“A song is fire. You react to it primally, instantly. You don't have to decide whether you like it, and you don't really have to sit down and think about it much after you're done listening to it. It really does run through you like wind.”

American musician and novelist, born 1967

John Darnielle is an American musician and novelist, best known as the founder and driving force behind the indie folk band the Mountain Goats. He started the band in 1991 and has served as its writer, composer, guitarist, pianist, and vocalist. He is known for a prolific body of work and for lyrics that have a distinctly literary feel. Alongside his music, he has written three novels, Wolf in White Van, Universal Harvester, and Devil House.