Songwriters on the Run

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 about to become the least of their problems.

While on tour in Central Queensland, what begins as a minor marijuana bust quickly spirals out of control, landing them in a low-security prison in the middle of nowhere. With the help of fellow inmates, they make a daring escape—but what comes next? Now they’re songwriters on the run, evading the law and trying to clear their names. On the bright side, all the chaos might just inspire a great song. Meanwhile, in Hollywood, a major film star takes an unexpected interest in their music.

Songwriters on the Run, Robert Forster’s debut novel, is a wild, fast-paced joyride. Set against the backdrop of Australia’s independent music scene on the brink of Nirvana-era grunge domination, the former Go-Betweens frontman delivers a story that is by turns hilarious, absurd, and unexpectedly profound.

Both a celebration of music and a high-spirited adventure, this novel captures the reckless energy and creative spirit of a generation chasing the sound of something bigger.