I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats
Welcome to Night Vale creator Joseph Fink and the Mountain Goats singer/songwriter John Darnielle discuss what it means to be an artist, a fan, and both at once.
Night Vale Presents
Show overview
I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats has been publishing since 2017, and across the 2 years since has built a catalogue of 37 episodes, alongside 2 trailers or bonus episodes. That works out to roughly 30 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a monthly cadence, with the show now in its 2nd season.
Episodes typically run thirty-five to sixty minutes — most land between 43 min and 55 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Music show.
The catalogue appears to be on hiatus or wound down — the most recent episode landed 6.5 years ago, with no new episodes in over a year. The busiest year was 2019, with 20 episodes published. Published by Night Vale Presents.
From the publisher
Welcome to Night Vale creator Joseph Fink and the Mountain Goats singer/songwriter John Darnielle discuss what it means to be an artist, a fan, and, as many people are, both at once. Season Two explores the process of writing, recording, and releasing the Mountain Goats’ latest album, In League With Dragons, giving you an unprecedented look at the creative process as it is happening.
Latest Episodes
View all 37 episodes
S2 Ep 19219: Hand of Death
We’ve reached the end of the season, and we saved the first song written for this album for last. Today, John and Joseph have one more conversation about what it means to be a fan, an artist, and both at once — and talk about “Hand of Death,” which never actually made it onto the Mountain Goats’ In League with Dragons. Featuring an exclusive demo of the song. The Mountain Goats’ In League With Dragons is out now on Merge Records. Get it at mergerecords.com/in-league-with-dragons. For more information, go to ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com. From Night Vale Presents. Produced by Christy Gressman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 Ep 18218: In League with Dragons
John and Joseph talk touring, books, and the title track from the Mountain Goats’ In League with Dragons. Featuring an exclusive demo of the song. The Mountain Goats’ In League With Dragons is out now on Merge Records. Get it at mergerecords.com/in-league-with-dragons. For more information, go to ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com. From Night Vale Presents. Produced by Christy Gressman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 Ep 17217: Maureen Johnson
Writer Maureen Johnson gets loopy with a very tired Joseph and John on today’s episode. The Mountain Goats’* In League With Dragons* is out now on Merge Records. Get it at mergerecords.com/in-league-with-dragons. For more information, go to ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com. From Night Vale Presents. Produced by Christy Gressman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 Ep 16216: Doc Gooden
On today’s episode, John and Joseph talk baseball, tragedy, and rhythm — and Doc Gooden from the Mountain Goats’ latest album, In League With Dragons. Featuring an exclusive demo of the song. In League With Dragons is out now on Merge Records. Get it at mergerecords.com/in-league-with-dragons. For more information, go to ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com. From Night Vale Presents. Produced by Christy Gressman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 Ep 15215: Passaic 1975
This week, Mal Blum sticks around to talk Black Sabbath, touring, live albums, and Passaic 1975 from the Mountain Goats’ latest album, In League With Dragons. Featuring an exclusive demo of the song. In League With Dragons is out now on Merge Records. Get it at mergerecords.com/in-league-with-dragons. For more information, go to ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com. From Night Vale Presents. Produced by Christy Gressman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 Ep 14214: Mal Blum
Mal Blum joins John and Joseph to talk about making a living as an artist and their relationship with fans. Check out Mal Blum’s latest album, Pity Boy, here: https://lnk.to/Pityboy. And for more Mal, go to malblum.com. The Mountain Goats’ In League With Dragons is out now on Merge Records. Get it at mergerecords.com/in-league-with-dragons. For more information, go to ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com. From Night Vale Presents. Produced by Christy Gressman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 Ep 13213: Clemency for the Wizard King
Joseph and John talk writing, musicals, mythology, and Clemency for the Wizard King from the Mountain Goats’ latest album, In League With Dragons. Featuring an exclusive demo of the song. In League With Dragons is out now on Merge Records. Get it at mergerecords.com/in-league-with-dragons. For more information, go to ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com. From Night Vale Presents. Produced by Christy Gressman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 Ep 12212: Waylon Jennings Live!
John and Joseph are back in Brooklyn to discuss outlaw country, public figures in decline, and Waylon Jennings Live! from the Mountain Goats’ new album, In League With Dragons. Featuring an exclusive demo of the song. In League With Dragons is out now on Merge Records. Get it at mergerecords.com/in-league-with-dragons. For more information, go to ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com. From Night Vale Presents. Produced by Christy Gressman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 Ep 11211: Possum by Night
This week, John and Joseph discuss an important point of real artistic disagreement between the two of them, cute animals, and Possum by Night from the Mountain Goats’ new album, In League With Dragons. Featuring an exclusive demo of the song. In League With Dragons is out now on Merge Records. Get it at mergerecords.com/in-league-with-dragons. For more information, go to ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com. From Night Vale Presents. Produced by Christy Gressman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 Ep 10210: Divided Sky Lane
Today Joseph and John talk time signatures, why great songs don’t always make it onto great albums, and Divided Sky Lane, a song that didn’t end up on In League With Dragons. Featuring two versions of the song: the guitar version that was released as a bonus track earlier this month and a piano demo. The Mountain Goats’ new album, In League With Dragons, is out now on Merge Records. Get it at to mergerecords.com/in-league-with-dragons. For more information, go to ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com. From Night Vale Presents. Produced by Christy Gressman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 Ep 9209: Anja Keister and Iris Explosion
Anja Keister and Iris Explosion, creators of burlesque shows based on both the Mountain Goats and Welcome to Night Vale, talk with Joseph and John about burlesque, art, and fandom. I Only Strip to the Mountain Goats 2 — a drag, music, go-go, and burlesque show featuring Anja Keister — is this Saturday, July 6, 2019, at 7pm, at the Parkside Lounge (317 E. Houston St., Manhattan, NY 10002). For tickets: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4264407. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights, John Darnielle’s chosen charity for the show. The Mountain Goats’ new album, In League With Dragons, is out now on Merge Records. Get it at to mergerecords.com/in-league-with-dragons. For more information, go to ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com. From Night Vale Presents. Produced by Christy Gressman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 Ep 8208: Younger
In this episode, John and Joseph — with the help of a guitar, engineer Vincent Cacchione, and some prune hamentashen — walk through the evolution and production of Younger, from The Mountain Goats’ new album, In League With Dragons. Featuring an exclusive demo of the song. In League With Dragons is out now on Merge Records. Get it at to mergerecords.com/in-league-with-dragons. For more information, go to ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com. From Night Vale Presents. Produced by Christy Gressman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 Ep 7207: An Antidote for Strychnine
This week, John and Joseph talk about their relationships to work, art, and family, our attraction to dark imagery, and what An Antidote for Strychnine is really about. Featuring an exclusive demo of the song. The Mountain Goats’ new album, In League With Dragons, is out now on Merge Records. Get it at to mergerecords.com/in-league-with-dragons. For more information, go to ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com. From Night Vale Presents. Produced by Christy Gressman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 Ep 6206: PJ Vogt
On today’s episode, PJ Vogt of Reply All stops by the studio to talk with Joseph and John about story building and sword buying. We’ll be back with more song discussion and exclusive demos on our next episode. In the meantime, get the Mountain Goats’ new album, In League With Dragons, out now on Merge Records (mergerecords.com/in-league-with-dragons). For more information, go to ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com. From Night Vale Presents. Produced by Christy Gressman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 Ep 5205: Cadaver Sniffing Dog
This week, John Darnielle and Joseph Fink talk tea shops, guitar solos, expanding your musical vocabulary, and Cadaver Sniffing Dog from the Mountain Goats’ new album, In League With Dragons, out now on Merge Records. Featuring an exclusive demo version of the song. For more information, go to ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com, and to order the album, go to mergerecords.com/in-league-with-dragons. From Night Vale Presents. Produced by Christy Gressman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 Ep 4204: Going Invisible 2
John Darnielle and Joseph Fink discuss growth through destruction, the value of creative constraints, and Going Invisible 2 from the Mountain Goats’ upcoming album, In League With Dragons, out April 26 on Merge Records. Featuring an exclusive demo version of Going Invisible 2. Episodes will be released biweekly from this episode on. For more information, go to ionlylistentothemountaingoats.com, and to order the album, go to mergerecords.com/in-league-with-dragons. From Night Vale Presents. Produced by Christy Gressman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 Ep 3203: Done Bleeding
CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains mentions of addiction and self-harm. On today’s episode, Joseph Fink and John Darnielle talk leaving, learning how to live, and Done Bleeding, from the Mountain Goats’ upcoming album, In League With Dragons, out April 26 on Merge Records. Featuring an exclusive demo version of Done Bleeding. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 Ep 2202: Sicilian Crest
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 Ep 1201: Introduction
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Season 2 Trailer
trailerA 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices