I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats

A collaboration between Night Vale Presents, the Mountain Goats, and Merge Records, I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats is a podcast about what it means to be an artist, what it means to be a fan, and what it means to be, as many people are, both at once. The show finds Joseph Fink, creator of Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead, in conversation with one of his artistic heroes, John Darnielle, singer and songwriter of the Mountain Goats. Season One explores the stories behind the Mountain Goats’ album All Hail West Texas, one song at a time. In each episode, John, Joseph, and special guests discuss songwriting, storytelling, current events, and the art and artists that inspire them. Each episode will also premiere a brand new cover version of the song discussed that week, recorded just for the podcast by artists like Amanda Palmer, Andrew Bird, and Dessa.Season One of I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats premieres September 28, 2017.Produced by Christy Gressman. From Night Vale Presents, the network that brought you Welcome to Night Vale, Alice Isn’t Dead, Within the Wires, The Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air), and Conversations with People Who Hate Me. More info: www.nightvalepresents.com

John Darnielle and Joseph Fink discuss the role in their lives of art, faith, and satan with John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars and the upcoming Turtles All The Way Down. And we learn why making the job of creating art more difficult can sometimes make the art itself better. Premiering a new cover by Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! Buy Laura Jane Grace’s cover of “The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton” on iTunes, Bandcamp, or wherever you buy digital music. It supports both the artist and the show! Buy the full cover album digitally or on vinyl today. Learn more about John Darnielle’s two novels here: http://www.johndarnielle.comListen to more music by the Mountain Goats, including their latest album Goths, here: http://www.mountain-goats.com Check out Joseph Fink’s other shows, Welcome to Night Vale (http://www.welcometonightvale.com) and Alice Isn’t Dead (http://aliceisntdead.com). His second novel with Jeffrey Cranor, It Devours!, is out now: http://www.welcometonightvale.com/books/ Credits: Joseph Fink (host), John Darnielle (host), Christy Gressman (producer), Grant Stewart (editor), Vincent Cacchione (mixer), and Rob Wilson (logo). Produced by Night Vale Presents in collaboration with Merge Records and the Mountain Goats. http://ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com http://www.nightvalepresents.com

Subjects covered: Choosing what music to put in your body, mandatory minimum sentences, and what the desert does to artists. Plus Kym Register of Loamlands joins to talk about the local Durham scene and how to tell diverse stories. Premiering a new cover by Loamlands. Buy Loamlands’ cover of “Fall of the Star High School Running Back” on iTunes, Bandcamp, or wherever you buy digital music. It supports both the artist and the show! Buy the full cover album digitally or on vinyl today. Learn more about John Darnielle’s two novels here: http://www.johndarnielle.comListen to more music by the Mountain Goats, including their latest album Goths, here: http://www.mountain-goats.com Check out Joseph Fink’s other shows, Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead. His second novel with Jeffrey Cranor, It Devours!, is out now. Credits: Joseph Fink (host), John Darnielle (host), Christy Gressman (producer), Grant Stewart (editor), Vincent Cacchione (mixer). Rob Wilson (logo). Produced by Night Vale Presents in collaboration with Merge Records and the Mountain Goats. http://ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com http://www.nightvalepresents.com

“Color in Your Cheeks” is a song about immigration, refugees, and welcoming—the simple act of saying “You are not from here, but we’re glad you’re here now.” It seemed like a good year to talk about that. Featuring guests Eno Williams and Max Grunhard (Ibibio Sound Machine) and Mac McCaughan (Superchunk, co-founder of Merge Records). Buy Ibibio Sound Machine’s cover of “Color in Your Cheeks” on iTunes, Bandcamp, or wherever you buy digital music. It supports both the artist and the show! Buy the full cover album digitally or on vinyl today. Learn more about John Darnielle’s two novels here.Listen to more music by the Mountain Goats, including their latest album Goths, here. Check out Joseph Fink’s other shows, Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead. His second novel with Jeffrey Cranor, It Devours!, is out now. Credits: Joseph Fink (host), John Darnielle (host), Christy Gressman (producer), Grant Stewart (editor), Vincent Cacchione (mixer). Rob Wilson (logo). Produced by Night Vale Presents in collaboration with Merge Records and the Mountain Goats. http://ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com http://www.nightvalepresents.com

Erin McKeown, incredible songwriter and former tourmate to both John and Joseph, joins to talk technique, showtunes, and how songwriting is like baseball. Buy Erin McKeown’s cover of “Jenny” on iTunes, Bandcamp, or wherever you buy digital music. It supports both the artist and the show! Buy the full cover album digitally or on vinyl today. Learn more about John Darnielle’s two novels here. Listen to more music by the Mountain Goats, including their latest album Goths, here. Check out Joseph Fink’s other shows, Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead. His second novel with Jeffrey Cranor, It Devours!, is out now. Credits: Joseph Fink (host), John Darnielle (host), Christy Gressman (producer), Grant Stewart (editor), Vincent Cacchione (mixer). Rob Wilson (logo). Produced by Night Vale Presents in collaboration with Merge Records and the Mountain Goats. http://ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com http://www.nightvalepresents.com

Craig Finn, lead singer of The Hold Steady and solo artist, joins to talk Catholicism, music stands, and KISS. Buy Craig Finn’s cover of “Fault Lines” on iTunes, Bandcamp, or wherever you buy digital music. It supports both the artist and the show! Buy the full cover album digitally or on vinyl today. Learn more about John Darnielle’s two novels here. Listen to more music by the Mountain Goats, including their latest album Goths, here. Check out Joseph Fink’s other shows, Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead. His second novel with Jeffrey Cranor, It Devours!, is out now. Credits: Joseph Fink (host), John Darnielle (host), Christy Gressman (producer), Grant Stewart (editor), Vincent Cacchione (mixer). Rob Wilson (logo). Produced by Night Vale Presents in collaboration with Merge Records and the Mountain Goats. http://ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com http://www.nightvalepresents.com

John and Joseph discuss artistic restraints, Silver Age Latin, and why theaters should stop producing Shakespeare. Dessa joins to talk about and premiere her cover of “Balance.” Buy Dessa’s cover of “Balance” on iTunes, Bandcamp, or wherever you buy digital music. It supports both the artist and the show! Buy the full cover album digitally or on vinyl today. Learn more about John Darnielle’s two novels here. Listen to more music by the Mountain Goats, including their latest album Goths, here. Check out Joseph Fink’s other shows, Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead. His second novel with Jeffrey Cranor, It Devours!, is out now. Credits: Joseph Fink (host), John Darnielle (host), Christy Gressman (producer), Grant Stewart (editor), Vincent Cacchione (mixer), Rob Wilson (logo). Produced by Night Vale Presents in collaboration with Merge Records and the Mountain Goats. http://ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com http://www.nightvalepresents.com

This week, John and Joseph look up some stuff on the Mountain Goats wiki and then ease into a discussion of “Pink and Blue.” Kristine Leschper from Mothers joins to talk about their approach to covering the song. Buy Mothers’ cover of “Pink and Blue” on iTunes, Bandcamp, or wherever you buy digital music. It supports both the artist and the show! Buy the full cover album digitally or on vinyl today. Learn more about John Darnielle’s two novels here. Listen to more music by the Mountain Goats, including their latest album Goths, here. Check out Joseph Fink’s other shows, Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead. His second novel with Jeffrey Cranor, It Devours!, is out now. Credits: Joseph Fink (host), John Darnielle (host), Christy Gressman (producer), Grant Stewart (editor), Vincent Cacchione (mixer), Rob Wilson (logo). Produced by Night Vale Presents in collaboration with Merge Records and the Mountain Goats. http://ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com http://www.nightvalepresents.com

John and Joseph are back at basement mattress headquarters to talk about their artistic influences and the meaning of home. Eliza Rickman and Jherek Bischoff join to talk about their cover of “Riches and Wonders.” Buy Eliza Rickman and Jherek Bischoff’s cover of “Riches and Wonders” on iTunes, Bandcamp, or wherever you buy digital music. It supports both the artist and the show! Buy the full cover album digitally or on vinyl today. I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats t-shirts and tote bags now available. Learn more about John Darnielle’s two novels here. Listen to more music by the Mountain Goats, including their latest album Goths, here. Check out Joseph Fink’s other shows, Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead. His second novel with Jeffrey Cranor, It Devours!, is out now. Credits: Joseph Fink (host), John Darnielle (host), Christy Gressman (producer), Grant Stewart (editor), Vincent Cacchione (mixer), Rob Wilson (logo). Produced by Night Vale Presents in collaboration with Merge Records and the Mountain Goats. http://ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com http://www.nightvalepresents.com

John and Joseph discuss why simple songs have to be perfect and how our experience of a place will always be subjective. Amanda Palmer joins to talk about feeling compelled to finish books and recording her cover of "The Mess Inside" in an empty greenhouse. Buy Amanda Palmer’s cover of “The Mess Inside” on iTunes, Bandcamp, or wherever you buy digital music. It supports both the artist and the show! Buy the full cover album digitally or on vinyl today. Amanda Palmer's video for “The Mess Inside” will be released in the first week of February. To find out about it first and get access to tons of Amanda's art and to play an active role in helping her to create it, join her Patreon! More info at: patreon.com/amandapalmer I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats t-shirts and tote bags now available. Learn more about John Darnielle’s two novels here. Listen to more music by the Mountain Goats, including their latest album Goths, here. Check out Joseph Fink’s other shows, Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead. His second novel with Jeffrey Cranor, It Devours!, is out now. Credits: Joseph Fink (host), John Darnielle (host), Christy Gressman (producer), Grant Stewart (editor), Vincent Cacchione (mixer), Rob Wilson (logo). Produced by Night Vale Presents in collaboration with Merge Records and the Mountain Goats. http://ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com http://www.nightvalepresents.com

“Jeff Davis County Blues” is a song with a particular meaning to Joseph's life. Julian Koster of The Music Tapes and The Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air) joins to share his dream-inspired cover. Buy Julian Koster’s cover of “Jeff Davis County Blues” on iTunes, Bandcamp, or wherever you buy digital music. It supports both the artist and the show! Buy the full cover album digitally or on vinyl today. I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats t-shirts and tote bags now available. Learn more about John Darnielle’s two novels here. Listen to more music by the Mountain Goats, including their latest album Goths, here. Check out Joseph Fink’s other shows, Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead. His second novel with Jeffrey Cranor, It Devours!, is out now. Credits: Joseph Fink (host), John Darnielle (host), Christy Gressman (producer), Grant Stewart (editor), Vincent Cacchione (mixer), Rob Wilson (logo). Produced by Night Vale Presents in collaboration with Merge Records and the Mountain Goats. http://ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com http://www.nightvalepresents.com

John and Joseph discuss radio signals in Texas, Chaucer, and the origin of the phrase “I only listen to the Mountain Goats.” Andrew Bird joins to talk about what drew him to “Distant Stations.” Buy Andrew Bird’s cover of “Distant Stations” on iTunes, Bandcamp, or wherever you buy digital music. It supports both the artist and the show! Buy the full cover album digitally or on vinyl today. I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats t-shirts and tote bags now available. Learn more about John Darnielle’s two novels here. Listen to more music by the Mountain Goats, including their latest album Goths, here. Check out Joseph Fink’s other shows, Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead. His second novel with Jeffrey Cranor, It Devours!, is out now. Credits: Joseph Fink (host), John Darnielle (host), Christy Gressman (producer), Grant Stewart (editor), Vincent Cacchione (mixer), Rob Wilson (logo). Produced by Night Vale Presents in collaboration with Merge Records and the Mountain Goats. http://ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com http://www.nightvalepresents.com

This week: Bible translations, conspiracy theories, and the power of silence. Robbie and Matte from Nana Grizol join to talk about their cover of “Blues in Dallas” and karaoke. Buy Nana Grizol’s cover of “Blues in Dallas” on iTunes, Bandcamp, or wherever you buy digital music. It supports both the artist and the show! Buy the full cover album digitally or on vinyl today. We’re doing our first live show in Chicago on May 30th! See John, Joseph, and a special guest live at Thalia Hall. Tickets available now. I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats t-shirts and tote bags now available. Learn more about John Darnielle’s two novels here. Listen to more music by the Mountain Goats, including their latest album Goths, here. Check out Joseph Fink’s other shows, Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead. His second novel with Jeffrey Cranor, It Devours!, is out now. Credits: Joseph Fink (host), John Darnielle (host), Christy Gressman (producer), Grant Stewart (editor), Vincent Cacchione (mixer), Rob Wilson (logo). Produced by Night Vale Presents in collaboration with Merge Records and the Mountain Goats. http://ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com http://www.nightvalepresents.com

John and Joseph are back in the basement to talk about treasuring the unknown. Emil Amos (Holy Sons) joins to discuss the heyday of indie rock and his cover of “Source Decay.” Buy Holy Sons’ cover of “Source Decay” on iTunes, Bandcamp, or wherever you buy digital music. It supports both the artist and the show! Buy the full cover album digitally or on vinyl today. We’re doing our first live show in Chicago on May 30th! See John, Joseph, and a special guest live at Thalia Hall. Tickets available now. I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats t-shirts and tote bags now available. Learn more about John Darnielle’s two novels here. Listen to more music by the Mountain Goats, including their latest album Goths, here. Check out Joseph Fink’s other shows, Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead. His second novel with Jeffrey Cranor, It Devours!, is out now. Credits: Joseph Fink (host), John Darnielle (host), Christy Gressman (producer), Grant Stewart (editor), Vincent Cacchione (mixer), Rob Wilson (logo). Produced by Night Vale Presents in collaboration with Merge Records and the Mountain Goats. http://ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com http://www.nightvalepresents.com

John and Joseph talk about the final song on All Hail West Texas, endings, and what happens after the ending has ended. Carrie Elkin joins to discuss bringing kids on tour and her cover of “Absolute Lithops Effect.” Buy Carrie Elkin’s cover of “Absolute Lithops Effect” on iTunes, Bandcamp, or wherever you buy digital music. It supports both the artist and the show! Buy the full cover album digitally or on vinyl today. We’re doing our first live show in Chicago on May 30th! See John, Joseph, and special guest Danny Schmidt live at Thalia Hall. Tickets available now. I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats t-shirts and tote bags now available. Learn more about John Darnielle’s two novels here. Listen to more music by the Mountain Goats, including their latest album Goths, here. Check out Joseph Fink’s other shows, Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead. His second novel with Jeffrey Cranor, It Devours!, is out now, and you can pre-order his next novel, Alice Isn’t Dead, today. Thanks to our sponsor Simple Contacts! Get $30 your first order by visiting simplecontacts.com/GOATS or by entering code GOATS at checkout. Credits: Joseph Fink (host), John Darnielle (host), Christy Gressman (producer), Grant Stewart (editor), Vincent Cacchione (mixer), Rob Wilson (logo). Produced by Night Vale Presents in collaboration with Merge Records and the Mountain Goats. http://ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com http://www.nightvalepresents.com

In this post-season bonus episode, John and Joseph answer some of your questions, chat with artist Kate Leth, and talk about what the next season of I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats will look like. Buy the full cover album digitally or on vinyl today. We’re doing our first live show in Chicago on May 30th! See John, Joseph, and special guest Danny Schmidt live at Thalia Hall. Tickets available now. I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats t-shirts and tote bags now available. Learn more about John Darnielle’s two novels here. Listen to more music by the Mountain Goats, including their latest album Goths, here. Check out Joseph Fink’s other shows, Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead. His second novel with Jeffrey Cranor, It Devours!, is out now, and you can pre-order his next novel, Alice Isn’t Dead, today. Credits: Joseph Fink (host), John Darnielle (host), Christy Gressman (producer), Grant Stewart (editor), Vincent Cacchione (mixer), Rob Wilson (logo). Produced by Night Vale Presents in collaboration with Merge Records and the Mountain Goats. http://ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com http://www.nightvalepresents.com

Our next season won’t be out until sometime next spring, so to hold you over, here’s a recording of our first ever live show at Thalia Hall in Chicago, featuring special guest Danny Schmidt covering “Steal Smoked Fish.” Special thanks to The Onion Comedy Festival for having us. Buy the full cover album from season one digitally or on vinyl today. I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats t-shirts and tote bags now available – perfect for holiday giving. Learn more about John Darnielle’s two novels here. Listen to more music by the Mountain Goats, including their latest album Goths, here. Check out Joseph Fink’s other shows, Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead. His second novel with Jeffrey Cranor, It Devours!, is out now, and you can pre-order his next novel, Alice Isn’t Dead, today. Credits: Joseph Fink (host), John Darnielle (host), Christy Gressman (producer), Grant Stewart (editor), Vincent Cacchione (mixer), Rob Wilson (logo). Produced by Night Vale Presents in collaboration with Merge Records and the Mountain Goats. http://ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com http://www.nightvalepresents.com

A collaboration between Night Vale Presents, the Mountain Goats, and Merge Records, I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats is a podcast about what it means to be an artist, what it means to be a fan, and what it means to be, as many people are, both at once. Hosted by Joseph Fink, creator of Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead, and one of his artistic heroes, John Darnielle, lead singer of the Mountain Goats, Season Two of the podcast explores the process of writing, recording, and releasing the Mountain Goats’ latest album, In League With Dragons, out April 26 on Merge Records. Recorded over several months while the album was in progress, this season gives us an unprecedented look at the creative process as it is happening, including the original demos for every single track on the album. Season Two of I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats premieres April 4, 2019. From Night Vale Presents. Produced by Christy Gressman.

A collaboration between Night Vale Presents, the Mountain Goats, and Merge Records, I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats is a podcast about what it means to be an artist, what it means to be a fan, and what it means to be, as many people are, both at once. Hosted by Joseph Fink, creator of Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead, and one of his artistic heroes, John Darnielle, lead singer of the Mountain Goats, Season Two of the podcast explores the process of writing, recording, and releasing the Mountain Goats’ latest album, In League With Dragons, out April 26 on Merge Records. Recorded over several months while the album was in progress, this season gives us an unprecedented look at the creative process as it is happening, including the original demos for every single track on the album.Season Two of I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats premieres on April 4, 2019, with weekly episodes through April 25 and biweekly episodes thereafter.For more information, go to ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com.From Night Vale Presents. Produced by Christy Gressman.

For the first time ever, a single is being released simultaneously with an hour-long discussion of the making of the song. In our first full episode of the season, John and Joseph discuss Sicilian Crest, the last song on the Mountain Goats’ upcoming album, In League With Dragons, out April 26 on Merge Records. We will be sharing weekly episodes through April 25 and biweekly episodes thereafter. For more information, go to ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com, and to pre-order the album, go to mergerecords.com/in-league-with-dragons. From Night Vale Presents. Produced by Christy Gressman.