Robert Forster
Artist
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Bio
Robert Derwent Garth Forster (born 29 June 1957) is an influential Australian singer‑songwriter, guitarist, and music critic best known as the co‑founder of the indie rock band The Go‑Betweens. Originally from Brisbane, Queensland, he formed the band in 1978 with his friend Grant McLennan while they were students at the University of Queensland. The Go‑Betweens became one of Australia’s most revered indie bands, blending jangly pop, literate lyrics, and melodic rock. They released nine studio albums between the late 1970s and mid‑2000s, including 16 Lovers Lane (1988) — featuring the enduring song “Streets of Your Town” — and Oceans Apart, which won the ARIA Best Adult Contemporary Album award in 2005. After the band’s initial breakup in 1989, Forster pursued a solo career, releasing albums such as Danger in the Past (1990), Calling from a Country Phone (1993), and Warm Nights (1996). Upon The Go‑Betweens’ reunion in 2000, he recorded further albums with the band until Grant McLennan’s passing in 2006. As a solo artist, Forster continued his creative output with albums including The Evangelist (2008), Songs To Play (2015), Inferno (2019), The Candle and the Flame (2023), and Strawberries (2025). Apart from performing, Forster has had a parallel career as a respected music critic, writing for publications like The Monthly. He won the Pascall Prize for Critical Writing in 2006 and published a collection of his essays titled The Ten Rules of Rock and Roll. His memoir Grant & I, reflecting on his partnership with McLennan, was released in 2016. He has been honoured with an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Queensland and remains an active figure in Australian music.
Music style
Jangle Pop, Indie Rock, Alternative Rock, Post-Punk
Popular Songs
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