Mountain Goats Bassist Peter Hughes Departs Band After Nearly 30 Years

Peter Hughes, the longtime bassist and backup vocalist of the Mountain Goats, has announced his departure from the band after nearly three decades. Hughes, who joined the Mountain Goats in 1995, has been a constant presence on every album since then, except for the band’s 1994 debut, Zopilote Machine.

In statement posted to Instagram John Darnielle wrote:

Sooner or later everybody spots the exit that has their name on it, and for Peter Hughes, my bandmate of either twenty-eight or twenty-two years depending on whether you mark the 1996 tour or the 2002 one as the start point, the time to leave the highway behind is now. He’s made the call, and all that’s left for us is to salute his legacy.

The band expressed deep gratitude for Hughes' contributions, with Darnielle highlighting the profound impact Hughes had on the band’s evolution:

Peter, the love Matt, Jon, Brandon, and I have for you is forever, and my personal gratitude for your service not to my vision but what became our vision cannot be measured. I speak on behalf of audiences around the world when I say thank you, and that you will be dearly missed.

Despite Hughes' departure, the band’s upcoming Bochum Riders Tour, initially planned as a duo show with Darnielle and Hughes, will continue as a trio, featuring Darnielle, multi-instrumentalist Matt Douglas, and drummer Jon Wurster.

Hughes' final recording with the Mountain Goats was on last year’s Jenny From Thebes. The band has also announced a special reissue of The Coroner’s Gambit, their long out-of-print 2000 album, which prominently features Hughes.