John Darnielle was born in Bloomington, Indiana, where his early life took a dramatic turn shortly after his birth when his parents moved to San Luis Obispo, California, following his father's job opportunity. Unfortunately, his parents' marriage did not last, and they soon divorced, with his mother remarrying a man who would later prove to be physically abusive to both Darnielle and his mother.
Growing up, Darnielle found solace in his passion for writing, which was encouraged by various teachers who recognized his talent at a young age. His writing skills earned him accolades, and he continued to nurture his craft throughout his teenage years. However, Darnielle's life took a darker turn when he became heavily involved with drugs, which led him to Portland, Oregon, where he spent a troubled year.
In an effort to turn his life around, Darnielle returned to California and enrolled in a psychiatric technician program at the Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk, where he worked and lived. It was during this time that he began performing and recording music as "the Mountain Goats," initially releasing his work on cassette tapes recorded onto a Panasonic boombox.
Around the same period, Darnielle started studying at Pitzer College in Claremont, California, earning a bachelor's degree in English and Classical Studies. He continued to record and perform as the Mountain Goats, eventually forming the modern musical lineup with Matt Douglas, Jon Wurster, and Peter Hughes.
Darnielle is known for his verbose and emotionally heavy music, which has earned him the title of "Rock's Best Storyteller" by Rolling Stone in 2015. In addition to his work with the Mountain Goats, Darnielle also performs as "The Extra Lens" with Franklin Bruno and writes novels. He is married with two sons and currently resides in Durham, North Carolina.
