Tour Stories/The Check-In with Joe Plummer

Kishi Bashi is a singer, songwriter, film maker and multi-instrumentalist currently based in Santa Cruz, California. His latest full-length Kantos (out now via Joyful Noise Recordings) is multi-genre exercise in duality: a fun, party album that address’s the current humanist role in art, life, and culture, all inspired by a mix of the sci-fi novel’s series Hyperion Cantos and philosopher Immanuel...

This week Joe celebrates Hawaiian music and shares some early to mid-20th century public domain century recordings. 1.   Dreams of Old Hawaii-Varsity Hawaiian Orchestra 2.    Farewell to Thee - Toots Paka Hawaiians 3.   Mai Poina Oe Ia'u- Lani McIntire and his Aloha Islanders 4     Aloha Oe- Hawaiian Quartett 5.   Kuuaina Aliha-Varstiy Hawaiian Orchestra 6.   Ke Kali Nei Au- George Kainapau with G...

Scared of Chaka is an American punk rock band formed in 1993 in Albuquerque New Mexico by guitarist/vocalist, Dave Hernandez, bass guitarist Dameon Waggoner and drummer Jeff Jones. Jones was later replaced by Ron Skrasek. After a 15+ year hiatus, Scared of Chaka is back with a fiery new single and 7 inch on Slovenly Records. In this episode Joe talks with Dave, who is an old pal and former The Shi...

Lollise is a Botswana born, Brooklyn based singer, songwriter, and multidisciplinary artist. After cutting her teeth recording and touring with the FELA! band and Underground System, she has brought her song writing efforts to the forefront with her debut LP, I Hit The Water, out September 6 via Switch Hit Records. Lollise shares the story behind the new record, why it plays tribute to her family'...

Duane Denison is a songwriter, guitarist and founding member of Tomahawk, The Denison/Kimball Trio and most notable and widely influential, The Jesus Lizard. The Jesus Lizard have recorded six studio albums, two live recordings and a brace of singles and EPs, with the band’s seventh album,  Rack , out September 13 via Ipecac Recordings. Armed with their never dusty, always furious chops, The Jesus...

Cal in Red is a Grand Rapids based indie pop project started by brothers Connor and Kendall Wright. Since 2022 they have released 2 Ep’s, a handful of singles and on September 22, they will release their full-length record, Low Low , via B3SCI records.  The fellas tell us why they moved from their hometown of Lansing to Grand Rapids, what their early relationship with music was like and what bands...

Joe talks with Greg Mahdesian and Ryan Berti, founding members of Los Angeles based Swerve. Swerve’s newest EP, The Darkroom, a lively and rifftastic look at an era of the band’s life, is out now and includes a wonderful rendition of The Stone Roses hit, I Wanna Be Adored. Greg and Ryan share their relationship with music in their formative years, including the influence of Megachurch rock and a h...

Grasshopper is a multi-instrumentalist, lead guitarist and founding member of Mercury Rev. His other projects include Harmony Rockets and his own band Grasshopper and the Golden Crickets. Mercury Rev’s newest record, Born Horses, is yet another intriguing sonic step in the band’s evolution.   Born Horses is out September 6 via Bella Union.  Grasshopper shares his early relationship with music, how...

Dustin O’Halloran is an American pianist and composer with six acclaimed solo albums under his own name. He has scored multiple films and TV shows, won an Emmy for the theme to Transparent and has been nominated for an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award for his score to Lion, a collaboration with Volker Bertelmann (aka Hauschka). His most recent album, 1 0 0 1, is an instrumental fou...

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. The newest Islands record, What Occurs, is out now an available everywhere.  In this episode, old pals and current bandmates Joe and Nick get cheeky and personal, touching on their first meeting, what bonds...

Billy Fuller is a bass player and songwriter from Bristol, England. He has played bass guitar with acts including Massive Attack, Robert Plant and is a founding member of Beak>. Beak’s new record, Beak>>>> (Beak 4) , is available now via Invada Records. Billy shares his early experience of learning the bass by listening to his brother’s records and cassettes that he picked up at his...

Ryan Kattner is a singer, songwriter, and lyricist for Man Man, Mister Heavenly and his solo effort, Honus Honus. The newest Man Man record, Carrot on Strings, is out now and is Man Man’s first full length release on Sub Pop Records.  Old pals Joe and Ryan discuss the long road of Joe finally playing with Man Man, the process of writing the new record and Ryan explains the song Mongolian Spot and...

Tara Jane O’Neil is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and visual artist residing in California. She composes and performs under her own name and in collaboration with other musicians, artists, dancers, and filmmakers. As a solo artist she has released ten full-length albums and her newest record, The Cool Cloud Of Okayness is out now on Orindal Records and available everywhere. Tara shares her ex...

Today Joe stops by the Cult and Culture headquarters in San Diego. Cult and Culture is a podcast co-created by renowned musician and actor Justin Pearson and producer and musician Luke Henshaw. The show explores the DIY-driven, subversive world of art and culture, featuring a diverse array of guests from various subcultures. They are also Ruinous Media Network Partners!  They talk about the variet...

Logan Lynn is a singer, songwriter, producer, filmmaker, and activist currently based in the Northwest. For the past 25 years, he has been recording and releasing music with Caroline, EMI and The Dandy Warhol’s label, Beat The World. His newest record, Softcore , will release on June 7th via Kill Rock Stars, alongside a film of the same name. Logan shares his story of growing up in a Christian cul...

Chris Cohen is a producer, songwriter, and a multi-instrumentalist from Los Angeles, California. He has released several solo records, is a founding member of The Curtains and was the guitarist for Deerhoof from 2002-2006. He has also done production and session work for the likes of Weyes Blood, Kurt Vile, Le Ren, and Marina Allen. His new record, Paint A Room, is due out on July 12th via Hardly...

Ep 213 with Babe Report! The wonderfully raucous four piece from Chicago have followed up their debut EP, The Future of Teeth, with Did You Get Better, a full-length LP due out May 31st via Exploding In Sound. We hear how the band formed following the pandemic, how they recorded and mixed the entire record over a weekend in their basement studio and the meaning behind the title Did You Get Better...

Coady Willis is a drummer based in Los Angeles CA. He has a robust pedigree of performing and recording with The Murder City Devis, Big Business, Melvins and High On Fire, to name a few. He is also one of three drummers on the all percussion record, Hew Time, along with Joe and Dale Crover. Coady tells us how his uncle helped pave the way for life as a rock n roll drummer, why seeing the band Trib...

This is the Built In Sun appreciation episode. Released on August 7, 2015 via PIAPTK Records, Built In Sun is Joe Plummer's first and currently only solo record. BIS began as an instrumental idea, with inspirations landing somewhere between John Cale’s Fear, the punker vibrations of The Wipers, guitarist John Reis and Joe’s favorite soundtrackists, John Brion and Clint Mansell. Recorded both at hi...

Kai James is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and a founding member of Brisbane based Girl and Girl. Their newest record and Sub Pop debut, Call A Doctor, is out May 24th with extensive touring planned throughout North America, Europe, and Australia. Kai shares his experience of life growing up on a farm outside of Brisbane, how music entered his life and why it’s an important form of expression f...

Surprise! Part 2 of Joe’s interview on @thetourstories with Eric D Johnson is up with a big announcement. Bonny Light Horseman, the trio of Anaïs Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson, and Josh Kaufman, are set to release their new double album and Jagjaguwar debut  Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free  on June 7th! Eric shares the origin of BLH, how he came to be a contributing member and why they use a “yes an...

Eric D Johnson is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and film composer based in Los Angeles. He is the founding member of Fruit Bats, has played with indie luminaries Califone, Vetiver, The Shins and is a contributing member of Bonny Light Horsemen. In Part 1 of a rare two-part episode, Eric shares a few stories from the road, spanning from his early tenure in Califone (opening...

The Red Pears are a three-piece band hailing from El Monte, Ca. Comprised of childhood friends Henry Vargas (vocals/guitar), Jose Corona (Drums) and Patrick Juarez (Bass), the trio are celebrating their fourth album, Better Late Than Never (out April 12th via Daycare Records). The three share the inspiration behind the new record and how a newfound freeness in production allowed them to toggle bet...

Joe P is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who writes, records and self-produces from his basement studio in Asbury Park, NJ. HIs newest record, Shadows in the Sun is expected to be released in summer 2024 and currently has 3 singles out via Atlantic records. Joe tells us how he got his start playing music and a very young age and shares his experience of trying to fit into his local...

Omni is a three-piece Atlanta based outfit comprised of guitarist Frankie Broyles, bassist/singer Philip Frobos and drummer Chris Yonker. Their fourth studio album, Souvenir (out now via Sub Pop) is an angular adventure of hooky guitar wizardry, tight and slinky rhythms topped with sheeny melodies and lyrics that set them apart from other post punkers. They share their experience growing up in Atl...