FAQ
What is Mountain Ear?
A group of four individuals who play with a plethora of sound-making instruments in the practice of cooperative musicianship.
Where are you based?
We are based in the Snoqualmie Valley of Washington State, caressing the sweet foothills of the Cascade Mountains.
What type of music do you play?
We create experimental folk tunes with an array of influence from country to blues to psych-rock to hip-hop to electronica to classical to jazz to choral, etc.
We're in the process of expanding access to our recordings. For the time being, find us in person.
How can I listen?
Do you perform live?
Yes, we love performing live. Though, we expect that we will also love performing dead. That remains to be seen.
Dylan Johnson has been obsessed with music since he was an infant, if his parents are to be believed. His family goes back eight generations in the Pacific Northwest. He plans to live there for the rest of his days, as he has recently welcomed the ninth generation in the form of his baby son Arthur.
His taste in music is very eclectic, and varies with his many moods.
A driving motivation for Dylan is human rights and dignity, and he manages the Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank by day, which fills his soul as much as creating and performing music.
Dylan's focus has been percussion first, guitar next, and piano and vocals close behind.
Dylan Johnson
Drums, Percussion, Bass, Guitar, Vocals, Etc.
Mike Antone is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and audio engineer from the Snoqualmie Valley of Washington State. All of his music is deeply rooted in the folk tradition.
Heavily influenced by the experience of living and growing up in the Snoqualmie Valley, Mike weaves together stories of guardian mountains and sacred rivers. Rooted in the power of place, his songs tell the story of someone who both loves and is loved by his home. Much of Mike’s music feels like prayer: prayer for the earth, for the love of the land, for each other, and for our collective future. At once hopeful and somber, it leaves listeners with a deep sense of what it means to be alive.
Mike currently resides at the base of Mount Si in his hometown of North Bend, WA with his wife Andrea, daughter Luka, and their two dogs, and three cats. Professionally, Mike works for a non-profit supporting people with disabilities with jobs and community inclusion. He is also an independent sound engineer via Mic & Tone Productions based out of his home studio.
Mike Antone
Guitar, Pedal Steel, Vocals, Melodica, Etc.
Will Stack has a big ol’ good boy named Griffey, two adorable kids, and a super rad partner; they all live together out in the breathtaking Snoqualmie Valley.
He is a proud public school teacher, and a long-time songwriter, exploring the range of styles from hip-hop to folk to bluegrass. He shreds the guitbox and squeezes beautiful sounds out of his larynx.
Will Stack
Guitar, Vocals, Piano, Keys, etc.
Benny is a: father, spouse, brother, son, neighbor, friend, stranger, birder, goof, passerby, advocate, teacher, learner, baseball fan, listener, walker, talker, game designer, mediocre cook, synthesist, collector, linguist, animal cuddler, nature enthusiast, supposer, etc.
Having a relationship with instruments since he was a pup, Benny has been in musical groups for over twenty years, performing on bills with the likes of Karl Blau, Ghostland Observatory, Beat Happening, The Mountain Goats, Said the Whale, Ages and Ages, Deep Sea Diver, and others while playing in bands The Humans, Man made moons, and Brite Lines.
Professionally, he works as an educational consultant and Restorative Justice Facilitator, supporting schools in their movement from punitive, exclusionary discipline systems to a more compassionate, accountable community culture.
