Tour Stories/The Check-In with Joe Plummer

Bria Salmena is a vocalist and songwriter based in Los Angeles. She is the frontwoman for the Canadian post-punk band FRIGS, a touring vocalist with Orville Peck and has released two acclaimed cover’s EPs under the name Cuntry Covers . Her newest effort, Big Dog, written with longtime collaborator Duncan Hay Jennings is due out March 25th via Sub Pop Records.  Bria shares her early relationship wi...

Stephen Hodges is a drummer and composer, born, raised, and based in Long Beach, California. Stephen is the man behind the iconic and culturally permeating drum sounds and rhythms on Tom Wait’s Rain Dogs and Swordfishtrombones. He has extensively toured and recorded with John Hammond, The Smashing Pumpkins, Chuck Berry, Wanda Jackson, and Mavis Staples. He was also handpicked by David Lynch to len...

Fleamale is a three piece band based in Seattle. Sasha, Vivi and Max tell us how the Seattle punk community brought Fleamale together and how that community influenced their perspective on performing and writing music. Vivi tells us why internet searches challenged her to not only be better at guitar, but a better person. The three tell us why they want to create a space for both underrepresented...

Will Wiesenfeld, also known as Baths, is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist born, raised, and based in Los Angeles. His fourth full-length album Gut, an expression from the stomach, rather than the heart will be out February 21st via his label, Basement’s Basement.  Will shares the idea behind making a relentless, unapologetic and at times embarrassing record and why it wasn’t necessar...

Washington DC based Kerosene 454 performed and recorded consistently from 1992-1998. In that time, they released 3 albums, several seven inches records and laboriously toured North America, Japan, and Europe. After 28 years, their sophomore album, Came By To Kill Me will be re-released digitally and on limited edition vinyl on 1/24/25 via Solid Brass Records.   In this episode, Joe talks with sing...

Hello and Thank You All for your support in 2024! More to come in 2025! Thank you to all my wonderful guests. Thank you Izotope and Distrokid. Please visit Izotope and Distrokid for continued exclusive listener discounts. Mentioned in this episode: Schecter Guitars Izotope Distrokid

Michael Cera still hasn't recovered his Phantom bass guitar and that's why we are revisiting Joe's favorite episode of Tour Stories with pal and former bandmate Michael Cera.  Now is your chance to help him recover his favorite instrument! Listen, share! Let's get Michael his bass back in time for the new year! Michael Cera's Films Mister Heavenly Phantom Guitars Episode supported by Izotope Ep s...

Jess Sylvester is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. His third full length record as Marinero is called La La La and is set for release on February 14th via Hardly Art. In this episode, Jess shares his rock n roll experiences growing up in the Bay Area, his stint in Guadalajara collaborating with local musicians and how his ultimate move to LA shaped and informed...

Melissa Weikart is a French American singer songwriter currently based on Strasburg. Her third and newest EP, Easy, (out January 17th) is a sonic and production expansion on her previous work. Melissa shares her experience “growing up French” in Boston, why she appreciates her U.S. music education and how a teacher encouraged her to establish her own voice and process that gave her a musical ident...

Shannon Wright is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. Her eleventh album, Reservoir of Love, will be released on February 7 via Vicious Circle, with the lead single, Reservoir of Love, out now. Longtime friends and touring comrades, Joe and Shannon discuss Shannon’s upbringing in Jacksonville, Florida, where seeing the band Pylon gave here the confidence to pla...

Jake Morris is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter based in Portland, Or. Outside of drumming for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, he releases solo records under the name Street Nights. His most recent record, The Long Goodbye is out now via his own label, Community Guidelines. Jake and Joe talk about their early drums lessons and Jake shares how a Living Color song sent him on the path of self-e...

Benny Reed is the vocalist, guitarist, and one half of (alongside drummer Johnny Lani) the Australian band, Skegss. Their third full length release, Pacific Highway Music, is out now via Loma Vista Recordings. Benny tells us why the new record, recorded in Los Angeles at two iconic studios (The Village and Fivestar Studios), was a new experience for the band, and how Dave Catching’s studio Rancho...

Benny Reed is the vocalist, guitarist, and one half of (alongside drummer Johnny Lani) the Australian band, Skegss. Their third full length release, Pacific Highway Music, is out now via Loma Vista Recordings. Benny tells us why the new record, recorded in Los Angeles at two iconic studios (The Village and Fivestar Studios), was a new experience for the band, and how Dave Catching’s studio Rancho...

Nick Thorburn is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist residing in Los Angeles. Nick has fronted and co-founded bands such as The Unicorns, Human Highway, Mister Heavenly and Islands. Nicks newest single Hold (a song for Aaron Bushnell) is dedicated to Aaron Bushnell, an active US serviceman who publicly took his life in an act of extreme protest of the United States support of Israel in...

Danny Davis is the singer, guitarist and a founding member of Oklahoma City based band Husbands. Joe and Danny are currently on tour together, with their respective band’s Cold War Kids and Husbands. Danny shares his first memories of hearing music with his dad on long drives and how his older brother informed his musical tastes as a youngster.  He tells us how 9-5 work life has motivated the traj...

Nik Ewing is a visual artist, a bass player, keyboardist and founding member of LA based band Local Natives. His second LP, ‘ Songs For Linnéa , a collection of piano songs written for his first child, is available now under his solo moniker Chewing.  Nik share’s his experience of growing up in a musical household in San Diego, his first bands influences and how that has extended to the Local Nati...

This week Joe sneaks in Ep 1 of Ruinous Media's newest podcast, La Jolla Babylon: The Making Of A Suburban Punk. Your host, musician and writer  Aaron Hartman , shares stories about his stormy youth growing up punk in a conservative beach town with his Millennial sister, actor, writer and comedian  Katie Hartman .  What emerges is a series of hilarious, poignant, and brutally honest weekly episode...

Aaron Hartman is a writer, musician and podcaster based in Portland, Oregon. He is a founding member and bass player of Northwest indie legends Old Time Relijun, electro dance-rock pioneers IQU and releases music under the moniker Marine Layer. His newest endeavor, La Jolla Babylon-The Making Of A Suburban Punk, (out 10.18 via Ruinous Media) is a poignant and hilarious podcast where Aaron shares s...

Pinhead Gunpowder is an East Bay punk band formed in 1991. The current line up consists of Aaron Cometbus (lyrics, drums), Bill Schneider (bass) Billie Joe Armstrong (guitar, vocals) and Jason White (guitar, vocals). After 16 years and several EP’s, the band will release their second full length LP, Unt , on October 18th via 1234 Go! Records.  Bill and Jason share the origin of their rock n roll r...

James Petralli is the singer, guitarist, and a founding member of White Denim. Their twelfth record “ 12” is set to be released on 12.12 via Bella Union.  James shares his journey from baseball to rock n roll, how the “absurd career choice” paralleled his dad’s and why learning how to talk about music was his ticket into his formative music circles. James tells us how “ 12” is drastically differen...

Jayan Bertrand is a singer, songwriter, guitarist and founding member of Miami based band Seafoam Walls. Their anticipated sophomore effort, Standing Too Close To The Elephant In The Room , will be out October 18th via Dion Dia Records, with two singles Humanitarian Pt. II and Cabin Fever out now.  Jayan explains how their last stint of touring both inspired and funded the new record, allowing the...

Soph Nathan is a singer, guitarist, songwriter and founding member of London based Our Girl. Their second full length record, The Good Kind, is due out November 8th via Bella Union. Soph shares the relief and excitement she’s feeling after a 6 gap between the Our Girl records. We hear why the band likes to play songs live before recording them, how the influence of Warpaint came to fruition with t...

Scott McCloud is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He has been a founding member of Girls Against Boys, New Wet Kojak and Soulside. He continues to tour extensively, performs acoustically, and operates in various projects including Agrio and Paramount Styles. In this episode, Scott shares a story where a simple misunderstanding of gratitude leads to a confusing, riotous, and even violent reacti...

Justin R. Cruz Gallego is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer based in Tacoma, WA. His newest record and Sub Pop debut, Grim Iconic…(Sadistic Mantra), is a cohesive, hooky noise odyssey laden with powerful beats, electronic layering and analog warmth. Justin shares his process of building the new songs and ultimately taking to a live setting. He also tells us how hitting a production...

Sameer Gadhia is the singer and a founding member of Young The Giant. He also hosts the podcast Point Of Origin, which celebrates the lives and careers of musicians of color in the indie and alternative rock world. In this episode, Joe recovers an early recording where Sameer shares a few YTG experiences of being celebrated in Italy at the height of their hit single, Cough Syrup. We hear about the...