly is not tragedy but resilience. Throughout her life, music has been both companion and guide, helping her navigate grief, heartbreak and the inevitable losses that life brings.
“My songs were kind of my way of reaching for some kind of understanding,” she explains. “Finding faith in the darkness.”
Compassion is a recurring theme throughout both her memoir and our conversation. Despite everything she has experienced, MacLean refuses to define herself by the past. Instead, she speaks about forgiveness, empathy and the importance of recognising that everyone is doing the best they can.
“I have a practice that continuously tries to move me back toward compassion, not just for myself but for other people. We’re all just here on this planet fumbling around, making mistakes.”
That outlook has shaped every aspect of her life. Even when speaking about the end of two marriages, she talks not about failure but about family. She and her former husbands made a conscious decision that while marriages may end, families do not. Today, they remain close friends and supportive co-parents, something she regards as one of life’s quiet successes.
Learning to let go is another lesson she continues to practise.
Quoting her Zen teacher, she reflects that “life is the practice of loss,” before laughing at her own admission that she is still learning.
“Everything that I’ve ever loved and had to let go of has claw marks on it.”
Yet song writing has taught her that some things are never truly lost.
“When I write a song, it becomes like a pin on the map of my heart. It becomes a tribute to the love and the heartbreak. I don’t feel like I’ve lost. I feel like I’ve won.”
That ability to transform pain into something meaningful is perhaps best illustrated by Evidence, the song that became her breakthrough hit. Written from deeply personal experience from child sexual abuse, it connected with audiences in ways she never anticipated.
People began telling her the song had helped them find words for experiences they had struggled to express.
“I thought, ‘I make medicine out of my songs.'”
Family remains at the heart of MacLean’s life. The death of her younger sister Shaye in a tragic road accident was one of the defining moments of her life, yet even this loss is framed through love rather than despair.
“She’s gone, but she’s not. She’s actually, in a way, closer than she’s ever been because she’s inside me.”
Her memoir itself became another form of healing. Initially reluctant to revisit such painful memories, she eventually realised she was writing not simply about her own life but for her three daughters, hoping they would understand that resilience, forgiveness and hope can be learned.
“If I can show the arc from tragedy through forgiveness and grief to some kind of understanding, then maybe my girls will know that no matter what the world throws at us, we can handle it.”
Now, with her daughters grown, MacLean is embracing a new chapter. Alongside a tenth studio album, she is writing a novel set in Ireland, a country she feels deeply connected to through family history and recent visits. She also teaches memoir writing, encouraging others to tell their own stories honestly while creating space for healing and understanding.
For Tara MacLean, life has never been about avoiding heartbreak. It has been about finding ways to transform it into compassion, creativity and hope. Every song, every book and every new beginning reflects her belief that, no matter what life brings, every breath offers another chance to begin again.
Three Songs
Evidence
MacLean chose Evidence because it was her breakthrough single and the song that changed her understanding of what music could do. Although inspired by childhood abuse, listeners found their own stories within it. Their responses helped her realise that songs could become medicine, offering healing not only to herself but to others.
Love Never Dies
Written after the death of her younger sister Shaye, Love Never Dies celebrates the enduring nature of love. When performing the song live, MacLean encourages audiences to think about someone they have lost, believing that those we love never truly leave us.
Sparrow
Written while completing her memoir, Sparrow became the emotional heart of Song of the Sparrow. For MacLean, the song is about having the courage to let go and accepting that forgiveness begins when we release what we can no longer carry.
Three Questions
If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be?
Rather than changing events, MacLean says she would change some of her own actions. Looking back, she wishes she had moved through certain situations with greater integrity and regrets the times when she unintentionally caused hurt to others.
What has been your greatest achievement?
Without hesitation, she names her three daughters. Professionally, however, she considers writing Song of the Sparrow to be her bravest achievement, opening her life to readers in the hope that her experiences might help others.
Standing before the Wishing Well, what would you wish for?
Her answer is immediate and heartfelt: true love. It is a simple wish from someone whose work has always explored love in all its forms—between families, friends, audiences and those we have lost.
