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

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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

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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

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“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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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