Tour Stories/The Check-In with Joe Plummer

Cody Votolato is a guitarist, singer and founding member of JR SLAYER.  He has spent the better part of his music career touring and writing with bands The Blood Brothers, Jaguar Love, Head Wound City and Telekinesis.  Now,  he has focused and boiled down his artistic output to JR SLAYER, with the new record Not Rotten out September 9 on Memory Music. In this episode, Cody shares his perspective o...

Eva Walker is a founding member, guitarist and singer for Seattle based The Black Tones. With one full length record (Cobain and Cornbread) and a Sub Pop single under their belts, The Black Tones are embarking on their first North American tour this fall.   In this episode, Eva shares her experience working with both Jack Endino and Don Farwell,  the importance of a groove and the role trust plays...

Julia Kugel is the singer/guitarist and founding member of The Coathangers.  She will release her first full length solo record , Derealization  on September 30 with Suicide Squeeze Records under the moniker Julia, Julia.  In this episode Joe and Julia discuss why "giving in" is not "giving up" and how her idea of acceptance shaped the record.  Julia also tells us how she dealt with and recovered...

Sara Lund is a drummer, drum teacher and the innovative percussive force behind the band Unwound.  After a 20+ year break, Unwound is back and already have a string of sold out shows starting in early 2023.  In this episode Sara shares the complicated and tragic story of the band falling apart and the difficult decision to start up again without founding member and friend Vern Rumsey.  She also ex...

Pete Chramiec is a founding member and guitarist for the pivotal hardcore band Verbal Assault.  After a 20 year break, Verbal Assault are playing again, with shows booked on both coasts in 2022 and throughout 2023. In this episode, longtime pals Joe and Pete discuss what is was like for Pete to get back rock n roll shape , what spawned the reunion and why the shows are so special to him.  They als...

This week Joe talks with Shaun Fleming-aka Diane Coffee.  Shaun is a singer, song writer and multi-instrumentalist based in Southern California.  His 4th record, With People (out now on Polyvinyl Records) is a personal reach into the past and a closer, sometimes darker look at the people and experiences that have made him who he is now.  In this episode,  Shaun shares what motivated him to look ba...

Carre' Callaway-aka Queen Kwong- is a musician, song-writer and podcaster. Like most musicians in the last couple years, Carre' has had a challenging time maneuvering the sudden change in her vocation, but her situation is different. On top of the touring limitations, Carre' was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and two months later, her husband left her. What did she do?....... Naturally, made a rec...

Nabil Ayers is a writer, musician and the US President of the Beggars Group. He is also the son of musician Roy Ayers. His search for connection with his biological father is the subject of his new book,  My Life In The Sunshine.  This book is also a biographical journey of Nabil's musical life.     In this episode Nabil recounts what drove him to pursue his extended family and why he wanted to sh...

Jessica Boudreaux is a songwriter, guitarist and producer from Portland, Oregon. Though best known for her band Summer Cannibals, Jessica has recently released a solo EP entitled I Think My Heart Loves To Break that she self produced over the past two years, in which she not only endured an involuntary break in touring, she was also diagnosed with breast cancer.  In this episode, Joe and Jessica d...

We would like to welcome Zach Blair and his newest podcast ANTI-HEROES to the Ruinous Media Network!!!!! Anti-Heroes is a podcast about guitar players that aren't on the covers of the guitar magazines but our host, Zach Blair thinks they should be. Each episode we'll have discussions with players about their motivations, intentions and, best of all, their gear. We'll talk about their careers and h...

Jason McGerr is a producer, song-writer and the drummer for Death Cab For Cutie. In this episode drummer pals Joe and Jason discuss Asphalt Meadows , the newest record from DCFC since 2018. Jason shares the extraordinary collective process in making the new record, why it was so satisfying and whats behind the ferocity of Roman Candles, the first single.  Of course Joe and Jason dig into drums,  d...

Andy Butler is a DJ, producer, songwriter and founding member of Hercules and Love Affair.  After a five year break,  Hercules and Love Affairs new record In Amber   brings long time collaborator and co-producer ANOHNI back into the fold, along with english drummer Budgie and singer Elin Eythordsdottir. In Amber  is a dark, jagged and heavy journey that questions faith,  false narratives assigned...

Laura Veirs is a visual artist, singer and songwriter from Portland, Oregon.  On her newest record Found Light, (out July 8th on Raven Marching Band Records),  she addresses not only the loss of a spouse and working partner to divorce,  but the hardship of breaking away from the intermeshed identity that is the product of a longterm relationship.  In this episode Laura shares her experience of rec...

Spencer Moody is a poet, visual artist,  songwriter and vocalist for the The Murder City Devils, Triumph Of Lethargy Skinned Alive To Death and more recently,  M.Krebs.  In this episode Spencer catches us up on his new life on The Big Island and how being a stranger in a strange land has influenced his work.  Joe and Spencer discuss the process and inspiration behind both the M.krebs record AND hi...

Torquil Campbell is a founding member, singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter for the band Stars. He is also an actor, a play-write and podcaster.  Stars are getting ready to hit the road in support of their newest release From Capelton Hill (out May 27th on Last Gang Records/MNRK).  Torquil shares the story behind the title of the record, his historic relationship with North Hatley and why...

Charity Rose Thielen is a founding member, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter for The Head and the Heart.  Their latest record, Every Shade of Blue  is out now and the band is preparing for an extensive North American tour.  Joe caught up with Charity between rehearsals in Nashville.  In this episode, Joe and Charity discuss the multi-producer process of making Every Shade of Blue , wh...

Σtella is a painter, singer and songwriter from Athens, Greece. Her Sub Pop debut, Up and Away is a lush, vintage pop odyssey that both adheres to traditional Greek sounds and explores current indie textures. In this episode,  Σtella shares how her relationship with music ultimately helped her overcome shyness and why Greek melody has a grounding effect.  We learn how producer Tom Calvert (aka Red...

Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten are collectively the singers, songwriters and guitarists for Momma . Their new record Household Name  (out July 1st on Polyvinyl Records) is not only a beautifully riff heavy nod to their 90's influences, its a thoughtful, personal and  dynamic listen from start to finish.  In this episode Etta and Allegra discuss their recording  process and why self control i...

Lou Barlow is a singer, song-writer and founding member of Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoah  and The Folk Implosion.  Though known for his contribution to the "low fi" scene of the 80's and 90's, Lou has his roots in hardcore, punk and even the folk/country superstar Glen Campbell.      After a  20+ year break, The Folk Implosion (Lou Barlow and John Davis)  have released two new songs that without a doubt...

Will Brooks (aka MC Dälek) is a founding member, vocalist and producer for the group Dälek.  For close to 20 years Will has been releasing dark, experimental hip-hop records and collaborating with a wide range of like minded artists that include Kid 606, Faust, The Black Heart Procession and Techno Animal.  In this episode Joe and Will discuss the process of making the new Dälek record Precipice (...

This week we salute our partnership with The High Gain Podcast, a podcast that celebrates the guitar. Each week John Kieltyka and Ed Peterson will introduce you to a guitar, share its cultural significance and provide you a slew of questionable (and likely very funny) facts on its origin and history. You'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll realize that this podcast is not just for guitar enthusiasts,...

Brian Cook is a bass guitarist and song-writer from Seattle. He's an active member of Russian Circles and Sumac, writing, recording and touring extensively.  After a ten year break, his band These Arms Are Snakes with be playing a handful of shows in celebration of the release of Duct Tape and Shivering Crows, a collection of rarities, covers and demos out April 15th on Suicide Squeeze Records. In...

Gavin McCarthy is a drummer and songwriter from Boston, MA.  He's written, recorded and toured with a multitude of bands and projects over the last two decades, with his main efforts focussed on E and Karate.  After a long period of chasing down the masters, Karate is re-releasing their entire catalog with the Numero Group. In this episode Gavin catches us up on his life during the involuntary bre...

 Joel Jerome is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Los Angeles, CA.  His solo debut, Super Flower Blood Moon  (Dangerbird Records)  hits the streets on May 13th, and promises a dark,  folky trip that celebrates his 90's indie rock influences as much and it pays homage to his latin roots.  In this episode Joel tells us how the pandemic opened his eyes to activism, how that's transl...

Mark Watrous is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and a producer. He's recorded and toured extensively with The Shins, Shudder To Think, The Raconteurs and is a founding member of Loudermilk and Earl Burrows.  Before hearing a pair of tour stories involving a reckless tour manager and a meth fueled ill-planned show in Sandpoint, Idaho, Joe and Mark catch up. We hear what Marks been up du...