John Darnielle

John Darnielle is a singer-songwriter, novelist, and the primary (and often the only) member of indie folk rock band The Mountain Goats. He is known for his lo-fi recordings, prolific output, and dense lyricism, and has been hailed by The New Yorker as “America’s best non-hip-hop lyricist”.

Since starting The Mountain Goats as a solo project in 1991, he has put out 20 albums under the moniker, the latest being 2021’s Dark in Here.

While many of Darnielle’s songs are based on his childhood growing up in Claremont, California, he has lived all over the country, including in Iowa, Illinois, Oregon, and currently, in Durham, North Carolina. Some of The Mountain Goats' most acclaimed albums have been named after states, such as Tallahassee and All Hail West Texas, and Darnielle has made it a habit of naming songs after locations in his recurring “Going to…” series.