Ian Brennan has published ten books. His most recent music book is Missing Music: voices from where the dirt roads end (PM Press, March 2024).

He has written about music for The Guardian, NPR, Guitar Player, Sound on Sound, Chicago Tribune, BOMB, CounterPunch, Pollstar, Talkhouse, Huck, Songlines, Modern Drummer, The Vinyl District, Afropop Worldwide, Quincy Jones' Qwest TV, SonicScoop, Perceptive Travel, Flood Magazine, Zero, and Tape Op.