Marcia Howard

Marcia Louise Howard (born 5 January 1961) is an Australian multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and teacher. She was a long-term member of folk rock group, Goanna (1980–85, 1986, 1998) on vocals and keyboards. The group was led by her older brother, Shane Howard, and included fellow vocalist, Rose Bygrave. She appeared on albums and tours for Shane's various projects, Shane Howard and Friends, and Shane Howard Band.

Marcia Howard has released solo albums, Butterfly (2000), Burning in the Rain (2004), Pearl (collaboration with Bygrave, 2011), and Everything Reminds Me (6 October 2017). Howard was a contestant for Season 5 of The Voice (Australia) from May to June 2016. She has taught music and performing arts at primary, secondary and tertiary schools.

Marcia Louise Howard, was born in 1961 and raised in the rural town of Dennington (5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north west of Warrnambool) by Leo Francis Howard (April 1916–February 2010) and Honora "Teresa" nee Madden (c. 1924–2014), with five brothers, including Shane and Damian, and two sisters. Leo worked at a factory, which manufactured powdered milk; Teresa was a secretary, actress, pianist and singer. Howard later recalled, "We were known as 'The Von Trapp Family of the Western District', because we played and sang at everyone's weddings, parties, kitchen teas, celebrations. Mum on piano and all of us singing, you know, Mary Poppins songs, Sound of Music." She was educated at Dennington Primary School, St Anne's Convent (later incorporated into Emmanuel College), Warrnambool; she relocated first to Geelong and then to Australian Catholic University, Melbourne to complete a Diploma of Education (Music) in 1981.

Howard, on backing vocals and keyboards, joined her older brother, Shane's folk rock band, Goanna, in Melbourne in late 1980. Goanna broke up in 1985 and Howard continued with her brother's projects, Shane Howard and Friends (1986) and then Shane Howard Band (1987–88, 1991). She worked on Shane's early solo albums and toured in his backing bands. Howard was a session musician on Joe Geia's (ex-Shane Howard and Friends, Shane Howard Band) debut album, Yil Lull (1988), which includes the title track. She later worked on Kavisha Mazzella's album, Fisherman's Daughter (1998) and Dave Steel's The Edge of the World (May 1999), before working on former Goanna band-mate, Rose Bygrave's debut solo album, White Bird (mid-1999).

Howard's debut solo album, Butterfly, was issued in 2000. For the recording she played Maton guitars, acoustic guitar and provided lead vocals. In the studio she was joined by Patricia Clarke and Shane Howard on backing vocals and Archie Cuthbertson on drums and percussion. She followed with her second album, Burning in the Rain, in March 2004. It was recorded over two years, during four trips to her family's ancestral home of Ireland. While in that country she had recorded, "Poison Tree", as a duet with Irish folk singer, Mary Black. Howard wrote it based on a poem, "A Poison Tree, by William Blake; it appears on a various artists compilation album, A Woman's Heart – A Decade On (2002).

Howard's third album, Pearl (2011), is a collaboration with Bygrave, which began in late 2009: each wrote five tracks. By that time Howard had moved from Barwon Heads to Warrnambool, to look after her elderly parents. Dave Dawson of Nu Country reviewed the album and observed, "[they] recorded [it] at home studios in Queenscliff and Warrnambool with [Jon] Emry's drums added by Lost in Suburbia bassist Peter Bird at his Yelp studio in Howard's hometown. Bassist Isaac Barter and previous producer Steve Cooney plays guitar on the disc... It's an organic reflection of the journey of two sisters in song from their rural roots to national fame and back to where it all started – country folk music stripped down to bare essentials. Pure vocals, perfect enunciation and impeccable harmonies ensure these homespun homilies and modern messages are massaged as they meet on high at the pass."

During 2015 she travelled to Nashville and recorded four tracks for an extended play, Nashville Sessions (June 2016). She was a contestant for Season 5 of The Voice (Australia) from May to June 2016. According to Howard, "My nephew William encouraged me to go on the show when I came back from a year overseas in 2015 after recording my EP in Nashville. I was hesitant at first but it turned out to be a worthwhile musical experience. A fabulous band, musical and production team to work with. It was an interesting experience for me as a musician and songwriter being able to just focus on my singing and singing other peoples' songs in an interesting way was a professional challenge for me. It was lovely to meet the other singers on the show and sing with them backstage."

In October 2017 she released her next album, Everything Reminds Me, and was joined in the studio by Lee Morgan on guitar, Justin Olsson on drums, Matiss Schubert on mandolin and fiddle, and Richard Tankard on keyboards. When not touring or recording, Howard works as a teacher of music or performing arts; she has taught in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.

Albums

• Butterfly (2000) – Marcia Howard Music/MGM Distribution
• Burning in the Rain (March 2004)
• Pearl(2011) –
• Everything Reminds Me (6 October 2017) – Marcia Howard Music

Extended plays

• Nashville Sessions (June 2016) – Independent/MGM Distribution