WAIM 170: John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats

John Darnielle never set out to be an indie rock icon. Long before his band, The Mountain Goats were a household name in indie rock circles, Darnielle was an unlicensed nurse working in various psychiatric wards in his home state of California. While working full time, Darnielle also pursued a bachelor’s degree at Pitzer College. Throughout his studies and nursing work, Darnielle also managed to carve out time to write and record his own songs, ultimately attracting the attention of Shrimper Records which led to the release of Darnielle’s first collection of songs, a cassette tape released called Taboo IV:The Homecoming.Over the next ten years, Darnielle found a way to balance his nursing duties with occasional touring stints and time for recording. He managed to find time for all of these disparate pursuits until 2003 when it became clear that music was paying much better than nursing. Since committing himself to music full time, Darnielle has seen a surge in admiration and audiences alike. His band have amassed an enormous, and impressive catalog that includes 24 studio albums, including the forthcoming LP Days which arrives on August 7.In addition to his prolific work in The Mountain Goats, Darnielle has turned to the written word as a major form of self-expression. His authordom began in 2008 with a fictional story centered around the Black Sabbath album, Master Of Reality. In the intervening years, Darnielle has gone on to pen a trio of novels, one of which was nominated for a prestigious Edgar Award.During our fascinating conversation, Darnielle unpacks his early life, which was dominated by an abusive step-father, and paints a vivid picture of his life as a nurse before rock and roll came calling full time. We explore the road that Darnielle’s spirituality has taken, including his return to the traditions and teachings of the Catholic Church. This is a riveting conversation with one of the brightest creative minds in the country.Let’s get into it.Cheers,Matty C-------------------------End CreditsThanks so much to John for joining me. You can find out The Mountain Goats work wherever you get your music, and be sure to pick up a copy of John’s books at your favorite local bookseller.The What Am I Making podcast is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C.Our theme music was written and recorded by David J. Baldwin.You can subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts. Please be sure to like, rate and review the show if you enjoy it.Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com/. Now is a crucial time for new paid subscribers. Please step up and support the show.You can email the show anytime at [email protected]. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe