The Fairley Brothers in Japan
(Turner/Keylight, forthcoming, Fall 2025)
Andy Fairley and his big brother, Chris, were, in the mid-1980s, a moderately successful folk rock act at a time when the genre was far from the peak of its popularity. Their star, however, had long faded until Honda chose a clip from their most successful song, “Whenever I Hit the Road” to promote the newest version of its CR-V in Japan.
Now, Chris, divorced and retired from a job at LA Water and Power, and Andy, an English-language instructor married to a Japanese woman and living in Kyoto, have a chance to make a comeback.
Sort of.
Their tour begins with a number of miscues. Among the unlikely venues at which the Fairley Brothers perform are a wedding reception where the organizer insists they play only their hit song, over and over; the gift shop of a flower farm; an outdoor sculpture park during a notable wind event; and a restaurant where diners catch their own fish.
Still, things aren’t all bad for Andy and Chris. As they make their way from far north Hokkaido south down Honshu to the country’s big population centers, their following—thanks to the enthusiastic interviews conducted by blogger Daisuke Hayashi—gradually increases. By the time the tour concludes in Osaka and Kyoto, the Fairley Brothers have become, at least temporarily, minor celebrities. They are like Spinal Tap, in reverse.
Advanced Praise for The Fairley Brothers in Japan
David Starkey has written a lyrical novel of brotherly love—the deep places of the heart brothers Chris and Andy struggle with; the memories, power, and grief of family; what music meant before and what it means now; how they try to discover a place to stand. A place to belong. The conflicts, silences, secrets, pain, and reconciliation at the center of this complex story are engrossing because Starkey’s writing is graced with a compassionate clarity in bringing each brother to life through their changing and hard-fought harmony. Read this novel. Stand in its wondrous circle of storytelling and music and life. Experience the harmonious music of Starkey’s wonderful writing.
—Fred Arroyo, author of Sown in Earth: Essays of Memory and Belonging
David Starkey’s The Fairley Brothers in Japan is a raucous, episodic novel provoking outright laughter, penetrating sadness, and wonder, often at the same time. It is sort of Don Quixote meets The Blues Brothers. But that description is both an exaggeration and an understatement. Thirty plus years after an early success as a folk/rock band in 80’s America, the two brothers attempt a comeback in Japan. The story vividly explores the outrageous complexity of Japanese culture, the confluences of the international music scene, the irrationality of a collaborative creative process, but most importantly—
the betrayals, conflicts, and undying love between two talented brothers. If you like a novel that’s turn-the-page fun to read, yet complex psychologically and emotionally, then you’re going to love The Fairley Brothers in Japan. Beautifully written, this is a must read.
—Jim Peterson, author of The Sadness of Whirlwinds
If you love the spirit of live music, the comeback, and family finding their way, you will love this book. David Starkey is a gifted, natural storyteller with a poet’s attention to detail and hope. This book is captivating and thoroughly delightful.
—Lee Herrick, California Poet Laureate, author of In Praise of Late Wonder
The Fairley Brothers’ revival—musically, personally, and as siblings—through their tour across Japan
beautifully captures the country’s unique blend of enthusiasm, calmness, shyness, transience,
and strict yet curious cultural rules. As a Japanese cultural psychologist, I was especially moved by
how their journey echoes the Zen teaching that “everything happens as it happens.”
—Keiko Ishii, Professor of Psychology, Nagoya University
With his experience in Japan and background as a musician, David Starkey is well-equipped to take
us on the road with Andy and Chris as they navigate the quirks of Japan, explore diverse locales,
encounter new acquaintances, rekindle old sibling rivalries, and reconnect with their cultural roots in
a quest for a musical comeback. As a resident of Japan for nearly three decades, I felt myself
“traveling along” and rooting for the brothers as they faced challenges and made their way from
small-town Hokkaido to Kyoto.
—Karen Lee Tawarayama, creator of the Kyoto Faces blog and co-editor of Structures of Kyoto
I love a good road trip novel and The Fairley Brothers in Japan is just that: an endearing story of two brothers’ journey to reignite their youth, with an evocative musical backdrop. It’s a gentle, compelling ride which drew me into their relationship and the Japanese culture. The sort of novel which stays with you for days after you finish it.
—Ivan Wainewright, author of The Other Times of Caroline Tangent