Jump to content

John Darnielle: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→‎Early life: added refs
ce
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|American singer-songwriter}}
{{short description|American singer-songwriter}}

{{Lead too short|date=January 2023}}
{{Lead too short|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2020}}
Line 45: Line 44:
==Early life==
==Early life==
{{BLP sources section|date=March 2017}}
{{BLP sources section|date=March 2017}}
Born in [[Bloomington, Indiana]], Darnielle grew up in [[San Luis Obispo, California|San Luis Obispo]] and then [[Claremont, California]] with an abusive stepfather.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rodrick|first1=Stephen|title=God & Worshipper: A Rock-and-Roll Love Story, of Sorts|url=https://nymag.com/arts/popmusic/features/55031/|website=NYMag.com|publisher=New York Magazine|access-date=April 27, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2011/04/spin-interview-john-darnielle/|title=The SPIN Interview: John Darnielle|last=Gross|first=Joe|date=April 1, 2011|website=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|access-date=January 31, 2023}}</ref> The Mountain Goats' 2005 album ''[[The Sunset Tree]]'' is dedicated to his stepfather and frequently references the dysfunction of his upbringing.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Carl|author-link=Carl Wilson (writer)|date=May 7, 2005|title=He's finally confessed, so hold on|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/hes-finally-confessed-so-hold-on/article18226562/|newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]]|access-date=January 31, 2023}}</ref>
Born in [[Bloomington, Indiana]], Darnielle grew up in [[San Luis Obispo, California|San Luis Obispo]] and then [[Claremont, California]] with an abusive stepfather.<ref>{{cite web|last=Rodrick|first=Stephen|title=God & Worshipper: A Rock-and-Roll Love Story, of Sorts|url=https://nymag.com/arts/popmusic/features/55031/|website=NYMag.com|publisher=New York Magazine|access-date=April 27, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2011/04/spin-interview-john-darnielle/|title=The SPIN Interview: John Darnielle|last=Gross|first=Joe|date=April 1, 2011|website=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|access-date=January 31, 2023}}</ref> The Mountain Goats' 2005 album ''[[The Sunset Tree]]'' is dedicated to his stepfather and frequently references the dysfunction of his upbringing.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Carl|author-link=Carl Wilson (writer)|date=May 7, 2005|title=He's finally confessed, so hold on|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/hes-finally-confessed-so-hold-on/article18226562/|newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]]|access-date=January 31, 2023}}</ref>


Darnielle often attended [[professional wrestling]] matches with his stepfather at the [[Grand Olympic Auditorium]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rodrick|first1=Stephen|title=We Took The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle To His First Pro Wrestling Show In 35 Years|date=April 2015 |url=https://www.stereogum.com/1788418/we-took-the-mountain-goats-john-darnielle-to-his-first-pro-wrestling-show-in-35-years/franchises/cover-story/|publisher=Stereogum|access-date=March 12, 2019}}</ref> There, he developed a passion for the sport and local wrestlers like [[Chavo Guerrero Sr.]] His childhood love of wrestling would go on to inspire the Mountain Goats' album ''[[Beat the Champ]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-02-27 |title=John Darnielle: pro wrestling is real the way fiction is real |url=http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/feb/27/john-darnielle-pro-wrestling-is-real-the-way-fiction-is-real |access-date=2022-03-11 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref>
Darnielle often attended [[professional wrestling]] matches with his stepfather at the [[Grand Olympic Auditorium]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Breihan|first=Tom|title=We Took The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle To His First Pro Wrestling Show In 35 Years|date=April 2015|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1788418/we-took-the-mountain-goats-john-darnielle-to-his-first-pro-wrestling-show-in-35-years/franchises/cover-story/|website=[[Stereogum]]|access-date=March 12, 2019}}</ref> There, he developed a passion for the sport and local wrestlers like [[Chavo Guerrero Sr.]] His childhood love of wrestling would go on to inspire the Mountain Goats' album ''[[Beat the Champ]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 27, 2015 |title=John Darnielle: pro wrestling is real the way fiction is real |url=http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/feb/27/john-darnielle-pro-wrestling-is-real-the-way-fiction-is-real |access-date=March 11, 2022 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>


Darnielle attended [[Claremont High School (California)|Claremont High School]], located in the [[Pomona Valley]] region of [[Southern California]]. For a short time after high school, he lived in [[Portland, Oregon]], where he developed an addiction to intravenous [[methamphetamine]] and other hard drugs (as referenced in ''[[We Shall All Be Healed]]'').<ref>{{Cite web |title=Episode 366 - John Darnielle |url=http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/episode_366_-_john_darnielle |access-date=2022-03-11 |website=WTF with Marc Maron Podcast |language=en-US}}</ref> Darnielle worked in the psychiatric ward at the [[Metropolitan State Hospital (California)|Metropolitan State Hospital]] in [[Norwalk, California]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-slow-climb-how-the-mountain-goats-john-darnielle-became-the-best-storyteller-in-rock-227793/|title=How John Darnielle Became Rock's Best Storyteller|first1=Christian|last1=Hoard|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=April 7, 2015}}</ref> Darnielle attended [[Pitzer College]] from 1991 to 1995, graduating as a double major in Classics and English.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Rosner|first=Helen|author-link=Helen Rosner|date=April 24, 2022|title=John Darnielle Wants to Tell You a Story|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/john-darnielle-wants-to-tell-you-a-story|url-access=limited|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|access-date=January 31, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=September 26, 204|title=John Darnielle '95 Novel ''Wolf in White Van'' Nominated for National Book Award|url=https://www.pitzer.edu/communications/2014/09/26/john-darnielle-95-novel-wolf-white-van-nominated-national-book-award/|work=Pitzer.edu|location=Claremont, California|access-date=January 31, 2023}}</ref>
Darnielle attended [[Claremont High School (California)|Claremont High School]], located in the [[Pomona Valley]] region of [[Southern California]]. For a short time after high school, he lived in [[Portland, Oregon]], where he developed an addiction to intravenous [[methamphetamine]] and other hard drugs (as referenced in ''[[We Shall All Be Healed]]'').<ref>{{Cite web |title=Episode 366 - John Darnielle |url=http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/episode_366_-_john_darnielle |access-date=March 11, 2022 |website=WTF with Marc Maron Podcast |language=en-US}}</ref> Darnielle worked in the psychiatric ward at the [[Metropolitan State Hospital (California)|Metropolitan State Hospital]] in [[Norwalk, California]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-slow-climb-how-the-mountain-goats-john-darnielle-became-the-best-storyteller-in-rock-227793/|title=How John Darnielle Became Rock's Best Storyteller|first=Christian|last=Hoard|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=April 7, 2015}}</ref> Darnielle attended [[Pitzer College]] from 1991 to 1995, graduating as a double major in Classics and English.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Rosner|first=Helen|author-link=Helen Rosner|date=April 24, 2022|title=John Darnielle Wants to Tell You a Story|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/john-darnielle-wants-to-tell-you-a-story|url-access=limited|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|access-date=January 31, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=September 26, 204|title=John Darnielle '95 Novel ''Wolf in White Van'' Nominated for National Book Award|url=https://www.pitzer.edu/communications/2014/09/26/john-darnielle-95-novel-wolf-white-van-nominated-national-book-award/|work=Pitzer.edu|location=Claremont, California|access-date=January 31, 2023}}</ref>


Throughout his college education, he continued to record music. In 1992, Dennis Callaci, a friend of Darnielle's and owner of [[Shrimper Records]], released a tape of Darnielle's songs called ''[[Taboo VI: The Homecoming]]''. Around that time, the Mountain Goats were born and began touring with just Darnielle on guitar and a bassist, first Rachel Ware and then [[Peter Hughes (musician)|Peter Hughes]].
Throughout his college education, he continued to record music. In 1992, Dennis Callaci, a friend of Darnielle's and owner of [[Shrimper Records]], released a tape of Darnielle's songs called ''[[Taboo VI: The Homecoming]]''. Around that time, the Mountain Goats were born and began touring with just Darnielle on guitar and a bassist, first Rachel Ware and then [[Peter Hughes (musician)|Peter Hughes]].
Line 55: Line 54:
==Musical career==
==Musical career==
{{BLP sources section|date=October 2018}}
{{BLP sources section|date=October 2018}}
Darnielle is best known for his role in the band [[the Mountain Goats]]. Since starting the band in 1991, he has gained a cult following. Despite being dubbed a [[lo-fi music|low fidelity]] artist, Darnielle has always dubbed his work "bi-fi", pointing out that recordings such as his couldn't be made without modern technology.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=SF Weekly |date=1996-09-18 |title=It's a Bi-Fi World |url=https://www.sfweekly.com/music/its-a-bi-fi-world/ |access-date=2022-03-11 |website=SF Weekly |language=en-US}}</ref> He is known for his prolific output and literary lyrics. [[Sasha Frere-Jones]], writing in ''[[The New Yorker]]'', referred to him as "America’s best non-hip-hop lyricist".<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Frere-Jones |first=Sasha |url=https://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/05/16/050516crmu_music |title=The Declaimers |magazine=The New Yorker |date=May 16, 2005 |access-date=December 26, 2011}}</ref> In its June 2006 issue, ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' magazine named Darnielle one of the "100 Best Living Songwriters".<ref>{{cite web|title=Paste's 100 Best Living Songwriters #81–90|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2006/06/pastes-100-best-living-songwriters-8190.html|publisher=Paste|access-date=December 26, 2011|date=June 14, 2006}}</ref>
Darnielle is best known for his role in the band [[the Mountain Goats]]. Since starting the band in 1991, he has gained a cult following. Despite being dubbed a [[lo-fi music|low fidelity]] artist, Darnielle has always dubbed his work "bi-fi", pointing out that recordings such as his couldn't be made without modern technology.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=SF Weekly |date=September 18, 1996 |title=It's a Bi-Fi World |url=https://www.sfweekly.com/music/its-a-bi-fi-world/ |access-date=March 11, 2022 |website=SF Weekly |language=en-US}}</ref> He is known for his prolific output and literary lyrics. [[Sasha Frere-Jones]], writing in ''[[The New Yorker]]'', referred to him as "America's best non-hip-hop lyricist".<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Frere-Jones |first=Sasha |url=https://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/05/16/050516crmu_music |title=The Declaimers |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |date=May 16, 2005 |access-date=December 26, 2011}}</ref> In its June 2006 issue, ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' magazine named Darnielle one of the "100 Best Living Songwriters".<ref>{{cite web|title=Paste's 100 Best Living Songwriters #81–90|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2006/06/pastes-100-best-living-songwriters-8190.html|website=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]|access-date=December 26, 2011|date=June 14, 2006}}</ref>


Darnielle has several series of songs with similar titles or storylines. A series entitled "Going To..." features small stories about various places and includes songs such as "Going to Cleveland", "Going to Maryland", "Going to Georgia", and "Going to Queens".<ref name="annotatedtmg">{{cite web|url=https://annotatedtmg.org/series.html#goingto|website=annotatedtmg.org|title=annotatedtmg.org/series.html#goingto|access-date=January 14, 2022}}</ref> This series explores the futility of running away from one's problems in stark and cryptic detail. There is no reoccurring main character or strong thematic subject linking these similarly titled tracks, and in a 1997 interview with KJHK-Lawrence, Darnielle has described the series as "real loose, though. it's real loose".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.themountaingoats.net/misc/kjhk.html |title=Interview with john darnielle on KJHK-lawrence |website=www.themountaingoats.net |access-date=January 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011019150430/http://www.themountaingoats.net/misc/kjhk.html |archive-date=October 19, 2001 |url-status=dead}}</ref> His "Alpha" series predates his musical career and began as a collection of poems called 'Songs from Alpha Primitive'.<ref name="tumblr">{{cite web|url=https://johndarnielle.tumblr.com/post/53493520474/why-did-you-write-so-many-alpha-songs-did-you|website=johndarnielle.tumblr.com|title=William Caxton Fan Club • why did you write so many alpha songs? did you...|date=117 |access-date=January 14, 2022}}[[Wikipedia:SPS|{{sup|[''self-published'']}}]]</ref> It is about a distressed couple's marriage and history, with such song titles as "Alpha Incipiens", "Alphabetizing", and "Alpha Rats Nest". The band's 2002 album ''[[Tallahassee (album)|Tallahassee]]'' was exclusively about the couple. "Their broader story", Darnielle writes, "involved an alcohol-soaked trek from California through Nevada and then bottom-crawling across the country until they wound up in northern Florida".<ref name="tumblr2">{{cite web|url=https://johndarnielle.tumblr.com/post/46335170309/the-sleeve-that-held-the-boarding-pass-from-my|website=johndarnielle.tumblr.com|title=William Caxton Fan Club • the sleeve that held the boarding pass from my...|date=238 |access-date=January 14, 2022}}[[Wikipedia:SPS|{{sup|[''self-published'']}}]]</ref> Unless otherwise specified in the lyrics, the songs are intended to be sung by either member of the couple.<ref name="tumblr3">{{cite web|url=https://johndarnielle.tumblr.com/post/51682027488/hi-jd-so-long-as-were-sharing-parents-react-to|website=johndarnielle.tumblr.com|title=William Caxton Fan Club • Hi JD: So long as we're sharing Parents React to...|date=136 |access-date=January 14, 2022}}[[Wikipedia:SPS|{{sup|[''self-published'']}}]]</ref> There are a number of songs, not all containing the word 'alpha', that are generally considered to be part of the series, and are explored in more detail on Kyle Barbour's site 'The Annotated Mountain Goats.<ref name="annotatedtmg2">{{cite web|url=https://annotatedtmg.org/series.html#alpha|website=annotatedtmg.org|title=annotatedtmg.org/series.html#alpha|access-date=January 14, 2022}}</ref>
Darnielle has several series of songs with similar titles or storylines. A series entitled "Going To..." features small stories about various places and includes songs such as "Going to Cleveland", "Going to Maryland", "Going to Georgia", and "Going to Queens".<ref name="annotatedtmg">{{cite web|url=https://annotatedtmg.org/series.html#goingto|website=annotatedtmg.org|title=annotatedtmg.org/series.html#goingto|access-date=January 14, 2022}}</ref> This series explores the futility of running away from one's problems in stark and cryptic detail. There is no reoccurring main character or strong thematic subject linking these similarly titled tracks, and in a 1997 interview with KJHK-Lawrence, Darnielle has described the series as "real loose, though. it's real loose".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.themountaingoats.net/misc/kjhk.html |title=Interview with john darnielle on KJHK-lawrence |website=www.themountaingoats.net |access-date=January 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011019150430/http://www.themountaingoats.net/misc/kjhk.html |archive-date=October 19, 2001 |url-status=dead}}</ref> His "Alpha" series predates his musical career and began as a collection of poems called 'Songs from Alpha Primitive'.<ref name="tumblr">{{cite web|url=https://johndarnielle.tumblr.com/post/53493520474/why-did-you-write-so-many-alpha-songs-did-you|website=johndarnielle.tumblr.com|title=William Caxton Fan Club • why did you write so many alpha songs? did you...|date=117 |access-date=January 14, 2022}}[[Wikipedia:SPS|{{sup|[''self-published'']}}]]</ref> It is about a distressed couple's marriage and history, with such song titles as "Alpha Incipiens", "Alphabetizing", and "Alpha Rats Nest". The band's 2002 album ''[[Tallahassee (album)|Tallahassee]]'' was exclusively about the couple. "Their broader story", Darnielle writes, "involved an alcohol-soaked trek from California through Nevada and then bottom-crawling across the country until they wound up in northern Florida".<ref name="tumblr2">{{cite web|url=https://johndarnielle.tumblr.com/post/46335170309/the-sleeve-that-held-the-boarding-pass-from-my|website=johndarnielle.tumblr.com|title=William Caxton Fan Club • the sleeve that held the boarding pass from my...|date=238 |access-date=January 14, 2022}}[[Wikipedia:SPS|{{sup|[''self-published'']}}]]</ref> Unless otherwise specified in the lyrics, the songs are intended to be sung by either member of the couple.<ref name="tumblr3">{{cite web|url=https://johndarnielle.tumblr.com/post/51682027488/hi-jd-so-long-as-were-sharing-parents-react-to|website=johndarnielle.tumblr.com|title=William Caxton Fan Club • Hi JD: So long as we're sharing Parents React to...|date=136 |access-date=January 14, 2022}}[[Wikipedia:SPS|{{sup|[''self-published'']}}]]</ref> There are a number of songs, not all containing the word 'alpha', that are generally considered to be part of the series, and are explored in more detail on Kyle Barbour's site 'The Annotated Mountain Goats.<ref name="annotatedtmg2">{{cite web|url=https://annotatedtmg.org/series.html#alpha|website=annotatedtmg.org|title=annotatedtmg.org/series.html#alpha|access-date=January 14, 2022}}</ref>
Line 78: Line 77:
Darnielle's first book, ''Black Sabbath: Master of Reality'', was published in April 2008 as part of the [[33⅓]] series.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://openlibrary.org/books/OL16897294M/Master_of_reality|title=Master of reality|first=John|last=Darnielle|date=November 19, 2008|publisher=Continuum|isbn=9780826428998 |ol=16897294M |via=The Open Library}}</ref> Unlike other entries in the series, which are non-fiction books that focus on an album's production or legacy, Darnielle's book on ''[[Master of Reality]]'' was instead a fictional narrative in the form of a novella, centering around a young man held in a psychiatric facility in the mid-1980s who is attempting to retrieve his confiscated [[Walkman]] and tape of the album.<ref>{{cite web|title=Book Review: 33 1/3: Black Sabbath's Master of Reality by John Darnielle|url=http://www.tinymixtapes.com/features/book-review-33-13-black-sabbath8217s-master-reality-john-darnielle|website=Tiny Mix Tapes|access-date=January 10, 2017}}</ref>
Darnielle's first book, ''Black Sabbath: Master of Reality'', was published in April 2008 as part of the [[33⅓]] series.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://openlibrary.org/books/OL16897294M/Master_of_reality|title=Master of reality|first=John|last=Darnielle|date=November 19, 2008|publisher=Continuum|isbn=9780826428998 |ol=16897294M |via=The Open Library}}</ref> Unlike other entries in the series, which are non-fiction books that focus on an album's production or legacy, Darnielle's book on ''[[Master of Reality]]'' was instead a fictional narrative in the form of a novella, centering around a young man held in a psychiatric facility in the mid-1980s who is attempting to retrieve his confiscated [[Walkman]] and tape of the album.<ref>{{cite web|title=Book Review: 33 1/3: Black Sabbath's Master of Reality by John Darnielle|url=http://www.tinymixtapes.com/features/book-review-33-13-black-sabbath8217s-master-reality-john-darnielle|website=Tiny Mix Tapes|access-date=January 10, 2017}}</ref>


Darnielle's first novel, titled ''[[Wolf in White Van]]'', was published on September 16, 2014,<ref>{{Cite book |isbn = 978-0374292089|title = Wolf in White Van: A Novel|last1 = Darnielle|first1 = John|date = September 16, 2014}}</ref> and was nominated for the [[National Book Award for Fiction]] two days later.<ref>{{cite web|title=2014 Longlists for the National Book Awards|url=https://www.nationalbook.org/awards-prizes/national-book-awards-2014#.VBx36CiZorU|publisher=National Book Foundation|access-date=September 19, 2014|date=September 18, 2014}}</ref> His second novel, ''[[Universal Harvester]]'', was published on February 7, 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/08/mountain-goats-john-darnielle-details-new-novel-universal-harvester/|title=Mountain Goats' John Darnielle details new novel, Universal Harvester|date=August 1, 2016|language=en-US|access-date=September 30, 2016}}</ref> Darnielle's third novel, ''[[Devil House]]'', was published on January 25, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/devil-house-john-darnielle-novel-review-mountain-goats-1848397972|title=John Darnielle untangles the knotty ethics of true crime in the fictional Devil House|website=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=January 25, 2022|language=en-US|access-date=January 25, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |isbn = 978-0374717674|title = Devil House|last1 = Darnielle|first1 = John|date = January 25, 2022}}</ref> One year later, it was nominated for an [[Edgar_Awards|Edgar Award]] for Best Novel.<ref>{{cite web|title=2023 Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominations
Darnielle's first novel, titled ''[[Wolf in White Van]]'', was published on September 16, 2014,<ref>{{Cite book |isbn = 978-0374292089|title = Wolf in White Van: A Novel|last = Darnielle|first = John|date = September 16, 2014}}</ref> and was nominated for the [[National Book Award for Fiction]] two days later.<ref>{{cite web|title=2014 Longlists for the National Book Awards|url=https://www.nationalbook.org/awards-prizes/national-book-awards-2014#.VBx36CiZorU|publisher=National Book Foundation|access-date=September 19, 2014|date=September 18, 2014}}</ref> His second novel, ''[[Universal Harvester]]'', was published on February 7, 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/08/mountain-goats-john-darnielle-details-new-novel-universal-harvester/|title=Mountain Goats' John Darnielle details new novel, Universal Harvester|date=August 1, 2016|language=en-US|access-date=September 30, 2016}}</ref> Darnielle's third novel, ''[[Devil House]]'', was published on January 25, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/devil-house-john-darnielle-novel-review-mountain-goats-1848397972|title=John Darnielle untangles the knotty ethics of true crime in the fictional Devil House|website=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=January 25, 2022|language=en-US|access-date=January 25, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |isbn = 978-0374717674|title = Devil House|last = Darnielle|first = John|date = January 25, 2022}}</ref> One year later, it was nominated for an [[Edgar_Awards|Edgar Award]] for Best Novel.<ref>{{cite web|title=2023 Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominations
|url=https://edgarawards.com/2023edgarnominations/|publisher=Mystery Writers of America|access-date=January 20, 2023|date=January 19, 2023}}</ref>
|url=https://edgarawards.com/2023edgarnominations/|publisher=Mystery Writers of America|access-date=January 20, 2023|date=January 19, 2023}}</ref>


Line 99: Line 98:
Darnielle has lived in [[Grinnell, Iowa]]; [[Colo, Iowa]]; [[Ames, Iowa]]; [[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]]; [[Portland, Oregon]]; and [[Milpitas, California]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}} He currently resides in [[Durham, North Carolina]] with his wife Lalitree Darnielle, a botanist and photographer (who was featured playing the [[banjo]] in the band's 1998 EP ''[[New Asian Cinema]]''<ref name="artistdirect">{{cite web|url=http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,1650670,00.html|author=artist direct|title=New Asian Cinema (album)|website=ARTISTdirect|access-date=January 14, 2022}}</ref>), and sons Roman and Moses.
Darnielle has lived in [[Grinnell, Iowa]]; [[Colo, Iowa]]; [[Ames, Iowa]]; [[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]]; [[Portland, Oregon]]; and [[Milpitas, California]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}} He currently resides in [[Durham, North Carolina]] with his wife Lalitree Darnielle, a botanist and photographer (who was featured playing the [[banjo]] in the band's 1998 EP ''[[New Asian Cinema]]''<ref name="artistdirect">{{cite web|url=http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,1650670,00.html|author=artist direct|title=New Asian Cinema (album)|website=ARTISTdirect|access-date=January 14, 2022}}</ref>), and sons Roman and Moses.


Darnielle prays regularly and identifies as a Christian.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Joffe |first1=Justin |title=The Mountain Goats on Going 'Goth,' Christianity and the Age of Trump |url=https://observer.com/2017/05/mountain-goats-band-john-darnielle-interview/ |website=Observer.com |date=May 18, 2017 |publisher=Observer |access-date=November 5, 2018}}</ref> His music often includes religious themes, including ''[[The Life of the World to Come (album)|The Life of the World to Come]]'', on which each song is named after a Bible verse. He is a fan of Christian singers [[Amy Grant]] and [[Rich Mullins]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shellnut |first1=Kate |title=The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle Loves Amy Grant, Rich Mullins, and the Book of Jonah |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/august-web-only/mountain-goats-john-darnielle-loves-amy-grant-rich-mullins-.html |website=Christianity Today |access-date=October 11, 2018}}</ref>
Darnielle prays regularly and identifies as a Christian.<ref>{{cite web |last=Joffe |first=Justin |title=The Mountain Goats on Going 'Goth,' Christianity and the Age of Trump |url=https://observer.com/2017/05/mountain-goats-band-john-darnielle-interview/ |website=[[The New York Observer|Observer.com]] |date=May 18, 2017 |access-date=November 5, 2018}}</ref> His music often includes religious themes, including ''[[The Life of the World to Come (album)|The Life of the World to Come]]'', on which each song is named after a Bible verse. He is a fan of Christian singers [[Amy Grant]] and [[Rich Mullins]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Shellnut |first=Kate |title=The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle Loves Amy Grant, Rich Mullins, and the Book of Jonah |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/august-web-only/mountain-goats-john-darnielle-loves-amy-grant-rich-mullins-.html |website=Christianity Today |access-date=October 11, 2018}}</ref>


===Activism===
===Activism===
Darnielle became a [[vegetarian]] in 1996 and by 2007 identified as a [[vegan]].<ref>{{cite web|title=John Darnielle|url=http://veganradio.com/bumper/john-darnielle|publisher=Vegan Radio|access-date=December 26, 2011}}</ref> In the same year, he performed at a benefit for the animal welfare organization [[Farm Sanctuary]] in Watkins Glen, New York. He performed again at Farm Sanctuary in 2009.
Darnielle became a [[vegetarian]] in 1996 and by 2007 identified as a [[vegan]].<ref>{{cite web|title=John Darnielle|url=http://veganradio.com/bumper/john-darnielle|publisher=Vegan Radio|access-date=December 26, 2011}}</ref> In the same year, he performed at a benefit for the animal welfare organization [[Farm Sanctuary]] in Watkins Glen, New York. He performed again at Farm Sanctuary in 2009.


In 2011, Darnielle performed solo in support of [[Planned Parenthood]], at the Stand Up for Women's Health Rally in New York City.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Berihan|first=Tom|journal= [[Pitchfork Media]]|title=Video: The Mountain Goats and Kathleen Hanna Support Planned Parenthood at New York Rally|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/41737-video-the-mountain-goats-and-kathleen-hanna-support-planned-parenthood-at-new-york-rally/|publisher=Pitchfork Media, Inc.|date=March 2, 2011|access-date=July 1, 2015}}</ref> In an interview with [[BuzzFeed]], Darnielle identified himself as a [[feminist]], and was described as a "frequent Twitter commentator on women's issues, [[social justice]], and [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]]."<ref>{{cite interview |last=Darnielle |first=John |subject-link=John Darnielle |interviewer=Anna North |title=The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle On Pussy Riot, Feminism, And Joni Mitchell |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/annanorth/the-mountain-goats-john-darnielle-on-pussy-riot#.hcO78erJG|date=September 13, 2012|access-date=July 1, 2015}}</ref>
In 2011, Darnielle performed solo in support of [[Planned Parenthood]], at the Stand Up for Women's Health Rally in New York City.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Berihan|first=Tom|journal= [[Pitchfork Media]]|title=Video: The Mountain Goats and Kathleen Hanna Support Planned Parenthood at New York Rally|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/41737-video-the-mountain-goats-and-kathleen-hanna-support-planned-parenthood-at-new-york-rally/|publisher=Pitchfork Media, Inc.|date=March 2, 2011|access-date=July 1, 2015}}</ref> In an interview with [[BuzzFeed]], Darnielle identified himself as a [[feminist]], and was described as a "frequent Twitter commentator on women's issues, [[social justice]], and [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]]."<ref>{{cite interview |last=Darnielle |first=John |subject-link=John Darnielle |interviewer=Anna North |title=The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle On Pussy Riot, Feminism, And Joni Mitchell |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/annanorth/the-mountain-goats-john-darnielle-on-pussy-riot#.hcO78erJG|date=September 13, 2012|access-date=July 1, 2015}}</ref>


==Bands in which Darnielle has played==
==Bands in which Darnielle has played==

Revision as of 17:41, 31 January 2023

John Darnielle
Darnielle playing in St. Augustine, Florida, in 2010.
Darnielle playing in St. Augustine, Florida, in 2010.
Background information
Born (1967-03-16) March 16, 1967 (age 57)
Bloomington, Indiana, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, musician, novelist
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • piano
Years active1991–present

John Darnielle (/dɑːrˈniːl/;[1] born March 16, 1967)[2] is an American musician and novelist best known as the primary, and originally sole, member of the American band the Mountain Goats, for which he is the writer, composer, guitarist, pianist, and vocalist.[3] He has written three novels: Wolf in White Van (2014), Universal Harvester (2017), and Devil House (2022).

Early life

Born in Bloomington, Indiana, Darnielle grew up in San Luis Obispo and then Claremont, California with an abusive stepfather.[4][5] The Mountain Goats' 2005 album The Sunset Tree is dedicated to his stepfather and frequently references the dysfunction of his upbringing.[6]

Darnielle often attended professional wrestling matches with his stepfather at the Grand Olympic Auditorium.[7] There, he developed a passion for the sport and local wrestlers like Chavo Guerrero Sr. His childhood love of wrestling would go on to inspire the Mountain Goats' album Beat the Champ.[8]

Darnielle attended Claremont High School, located in the Pomona Valley region of Southern California. For a short time after high school, he lived in Portland, Oregon, where he developed an addiction to intravenous methamphetamine and other hard drugs (as referenced in We Shall All Be Healed).[9] Darnielle worked in the psychiatric ward at the Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk, California.[10] Darnielle attended Pitzer College from 1991 to 1995, graduating as a double major in Classics and English.[11][12]

Throughout his college education, he continued to record music. In 1992, Dennis Callaci, a friend of Darnielle's and owner of Shrimper Records, released a tape of Darnielle's songs called Taboo VI: The Homecoming. Around that time, the Mountain Goats were born and began touring with just Darnielle on guitar and a bassist, first Rachel Ware and then Peter Hughes.

Musical career

Darnielle is best known for his role in the band the Mountain Goats. Since starting the band in 1991, he has gained a cult following. Despite being dubbed a low fidelity artist, Darnielle has always dubbed his work "bi-fi", pointing out that recordings such as his couldn't be made without modern technology.[13] He is known for his prolific output and literary lyrics. Sasha Frere-Jones, writing in The New Yorker, referred to him as "America's best non-hip-hop lyricist".[14] In its June 2006 issue, Paste magazine named Darnielle one of the "100 Best Living Songwriters".[15]

Darnielle has several series of songs with similar titles or storylines. A series entitled "Going To..." features small stories about various places and includes songs such as "Going to Cleveland", "Going to Maryland", "Going to Georgia", and "Going to Queens".[16] This series explores the futility of running away from one's problems in stark and cryptic detail. There is no reoccurring main character or strong thematic subject linking these similarly titled tracks, and in a 1997 interview with KJHK-Lawrence, Darnielle has described the series as "real loose, though. it's real loose".[17] His "Alpha" series predates his musical career and began as a collection of poems called 'Songs from Alpha Primitive'.[18] It is about a distressed couple's marriage and history, with such song titles as "Alpha Incipiens", "Alphabetizing", and "Alpha Rats Nest". The band's 2002 album Tallahassee was exclusively about the couple. "Their broader story", Darnielle writes, "involved an alcohol-soaked trek from California through Nevada and then bottom-crawling across the country until they wound up in northern Florida".[19] Unless otherwise specified in the lyrics, the songs are intended to be sung by either member of the couple.[20] There are a number of songs, not all containing the word 'alpha', that are generally considered to be part of the series, and are explored in more detail on Kyle Barbour's site 'The Annotated Mountain Goats.[21]

Darnielle has stated that all songs written up to and including those on Tallahassee are fictional, but that We Shall All Be Healed, The Sunset Tree, and other more recent works are partially autobiographical.

Collaborations

Darnielle is featured on Aesop Rock's song "Coffee" (from the hip-hop artist's 2007 album None Shall Pass) and appears in the corresponding music video. Additionally, Aesop Rock remixed the Mountain Goats' "Lovecraft in Brooklyn".

He collaborated with John Vanderslice on lyrics for the 2005 album Pixel Revolt, and in 2009, Darnielle released a collaborative recording titled Moon Colony Bloodbath, after a shared tour with Vanderslice. They toured under the collective name The Comedians, though their recording is attributed to "the Mountain Goats and John Vanderslice".

In 2008, Darnielle released a tour-exclusive EP entitled Black Pear Tree EP, the result of a collaboration with tourmate Kaki King.

On September 20, 2010, Darnielle appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon with the band Superchunk (whose drummer, Jon Wurster, is also in the Mountain Goats). They performed the song "Digging for Something" with a positive reception.

Darnielle appeared on Kimya Dawson's 2011 album Thunder Thighs, featured on the song "Walk Like Thunder."

Writing

Darnielle giving a reading from Universal Harvester in 2018

Darnielle's first book, Black Sabbath: Master of Reality, was published in April 2008 as part of the 33⅓ series.[22] Unlike other entries in the series, which are non-fiction books that focus on an album's production or legacy, Darnielle's book on Master of Reality was instead a fictional narrative in the form of a novella, centering around a young man held in a psychiatric facility in the mid-1980s who is attempting to retrieve his confiscated Walkman and tape of the album.[23]

Darnielle's first novel, titled Wolf in White Van, was published on September 16, 2014,[24] and was nominated for the National Book Award for Fiction two days later.[25] His second novel, Universal Harvester, was published on February 7, 2017.[26] Darnielle's third novel, Devil House, was published on January 25, 2022.[27][28] One year later, it was nominated for an Edgar Award for Best Novel.[29]

From 2004 to 2011 Darnielle created and wrote the webzine Last Plane To Jakarta,[30] citing other projects as the reason for its abandonment.[31] He writes the "South Pole Dispatch" feature in Decibel Magazine every month.[32] Darnielle also guest edited the poetry section of The Mays, an anthology of the best creative work coming out of Oxford and Cambridge.[citation needed]

Darnielle wrote the introduction to the June 2016 book The Empty Bottle Chicago: 21+ Years of Music / Friendly / Dancing, about the eponymous nightclub.[33][34]

Podcasting

In 2012, Darnielle guest starred in John Hodgman's podcast Judge John Hodgman serving as an expert witness[35][36][37] and musical guest.[37]

Since 2017 he has co-hosted the podcast "I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats" with Joseph Fink. Each episode of the podcast explores one Mountain Goats song in great detail.[38]

In 2022, August 22nd and 24th Darnielle appeared as a guest on Margaret Killjoy's podcast "Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff". Darnielle appeared on the episodes "The Diggers, the Levelers, the Ranters and John Darnielle" part one and two.[39]

Acting

In January 2023, Darnielle made his acting debut in "Rest in Metal", the fourth episode of Rian Johnson's television series Poker Face. He portrayed Al, a member of a one-hit-wonder metal band called Doxxology.[40]

Personal life

Darnielle has lived in Grinnell, Iowa; Colo, Iowa; Ames, Iowa; Chicago, Illinois; Portland, Oregon; and Milpitas, California.[citation needed] He currently resides in Durham, North Carolina with his wife Lalitree Darnielle, a botanist and photographer (who was featured playing the banjo in the band's 1998 EP New Asian Cinema[41]), and sons Roman and Moses.

Darnielle prays regularly and identifies as a Christian.[42] His music often includes religious themes, including The Life of the World to Come, on which each song is named after a Bible verse. He is a fan of Christian singers Amy Grant and Rich Mullins.[43]

Activism

Darnielle became a vegetarian in 1996 and by 2007 identified as a vegan.[44] In the same year, he performed at a benefit for the animal welfare organization Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York. He performed again at Farm Sanctuary in 2009.

In 2011, Darnielle performed solo in support of Planned Parenthood, at the Stand Up for Women's Health Rally in New York City.[45] In an interview with BuzzFeed, Darnielle identified himself as a feminist, and was described as a "frequent Twitter commentator on women's issues, social justice, and heavy metal."[46]

Bands in which Darnielle has played

Darnielle is also a member or former member of the following bands:

Bibliography

Novels

Novellas

  • Black Sabbath: Master of Reality (2008)

References

  1. ^ uhm, John Darnielle? the Mountain Goats Forums.
  2. ^ The Mountain Goats [@mountain_goats] (March 16, 2013). "@credfm thank you! '67 though!!!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ^ Denney, Alex (January 15, 2008). "Playing for Pride: John Darnielle speaks out on the Mountain Goats' new record". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on January 17, 2008.
  4. ^ Rodrick, Stephen. "God & Worshipper: A Rock-and-Roll Love Story, of Sorts". NYMag.com. New York Magazine. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  5. ^ Gross, Joe (April 1, 2011). "The SPIN Interview: John Darnielle". Spin. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  6. ^ Wilson, Carl (May 7, 2005). "He's finally confessed, so hold on". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  7. ^ Breihan, Tom (April 2015). "We Took The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle To His First Pro Wrestling Show In 35 Years". Stereogum. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  8. ^ "John Darnielle: pro wrestling is real the way fiction is real". The Guardian. February 27, 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  9. ^ "Episode 366 - John Darnielle". WTF with Marc Maron Podcast. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  10. ^ Hoard, Christian (April 7, 2015). "How John Darnielle Became Rock's Best Storyteller". Rolling Stone.
  11. ^ Rosner, Helen (April 24, 2022). "John Darnielle Wants to Tell You a Story". The New Yorker. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  12. ^ "John Darnielle '95 Novel Wolf in White Van Nominated for National Book Award". Pitzer.edu. Claremont, California. September 26, 204. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  13. ^ Staff, SF Weekly (September 18, 1996). "It's a Bi-Fi World". SF Weekly. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  14. ^ Frere-Jones, Sasha (May 16, 2005). "The Declaimers". The New Yorker. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  15. ^ "Paste's 100 Best Living Songwriters #81–90". Paste. June 14, 2006. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  16. ^ "annotatedtmg.org/series.html#goingto". annotatedtmg.org. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  17. ^ "Interview with john darnielle on KJHK-lawrence". www.themountaingoats.net. Archived from the original on October 19, 2001. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  18. ^ "William Caxton Fan Club • why did you write so many alpha songs? did you..." johndarnielle.tumblr.com. 117. Retrieved January 14, 2022.[self-published]
  19. ^ "William Caxton Fan Club • the sleeve that held the boarding pass from my..." johndarnielle.tumblr.com. 238. Retrieved January 14, 2022.[self-published]
  20. ^ "William Caxton Fan Club • Hi JD: So long as we're sharing Parents React to..." johndarnielle.tumblr.com. 136. Retrieved January 14, 2022.[self-published]
  21. ^ "annotatedtmg.org/series.html#alpha". annotatedtmg.org. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  22. ^ Darnielle, John (November 19, 2008). Master of reality. Continuum. ISBN 9780826428998. OL 16897294M – via The Open Library.
  23. ^ "Book Review: 33 1/3: Black Sabbath's Master of Reality by John Darnielle". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  24. ^ Darnielle, John (September 16, 2014). Wolf in White Van: A Novel. ISBN 978-0374292089.
  25. ^ "2014 Longlists for the National Book Awards". National Book Foundation. September 18, 2014. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  26. ^ "Mountain Goats' John Darnielle details new novel, Universal Harvester". August 1, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  27. ^ "John Darnielle untangles the knotty ethics of true crime in the fictional Devil House". The A.V. Club. January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  28. ^ Darnielle, John (January 25, 2022). Devil House. ISBN 978-0374717674.
  29. ^ "2023 Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominations". Mystery Writers of America. January 19, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  30. ^ "Last Plane to Jakarta | Archive". lastplanetojakarta.com. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  31. ^ "Did you abandon the Last Plane to Jakarta?". William Caxton Fan Club. Retrieved May 15, 2016.[self-published]
  32. ^ "South Pole Discharge: John Darnielle's Metal Covers Set Is Nigh". Decibel Magazine. September 6, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  33. ^ "Curbside Splendor Publishing: The Empty Bottle Chicago: 21+ Years of Music / Friendly / Dancing". Curbside Splendor. 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
  34. ^ Dugan, John E. (June 2016). The Empty Bottle Chicago: 21+ Years of Music / Friendly / Dancing. Curbside Splendor. ISBN 978-1940430546.
  35. ^ MaxFun Intern (August 30, 2012). "Judge John Hodgman Episode 73: Gavelbangers Ball". Maximum Fun. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  36. ^ MaxFun Intern (September 6, 2012). "Judge John Hodgman Episode 74: The Split Screen Decision". Maximum Fun. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  37. ^ a b MaxFun Intern (January 2, 2013). "Judge John Hodgman LIVE at SF Sketchfest". Maximum Fun. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
  38. ^ Quah, Nicholas (June 22, 2017). "The Studio Behind Welcome to Night Vale Is Debuting Two New Nonfiction Podcasts". Vulture.
  39. ^ @magpiekilljoy (August 22, 2022). "on this week's Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff, I talk to @mountain_goats about the Levellers, the Diggers, and the Ranters, some of the 17th century radicals who wanted to get rid of kings, farm communally, and abolish the concept of sin, respectively" (Tweet). Retrieved August 24, 2022 – via Twitter.
  40. ^ Torres, Eric (January 27, 2023). "How John Darnielle Ended Up on TV's Poker Face". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  41. ^ artist direct. "New Asian Cinema (album)". ARTISTdirect. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  42. ^ Joffe, Justin (May 18, 2017). "The Mountain Goats on Going 'Goth,' Christianity and the Age of Trump". Observer.com. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  43. ^ Shellnut, Kate. "The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle Loves Amy Grant, Rich Mullins, and the Book of Jonah". Christianity Today. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  44. ^ "John Darnielle". Vegan Radio. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  45. ^ Berihan, Tom (March 2, 2011). "Video: The Mountain Goats and Kathleen Hanna Support Planned Parenthood at New York Rally". Pitchfork Media. Pitchfork Media, Inc. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  46. ^ Darnielle, John (September 13, 2012). "The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle On Pussy Riot, Feminism, And Joni Mitchell" (Interview). Interviewed by Anna North. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to John Darnielle.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Darnielle&oldid=1136695537"