Tom Lark Announces 'Brave Star' Album Release Tour

Here he is, Tom Lark — newly announced 2023 Silver Scroll Award finalist (APRA members vote HERE), creator of superb debut album Brave Star and many years back the self-described "Paul Shaffer of kids’ TV in New Zealand". A songwriting alter-ego of Shannon Matthew Vanya, Lark amplifies today's exciting news with the unveiling of a triple date release tour for his Top 20 Album chart-hitting, gently drifting, psych-infused folk / country opus. Fans in Ōtautahi can breath a sigh of relief as Lark also has a rare headline event in the garden city waiting in the wings to be revealed soon. Brought to you by Winegum Records and Strange News, don't miss the Tāmaki Makaurau-based musical cowboy when he moseys onto a stage near you with band (solo in Tauranga) this August...

The Tom Lark Brave Star album release tour

Friday 4th August – Jam Factory, Tauranga (solo)
Saturday 5th August – Whammy Bar, Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland*
Friday 25th August – Moon, Te Whanganui-a-Tara | Wellington*
Date to be announced - Ōtautahi | Christchurch show

*Tickets on sale HERE via UTR
Tickets available from winegumrecords.com

Here's the lyric video for Tom Lark's Silver Scroll nominated 'Live Wires' from his new album Brave Star...

Press release:

Tom Lark a.k.a Shannon Fowler has announced dates for an album release tour. The shows celebrate the release of Brave Star, which was released on June 9, 2023.

The Brave Star album release tour will hit Tauranga, Tāmaki Makaurau, and Te Whanganui-a-Tara this August (full details below), with an Ōtautahi show TBA.

The record features the album focus track 'Brave Star' and first single 'Radio Blaster' as well as second single 'Live Wires', which has just been announced as a Top 20 nominee for the APRA Silver Scroll Award.

APRA members can vote for their Top 5 Silver Scroll nominees until Monday 24 July at this link: https://bit.ly/silver-scroll-voting-poll-ss23

Brave Star is the first new musical material from Tom Lark after a seven-year hiatus, and the debut full-length album from the Ōtautahi-born, Tāmaki Makaurau-based artist.

The album debuted at #6 on the Top NZ Album Charts and #2 on the IMNZ Album Chart, with 'Live Wires' and 'Brave Star' featuring as 'Hit Picks' on the SRN Chart.

Brave Star follows two eponymous Tom Lark EPs, which were released in 2011 and 2015 respectively. Those early tunes found a home locally on the Student Radio Network, and abroad on Australian radio station Triple J – where 'Something To Tell You' reached #1 Most Played.

Following this success Fowler chose to set aside the Tom Lark moniker for a period, dipping his toes in the warm waters of pop music and releasing a series of bangers under the Shannon Matthew Vanya pseudonym – as well as producing for a number of other artists, including Merk, Randa and A.C. Freazy.

With Tom Lark's Brave Star Fowler returns to his first love, which turns out to be making sunburnt psychedelic folk fit for sensitive cowboys to meander and muse to.

Brave Star is out through Winegum Records and available now via Bandcamp.