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THE EDGE OF THE SPOTLIGHT WITH A LEAD SINGER THAT GARNERS MOST OF HIS BAND’S ATTENTION, BASSIST PETER HUGHES OF THE MOUNTAIN GOATS FEELS AT HOME IN HIS ROLE AT THE SIDE OF THE STAGE WORDS: ADAM ROGAN | PHOTO: THE MOUNTAIN GOATS
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he Mountain Goats’ bassist Peter Hughes is wandering the streets of Bloomington, Indiana. His band is on the last leg of their latest tour before heading back into the studio to record album number 16. Considering their 22-year musical backlog, The Mountain Goats have found a formula that breeds creation. Lead singer John Darnielle, an icon of indie-folk rock, tackles issues stretching from divorce and addiction to religion, loneliness, even the state of Texas. He’s joined by Hughes and drummer Jon Wurster. Darnielle isn’t too keen on giving interviews when he’s out on tour, though—he needs to “rest his voice,” according to the band’s manager. This restriction, however, opened up the opportunity to talk with Hughes, who oftentimes comes off as more of a background character in the shadow of Darnielle’s writing prowess. With a domineering emphasis on storytelling, album crafting, and lyricism, the group’s instrumentalism is easy to overlook.Musicality is oftentimes forgone to give Darnielle’s lyrics more attention; his bandmates are obliged to exercise restraint rather than experimentalism. “It’s generally understood, I think, both by people inside and outside of the band, that the point of The Mountain Goats is the lyrics more than anything else,” Hughes says.
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The band uses its sound as a bed that Darnielle’s powerful stories lie. Soft guitars and talk-singing vocals, with the occasional instrumental flourish, let the lyrics speak for themselves. “Folk” would probably be their genre classification, but it can be hard to pin down when a band has more than 500 songs. Each time Hughes hears demos of Darnielle’s newly written songs, he asks himself the same questions: “What’s the best way to serve this song? And what’s the best setting we can create to support the story—whether it’s narratively, atmospherically, or whatever?” Even if he doesn’t take center stage, Hughes admits that he relishes his role in the background. “I love what the bass does. It’s the thing that ties together the rhythm and the melody. It’s super important, but if it’s drawing too much attention it risks subverting the whole thing,” he says. “I want to add something. I want to add some flavor.” Hughes believes that sometimes you need to switch it up to keep things fresh. That change is good—but not always. He hinted that the upcoming album might reflect this thinking. It may be a slight departure from what fans are used to, but in a good way. Still, he refuses to reveal what’s in store. “I don’t want to give away the game.”