Robert Forster (musician)

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Robert Forster (born 29 June 1957) is an Australian singer-songwriter, best known for his work with songwriting partner Grant McLennan, with whom he co-founded The Go-Betweens.

Forster grew up in Brisbane, Australia. He met McLennan in drama classes at the University of Queensland and, inspired by a mutual love of Bob Dylan and the New York music scene, formed the Go-Betweens ^[1].

In addition to his work with the Go-Betweens, he has released five solo albums: Danger in the Past, recorded in Berlin in 1990; Calling from a Country Phone, recorded at Sunshine Studios, Brisbane, in 1993 with members of local pop group Custard; I Had a New York Girlfriend, a collection of cover versions recorded in Melbourne in 1994; Warm Nights, recorded in London in 1996 and produced by Edwyn Collins; and "The Evangelist", recorded (all but one track - "A Place to Hide Away") at Good Luck Studios, London, September - November 2007.

Critically acclaimed internationally as a songwriter, he reveals a strong literary influence in his work. He became, through his work with McLennan and the Go-Betweens, one of a group of Brisbane musicians who established a particular Brisbane sound characterised by laid-back, jangly arrangements.^[who?]

In 2005, Forster began writing for the Australian magazine, The Monthly. He had virtually no print experience, with only a column on hair care for a fanzine in the 1980s to his credit. ^[2] On 25 October 2006, it was announced that Forster was the winner of the Pascall Prize for Critical Writing for his columns. ^[3]

On 6 May 2006, Grant McLennan died in his sleep at his home in Brisbane^[4]. Forster picked three songs co-written by Grant McLennan, including "Demon Days", which is the last song the pair wrote together, and recorded them alongside a bunch of his own material to produce his first album in 11 years. "The Evangelist" was released on April 26, 2008 through "Yep Roc Records".^[5]

Forster announced his return to live performance with four nights at the Queensland Music Festival in July 2007.

Contents 1 Discography 1.1 Solo 1.2 Compilation albums 1.3 Go-Betweens 2 Filmography 3 Writing 4 Notes 5 Further reading 6 External links

[edit] Discography

[edit] Solo

• Danger in the Past (1990)
• Calling from a Country Phone (1993)
• I Had a New York Girlfriend (1995)
• Warm Nights (1996)
• Songs for the Young at Heart (2007) - contributed Uncle Sigmund's Clockwork Storybook
• The Evangelist (2008)

[edit] Compilation albums

• Intermission (2007)

[edit] Go-Betweens

• See The Go-Betweens

[edit] Filmography

• Prüfstand VII as Fährmann (2002)

[edit] Writing

• "The Exford Dregs," The Monthly, 11, April 2006
• "A True Hipster," The Monthly, 14, July 2006
• "Modern Times and Times Before That," The Monthly, 17, October 2006
• "The Coronation of Normie Rowe," Meanjin, volume 65, number 3, 2006, pp. 48-52.
• "Love Goes to a Building on Fire," The Monthly, 21, March 2007, pp. 58-60.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Andrew Stafford (2004, 2006). Pig City: From The Saints to Savage Garden. Brisbane: University of Queensland Press.
2. ^ Bernard Zuel. "Praise for a pencil pusher", The Sydney Morning Herald, Fairfax Media Limited, 2006-10-25. Retrieved on 2008-05-04. 
3. ^ Sheddon, Iain. "Prize for Go-Between at a critical point in his career", The Australian, News Limited, 2006-10-26. Retrieved on 2007-04-10. 
4. ^ Noel Mengel. "Band founder dead at 48", The Courier Mail, 2006-05-08. Retrieved on 2006-05-08. 
5. ^ "Yep Roc Records - Artist Info", 2008-06-04. Retrieved on 2008-07-04. 

[edit] Further reading

• David Nichols (2003). The Go-Betweens. Puncture Publications. ISBN 1-891241-16-8

[edit] External links

• www.robertforster.net Robert Forster website
• www.go-betweens.net Go-Betweens Website
• www.myspace.com/gobetweensmusic Go-Betweens Myspace page