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Songwriters on the Run
Robert Forster, singer-songwriter and co-founder of the iconic indie band the Go-Betweens, takes readers on a rock-and-roll road trip in his scintillating fiction debut.
It’s 1991, and Australian singer-songwriters Mick Woods and Drew Lovelock – 'tall and skinny, rock-star-wrecked handsome' – haven’t yet managed to crack the big-time. But that’s soon to be the least of their problems.
On tour in Central Queensland, what seems like a minor marijuana bust turns ugly, and they're incarcerated in a low-security institution in the middle of nowhere. With help from a couple of prisoners, they escape – but now what? They're songwriters on the run, desperately evading the long arm of the law and trying to clear their names. On the upside, they might get a good song out of all the drama. Meanwhile, in Hollywood, a major film star takes a liking to their music…
Songwriters on the Run, Robert Forster’s debut novel, is a joyride. Burrowing into the netherworld of Australian independent music just as Nirvana’s grunge is about to swamp the planet, the former Go-Betweens vocalist and accomplished solo performer has crafted a hectic, sometimes hilarious tale that is as silly, profound and grand as the music it celebrates.
It’s 1991, and Australian singer-songwriters Mick Woods and Drew Lovelock – 'tall and skinny, rock-star-wrecked handsome' – haven’t yet managed to crack the big-time. But that’s soon to be the least of their problems.
On tour in Central Queensland, what seems like a minor marijuana bust turns ugly, and they're incarcerated in a low-security institution in the middle of nowhere. With help from a couple of prisoners, they escape – but now what? They're songwriters on the run, desperately evading the long arm of the law and trying to clear their names. On the upside, they might get a good song out of all the drama. Meanwhile, in Hollywood, a major film star takes a liking to their music…
Songwriters on the Run, Robert Forster’s debut novel, is a joyride. Burrowing into the netherworld of Australian independent music just as Nirvana’s grunge is about to swamp the planet, the former Go-Betweens vocalist and accomplished solo performer has crafted a hectic, sometimes hilarious tale that is as silly, profound and grand as the music it celebrates.
- GenresFiction
262 pages, Paperback
Published May 5, 2026
About the author
Robert Forster
8 books10 followersRobert Forster is an Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and critic best known as the co-founder of the influential indie rock band The Go-Betweens, formed in 1977. Recognized for his clever songwriting, he pursued a successful solo career after the band's initial split in 1989. Following the 2006 death of partner Grant McLennan, Forster continued releasing acclaimed solo albums and published the memoir Grant & I in 2016. He remains active in the music industry, releasing The Candle and the Flame in 2023.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 9, 2026
Robert Forster is a talented songwriter. I’ve always enjoyed listening to the Go-Betweens, so was keen to check out his debut novel.
Set in 1991, the story follows musicians, Mick Woods and Drew Lovecock, while on tour in Queensland. There’s a drug bust, prison escape, and plenty of drama as they seek to clear their names.
Songwriters on the Run is quite a nostalgic novel – both in time and place, and the musicians and bands constantly name-dropped. I loved finding my favourite bands and artists being mentioned – although sometimes this felt like it was overshadowing the plot.
Interestingly, there are four chapters throughout the whole book. It’s dialogue heavy as well. The prose occasionally found me disengaging – it sometimes fell flat, not always slotting into a steady rhythm; the kind Forster’s own music effortlessly achieves.
The whole thing has a meandering quality, and I couldn’t help thinking it was like revisiting a movie from childhood – one that doesn’t hold up the way it once did. There were jarring segues, and constant referrals to the main characters as 'the songwriters' which grew tedious. The writing lacked self-awareness.
Despite its downfalls, music scenes felt undeniably authentic – moments when Forster clearly drew upon his lived experience. It made me wonder how much was inspired by real events. Forster managed to depict a vivid portrayal of Australian landscapes, along with fascinating side characters like Winston and Russell – but these standout moments were too few and far between.
“Things can be magical on gig night and flat the next day.”
Songwriters on the Run works best when viewed as a love letter to the art of songwriting rather than a remarkable work of fiction. While some parts were enjoyable, the story felt like an afterthought, something that got in the way of mates chatting about their favourite songs.
Forster apparently started writing this nine years before publication – you could argue this is reflected in the lack of urgency in both plot and prose, which has ultimately resulted in a novel that merely plods along.
Better to just listen to the music of the Go-Betweens instead.
“If only love and life could be written like a song.”
This review can also be found on my blog, where I write about books and feature author interviews. You can read it here.
Many thanks to Penguin for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
(This was the last book I finished reading before Dad passed in late May.)
Set in 1991, the story follows musicians, Mick Woods and Drew Lovecock, while on tour in Queensland. There’s a drug bust, prison escape, and plenty of drama as they seek to clear their names.
Songwriters on the Run is quite a nostalgic novel – both in time and place, and the musicians and bands constantly name-dropped. I loved finding my favourite bands and artists being mentioned – although sometimes this felt like it was overshadowing the plot.
Interestingly, there are four chapters throughout the whole book. It’s dialogue heavy as well. The prose occasionally found me disengaging – it sometimes fell flat, not always slotting into a steady rhythm; the kind Forster’s own music effortlessly achieves.
The whole thing has a meandering quality, and I couldn’t help thinking it was like revisiting a movie from childhood – one that doesn’t hold up the way it once did. There were jarring segues, and constant referrals to the main characters as 'the songwriters' which grew tedious. The writing lacked self-awareness.
Despite its downfalls, music scenes felt undeniably authentic – moments when Forster clearly drew upon his lived experience. It made me wonder how much was inspired by real events. Forster managed to depict a vivid portrayal of Australian landscapes, along with fascinating side characters like Winston and Russell – but these standout moments were too few and far between.
“Things can be magical on gig night and flat the next day.”
Songwriters on the Run works best when viewed as a love letter to the art of songwriting rather than a remarkable work of fiction. While some parts were enjoyable, the story felt like an afterthought, something that got in the way of mates chatting about their favourite songs.
Forster apparently started writing this nine years before publication – you could argue this is reflected in the lack of urgency in both plot and prose, which has ultimately resulted in a novel that merely plods along.
Better to just listen to the music of the Go-Betweens instead.
“If only love and life could be written like a song.”
This review can also be found on my blog, where I write about books and feature author interviews. You can read it here.
Many thanks to Penguin for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
(This was the last book I finished reading before Dad passed in late May.)
July 22, 2026
Quite dispppointing. I love the Go-Betweens, I like Robert Forster. But apparently, he's not a novelist at all.
* * (-)
Audiobook
* * (-)
Audiobook
July 14, 2026
Insights into how music and lyrics emerge from the ether to create a song.
May 15, 2026
This was such a surprising quick read (or listen, in this case). The two main characters hit the right notes with me and, overall, I found this to be a quite sweet story. That’s the surprising part. I loved the Aussie-ness of the story, as well as the era (early 90s). There’s just something a little bit special about this book.
There is a little bit of bad language here and there, but minimal. The two main characters, Drew and Mick, are a little naive, but I think that’s what makes them so appealing.
With so much unpleasantness in the world today, I found Songwriters on the Run to be a very pleasant diversion. It’s just a bit of fun.
There is a little bit of bad language here and there, but minimal. The two main characters, Drew and Mick, are a little naive, but I think that’s what makes them so appealing.
With so much unpleasantness in the world today, I found Songwriters on the Run to be a very pleasant diversion. It’s just a bit of fun.
May 24, 2026
Robert Forster's enjoyable romp was fun to read. As a songwriter (with Willie and the Correspondents) I really enjoyed the musical references and particularly the discussions between the two on best bands, favourite gigs, guitars and lines for songs.
Did Not Finish
May 27, 2026Honestly I didn't get past the first chapter. It's a writing style I'm not a fan of: everything's in passive voice and there's no rhyme or humour to it. Stylistically very Boomer Writing An All Staff Email, I don't dig it.
July 16, 2026
First up - anything that references Under the Sun, Dylan's Christian albums, Spencer P Jones, and Brisbane in June is bound to be good.
A well-written crime caper, an almost-memoir, an ode to a late songwriting partner. A wonderful prompt to re-listen to the solo work of Grant McLennan.
A well-written crime caper, an almost-memoir, an ode to a late songwriting partner. A wonderful prompt to re-listen to the solo work of Grant McLennan.
June 22, 2026
There was a lot to like about this book but a few quibbles also.
The big ideas worked well: two minor league (but ambitious) songwriters get into trouble with the law (mostly undeserved) - escape from detention - need to get back to Melbourne to sort out their problems - meanwhile, Hollywood music publishers are keen to make them huge in the States.
Everything to do with the music and composition was really good and clearly this is Robert Forster's home ground.
What didn't work (for me) were the basics of storytelling. I felt that the way they got out of prison was ridiculous and the surprising resolution of their problems back in Melbourne was pure deus ex machina and pretty left field. Very unsatisfying.
Even worse was the fact that the vast majority of the novel is the two songwriters bantering back and forth - one of them falls (kinda) in love - and yet, by the end of the novel, I still didn't know which of them was which. I could never tell who was talking due to how they'd been characterised.
That said, there is real poetry in Forster's writing. I found it compelling, immersive, even hypnotic and definitely enjoyed it. A bit like a song really - a song doesn't have to make narrative sense to be enjoyable, but a novel does.
This just needed some decent advice on plotting and characterisation and it could have been very special indeed.
The big ideas worked well: two minor league (but ambitious) songwriters get into trouble with the law (mostly undeserved) - escape from detention - need to get back to Melbourne to sort out their problems - meanwhile, Hollywood music publishers are keen to make them huge in the States.
Everything to do with the music and composition was really good and clearly this is Robert Forster's home ground.
What didn't work (for me) were the basics of storytelling. I felt that the way they got out of prison was ridiculous and the surprising resolution of their problems back in Melbourne was pure deus ex machina and pretty left field. Very unsatisfying.
Even worse was the fact that the vast majority of the novel is the two songwriters bantering back and forth - one of them falls (kinda) in love - and yet, by the end of the novel, I still didn't know which of them was which. I could never tell who was talking due to how they'd been characterised.
That said, there is real poetry in Forster's writing. I found it compelling, immersive, even hypnotic and definitely enjoyed it. A bit like a song really - a song doesn't have to make narrative sense to be enjoyable, but a novel does.
This just needed some decent advice on plotting and characterisation and it could have been very special indeed.
September 5, 2026
A fan of the Go-Betweens from the moment their music reached the US shores, when I saw this book from one of that iconic band's co-founders on a bookshop shelf, I was keen to read it. This story is a bit of a romp as two songwriters, Mick Woods and Drew Lovelock are on tour in Queensland, doing what they love and hoping for their big break. The year is 1991, and they are approaching a small venue in a (ficti0nal) mountain town that is mainly populated by alternative lifestyle folks. The banter between the musicians is easy and often in the service of the song as they work out words and melodies of new ideas for songs. There are subtle cultural and political references to what was happening in the early 90's and quite a few iconic Australian musicians are named checked throughout the novel. After the gig a tall, young scraggly guy hands the guys a huge bag of marijuana and co-incidentally two cops walk in a couple of minutes after and arrest the two musicians for dealing. As it is the start of a holiday weekend, the guys cannot get in touch with their manager and are being held in remand until the courts open up on Tuesday. They decide to make a break for it after being befriended by two older inmates who just happen to have a key to the gate. And their being on the run adventure begins. This was a different twist on the crime novel and good fun.
September 25, 2026
Mick and Drew are trying to make it as musicians when a gig in Rockhampton ends with an arrest.
Before long they’re in prison (technically, a correctional facility), their manager's vanished, and the car they’ve been touring in turns out to be stolen. Escaping seems like a reasonable next step, provided nobody asks them what the step after that might be.
I adored them. They’re talented, loyal, occasionally hopeless at assessing a situation, and never too busy being fugitives to talk about music. Robert Forster clearly knows the world they inhabit: small venues, road crews, devoted fans and the stubborn belief that the next song might be the one that changes everything.
What I loved most was the friendship. Mick and Drew have the easy rhythm of people who’ve spent years travelling and making music together. They’re in serious trouble, yet somehow they still make the road feel inviting. I would happily have stayed in their company longer.
Funny, warm and full of love for Australian music, Songwriters on the Run was an absolute pleasure.
#SongwritersOnTheRun #RobertForster #AustralianFiction #MusicFiction #BookReview
Before long they’re in prison (technically, a correctional facility), their manager's vanished, and the car they’ve been touring in turns out to be stolen. Escaping seems like a reasonable next step, provided nobody asks them what the step after that might be.
I adored them. They’re talented, loyal, occasionally hopeless at assessing a situation, and never too busy being fugitives to talk about music. Robert Forster clearly knows the world they inhabit: small venues, road crews, devoted fans and the stubborn belief that the next song might be the one that changes everything.
What I loved most was the friendship. Mick and Drew have the easy rhythm of people who’ve spent years travelling and making music together. They’re in serious trouble, yet somehow they still make the road feel inviting. I would happily have stayed in their company longer.
Funny, warm and full of love for Australian music, Songwriters on the Run was an absolute pleasure.
#SongwritersOnTheRun #RobertForster #AustralianFiction #MusicFiction #BookReview
September 25, 2026
It's not every day that one of your favorite songwriters publishes a novel. I can think of John Darnielle and Joe Pernice. Like Pernice's novel, this one mentions a lot of songs but deals more extensively with the art of writing songs and making music.
Expanding the story from the lyrics of Forster's great song of the same name, Songwriters on the Run is a fun crime story and an insightful pop-in to the Australian indie scene of the late 80s and early 90s. It's amusing how obviously the main characters are based on real-life Robert and his songwriting partner Grant, although there are many changed details.
There's nothing serious about this novel, just good fun, an "entertainment" as Graham Greene would call it. An easy read, but definitely not recommended for anyone who isn't a fan of The Go-Betweens.
The deus ex machina ending was ridiculous.
Expanding the story from the lyrics of Forster's great song of the same name, Songwriters on the Run is a fun crime story and an insightful pop-in to the Australian indie scene of the late 80s and early 90s. It's amusing how obviously the main characters are based on real-life Robert and his songwriting partner Grant, although there are many changed details.
There's nothing serious about this novel, just good fun, an "entertainment" as Graham Greene would call it. An easy read, but definitely not recommended for anyone who isn't a fan of The Go-Betweens.
The deus ex machina ending was ridiculous.
September 1, 2026
The co-founder of The Go-Betweens has written his first fiction book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
In 1991 Mick and Drew end up in trouble after a gig in Queensland and are put in a country jail.
In Hollywood a film star is keen to use their music.
The novel follows the duo's adventures and is a lot of fun.
It feels very true and I imagine a lot is based on the author's experiences of the pop/rock scene.
In 1991 Mick and Drew end up in trouble after a gig in Queensland and are put in a country jail.
In Hollywood a film star is keen to use their music.
The novel follows the duo's adventures and is a lot of fun.
It feels very true and I imagine a lot is based on the author's experiences of the pop/rock scene.
June 1, 2026
I borrowed this audio book because of the author - I listened to the GoBetweens on high rotation and saw them live many times.
Was the book any good? It was ok. I found the story to be a bit naive and lacking in any depth.
My favourite parts - the references to all the Australian bands that I grew up with.
Was the book any good? It was ok. I found the story to be a bit naive and lacking in any depth.
My favourite parts - the references to all the Australian bands that I grew up with.
August 29, 2026
I love Rob, I love the Go-Betweens, I love the memoir he wrote for Grant, and I love their relationship. I do not love this book. I won’t rip into it because I did enjoy the read but I only enjoyed it because of Rob and The GBs. If you have any love for that band, it’s worth a read, but otherwise I’d give it a miss.
September 8, 2026
I don't believe this gets published unless Forster is already famous. It's not terrible, but it's self-aggrandising and often dull. I did like the occasional "celebrity cameo", though.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews