Fountains of Wayne (J-Card Press, 2025), the first full-length biography of the beloved band, goes beyond their huge hit “Stacy’s Mom” to explore the group’s entire history and the lasting legacy of its music. Fountains of Wayne draws on contemporary sources to chronicle the highs and lows of the group’s career, demonstrating why the band continues to be admired, listened to, and celebrated.
“Most people know Fountains of Wayne for ‘Stacy’s Mom,’ but McQuarrie’s well-researched retrospective spotlights an impressive catalog packed with countless other should-have-been hits. Fans will want to set aside a few hours to devour this short book in one sitting. I definitely did.” —S.W. Lauden, editor of Go All The Way: A Literary Appreciation of Power Pop and Remember The Lightning: A Guitar Pop Journal
“The book is filled with rich details about songs and albums that should’ve been much bigger than they became…a memorable reading experience for anyone who takes the time to dive into these pages.”—Adam Grundy, chorus.fm
Mixtape (New Haven Publishing, 2022) is a journey through one of the most exciting eras of popular music. Each chapter covers a song released between 1975 and 1985, and features in-depth research, critical assessment, and the occasional dose of snark. Some of these 21 songs will be familiar, others not so familiar, but all of them have fascinating stories to tell.
“Each song selection has a unique back story…a cornucopia of surprising details about songs and artists” – Ugly Things magazine
“A wealth of information about each song’s inspiration, creation, chart performance legacy and cover versions…well written and researched” – Classic Pop magazine
Every song tells a story, but every song also has its own story – the ideas or events that inspired it, the songwriters who created it, the artists that recorded it, and the impact that it made. Song Book (New Haven Publishing, 2018) tells the stories of 21 songs from the `60s and `70s. Some of these songs may be familiar; others may not. But each of these songs has fascinating tales in and around it.
“Wonderfully eclectic” Ugly Things magazine
“Highly readable and well-rounded…remarkable” Shindig! magazine
“The stories themselves are worth the price of admission” The Ormsby Review
Fiona McQuarrie 