Shane Howard

Born and raised in the coastal town of Dennington and educated in nearby Warrnambool, South-Western Victoria, Shane was one of a family of seven children all condensed into a modest but passionate household where music and debate were unavoidable.

It was a household filled with the comings and goings of many different people. Rich with stories, rich with emotion, filled with songs and full of life. Central to it all was his mother who always found time to play piano and sing, among a thousand other things.

"Elder brothers and sisters brought The Beatles, Dylan and Van Morrison and countless other influences into my already crowded imagination". His eldest brother brought a guitar into the house and homework suffered ever since.

A discontented year at Monash University, followed by hitch hiking expeditions around Australia, busking and playing any folk club that would let him play his own songs.

He picked grapes, picked ginger, worked as a screen printer, worked on the railways, washed dishes and taught in Geelong. He studied Education at Deakin University, Geelong where he was that University's First Student Council President.

It was from Geelong that Goanna grew, as did his own family and moved to Melbourne in 1980 to pursue a musical future.

In 1993, Irish star Mary Blacks recording of Shane's song Flesh & Blood was a Top 5 hit in Ireland.  In that same year, Shane made his first tour of Ireland - an experience that led to his fusion of roots into a musical tapestry of the narrative form. He intertwines haunting and mystic tonal qualities with a deep understanding of the poetic tradition, echoing in his lyrics a strong sense of the rebel cultural tradition. 

Since the initial successful releases with his band Goanna, Shane Howard has consolidated his reputation as an inspired and inspiring Australian songwriter and performer. Through his music, Shane Howard promotes theessence and spirit of reconciliation. From many years of working, writing, performing,  touring with and producing indigenous musicians throughout Australia, as well as journeys to his own traditional homelands in Ireland, it is probably fair to say that Shane Howard understands the issues surrounding native title and personifies the notion of reconciliation.