McFarlane started as a freelance music journalist in 1984 writing for Juke, The Edge and From the Vault. During the late 1980s - early 1990s he was a writer with Sydney music magazine Hot Metal and from 1992–1994 worked for Roadrunner Records . During 1993–1996, McFarlane wrote and edited the fanzines Freedom Train, on Australian progressive rock in the 1970s, and Prehistoric Sounds, on Australian indie rock from the 1970s and 1980s.

McFarlane wrote The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop in December 1999, it is described in Australian Music Guide as "The most exhaustive and wide-ranging encyclopedia of Australian music from the 1950s onwards". At the time he was also a writer for The Australian, he works for Raven Records, a reissue specialist label, and writes liner notes for Aztec music releases.