By Justin Flynn
Marcia Howard has laid her soul bare in her new album Everything Reminds Me.
Having recently moved to Ocean Grove, the former Goanna band member and triple ARIA-award winner will launch the album in Geelong at the Workers Club tonight. She will follow it up with a gig at the Velvet Room in Thornbury tomorrow.
“I’ve been coming and going here for years,” she said of her new home in Ocean Grove.
“This album is in memory of my mother who died in 2014. I think what I am most proud about is that my son, Liam Gubbins, will open the show.”
Goanna, which formed in Geelong in 1977, hit national fame with its classic song Solid Rock, a massive performer on the Aussie charts.
Since then Howard auditioned for The Voice last year and was successful in getting through to Delta Goodrem’s team. Goanna fans were outraged when she failed to make Goodrem’s final top four performers.
“I went on The Voice because I needed some promotion,” Howard says honestly.
“I didn’t think I’d get on. One of the producers asked ‘Do you know Field of Gold, I think it would be a good one to do’? I learned the song in 20 minutes and eventually had a great time on the show.”
Howard is a music teacher at Deakin University, and just hopes that people enjoy the album.
“I grew up in a house full of music,” she said.
“This is my passion. I’ve put my heart and soul and my tax return into this. I try to sing from the heart and I hope people like it.”
Howard describes her style as a mixture of reggae, soul, gospel, country, folk and blues.
“I’m really proud of this album,” she said.
“What the guys in the band have brought to this album, wow, they really care. I have a lot of people who just care and that humbles me.”
Howard is also a staunch Richmond supporter and was over the moon at the Tigers premiership success.
“The Richmond Football Club won, and it’s the week we launch our album – you couldn’t script that,” she said.
