When you punish a person for dreaming his dream, don't expect him to thank or forgive you.
John DarnielleYou can get into anything if you are determined. I always thought that with music, too.
John DarnielleIf my songs are being listened to between any other songs, that is awesome, and I'm glad people are getting something out of them.
John DarnielleI consider myself a lyricist first and foremost, but if you get something else out of what I do, that's fine too. I'm not sitting back here telling people how they have to take my stuff. We just want to play music, and hope that people like it.
John DarnielleI make up stories that take place in real space with real people. If I could convert this into a technique for experimental novels, I might really be onto something.
John DarniellePeople don't tend to notice, but in the past 10 years especially there's been a lot of growth in how I write songs and what goes into them. You can listen to Mountain Goats from 1991 to 2007 and never hear a seventh chord. In 2007 or 2008, I started working on the piano to grow as a songwriter. I started throwing major sevens in and sixes and more interesting stuff.
John Darnielle