Tour Stories/The Check-In with Joe Plummer

Alden Hellmuth is a NY based saxophonist and composer. Following her acclaimed 2024 debut album Good Intentions, Hellmuth returns with the aptly titled Tether, an eight-track exploration of jazz, punk and freeform improvisation. Alden share’s the inspiration behind the new direction and sound on Tether, what it was like writing for two basses and how mixing and processing played a role on not only in the production, but the composition as well. The two discuss the significance of texture in Alden’s recordings and she unpacks the personel that contributed to Tethers ambiance. Alden tells us how she was like...

Kevin Barnes is the singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter for of Montreal. aethermead, of Montreal’s 20th studio album is due out June 5th via Polyvinyl Record Co. Kevin shares the unusual heartbreak story behind the new record, why it felt right to go with a more collaborative approach and how the invented record title relates to a very important part of his daily routine. He tells us how limited time shaped the record and brought more life than expected into the songs. The two discuss Kevin’s lyrical approach, how it can be a complicated version of projection and why...

Nick Thorburn is the singer and founding member The Creem, a new collaborative project with Ratatat’s guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Stroud. Their debut release The Taste of Cherry is due June 5th, with two irresistible singles Goodbye and Taste of Cherry available now.

After a quick catch up from the Mister Heavenly bandmates, Nick shares the slow blossoming story behind The Creem and how it finally came to fruition. The two discuss the 70’s FM sound, how those artists we’re celebrating the Beatles in a new way and why The Creem is its own elaboration of tha...

Mini Serrano and Jojo Lavina-Maldonado are the founding members of the Philadelphia based band Cold Court. Their debut EP Hands Up is out June 19th with lead singles Burn and Nina available now. Mini and JoJo tell us how they’re music interest and proficiency evolved from their pre-teens to now and why they are increasingly relinquishing genre mixing rules to create their own identity. We learn why Hands Up was a sonic shift for them, how it is a product of experimentation and frustration and the two un-pack the lyrics on the single Nina. We learn how the in...

Alexander Attitude and Kendra Cox are the founding members of Seattle based Telehealth. Their second full length and Sub Pop debut Green World Image will be available May 15th. Alexander and Kendra share the origin and evolution of Telehealth, how they secured an airtight record deal with Sub Pop and why the band partially functions as a coping mechanism. We learn how their pessimistic and satirical approach make’s sense of tech culture’s destruction of human culture and relieves the anxiety of a tech driven future. They unpack the structure and lyrics behind the single Things I’ve Killed...

Jacob Turnbloom is the singer, guitarist and founding member of Mrs. Magician. The newest record Spiritual Hangover is due out May 15th via Swami Records. Jacob tells why the new record is driven by a heftier sound, what inspired that and how the magic of The Foo Fighters Studio 606 brought it to fruition. He tells us how his song-writing perspective has evolved, what role humor plays in his lyrics and why he’s increasingly involved in the visual presentation of Mrs. Magician. The two celebrate the virtues San Francisco’s Bottom of the Hill venue, Joe tells a quick tour...

Evan Cartwright is a composer, collaborator, and drummer for the band Cola. Cola’s third LP, Cost Of Living Adjustment is due out May 8th via Fire Talk Records. Evan tells us how the band allowed themselves more time and space in the writing process for Cost Of Living Adjustment and how that contributed to the sound of the record. Joe and Evan discuss the of the newest single Conflagration Mindset, Cola’s songwriting process and Evans history with the band. The two drummers delve into the freedoms and limitations of playing with tracks, the importance of the energy in t...

Rae Chen is a singer, songwriter and guitarist operating under the moniker tofusmell. His debut full length album All My Time is due out April 24th via Hardly Art. Rae tells us how he grew up in Florida on the edges of both a pop punk and worship scene, and why he picked up the guitar and eventually found himself in Winnipeg. We hear how his approach to writing gives a feeling of sonic closeness, how he responded to more production on All My Time and the role ambiance plays on the new record. Joe and Rae discuss how...

Carla J Easton is a Glasgow based singer, songwriter, and filmmaker. Her newest record, I Think That I Might Love You is due may 8th via Ernest Jenning Records. Carla tells us why the new record is more guitar focused than her previous releases and how it changed her view on the creative process. We learn why she in more comfortable with her lyrics and how that has has translated into a more evocative delivery on I Think That I Might Love You. Carla share’s her collaborative experience of making the record and why a more live approach ca...

Billy Fuller is a song writer, bass player and founding member of the band Beak>. Billy’s debut solo album Fragments is a sonic journey that spans time as it collects fragments of Billy creating alone in his home studio over the last few years. The songs not only inspire the visual, but they hypnotize, pulse and guide the listener through a hazy, atmospheric, and groovy motorik landscape. Fragments is available April 3rd via Invada Records, with two singles out now. Billy tells us how this record came to fruition, and he shares his process for compiling the songs, wh...

Bach Artillerie is made up of multi-instrumental wizards Greg Saunier (Deerhoof) and Curt Sydnor. This absurdist take on the nine canons from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations and his Brandenburg concerto no. 5. will be released on April 24th via Ernest Jenning Records. We get a unique perspective from both Greg and Curt not only on Bach’s musicality, but his work ethic, the root of his dissonance and why Bach has a grounding influence on their own music creation. They discuss how a Lutheran work ethic relates to music making today and why being less productive may be bett...

Alex Edkins is a singer, song writer and guitarist for Weird Nightmare, Noble Rot and Metz. The newest Weird Nightmare album Hoopla is out May 1 via Sup Pop Records and is the quintessence of power pop punk rock and roll. Alex tells us why the new record leans into a more direct and fun approach and where his love for power pop began. We learn how his lyrics have moved to a more personal delivery and why Hoopla is in many ways a sentimental and reminiscent journey. Alex share’s how his song writing and level of effort for We...

Austin Brose is the percussionist, drummer, and a founding member of The Nude Party. Their newest record, Look Who’s Back” is out now just ahead of an extensive North American tour. Austin shares the origin of The Nude Party, the inseparable and nomadic nature of the group and why he thinks learning to play their instruments together has forged a healthy evolution of song writing. He tells us why the band landed in Joshua Tree to make the new record, how 70’s NYC and glam rock may have seeped into some of the recording, and he shares a wild a...

Formed in Yogyakarta, based in Jakarta, Grrl Gang is an Indonesian indie pop band consisting of vocalist/guitarist Angee Sentana, bassist/vocalist Akbar Rumandung, and guitarist/vocalist Edo Alventa. Their newest maxi-single release Online 24/7 is out now via Green Island Music. Angee and Akbar share the origin of the band and how The Stone Roses not only changed Akbar’s life but played a role in the formation of the Grrl Gang. Angee tells us why her approach to the new songs is more direct and how their fans influenced this approach. She explains why she wanted to address th...

Asher White is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in NYC. Her newest release, Jessica Pratt, is a full album cover of Jessica Pratt’s self-titled debut LP (out now on Joyful Noise). Asher share’s her love for the Pratt record, the motivation behind covering an entire record and how the kernel of this idea may have stemmed from a tiny fib. She explains why the recording already written songs was both challenging and fun, how that changed her approach and how trust in someone else’s writing played a role in the process. Asher tells us how she deals...

James Petralli is the singer, songwriter and founding member of the now Los Angeles based band, White Denim. The newest release 13 will hit the streets on April 24th via Bella Union. Second time guest Petralli share’s the thoughtful and sonically aggressive nature behind the new record and how it relates to his personal experience his community and the state of affairs in the US. The two discuss James’s approach to recording and his adherence to a collective process. They share thoughts on the band Geese, idiosyncratic songwriting, and creative integrity. Joe and James express their love for Ital...

Andrew Becker is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and founder Human Potential. The newest release Eel Sparkles in out on March 6th via What Delicate Recordings. Andrew tells us how band dynamic drove him start his solo project and why he puts music before self in his expression. He shares his approach to learning other instruments outside of drumming and why he dedicated himself to the craft of song writing. Joe and Andrew commiserate on the life changing power of the Bad Brains record Rock For Light, Charles Hayward’s (This Heat) drumming iconic drumming style and we sample some tunes fr...

Zak Sally, a Minneapolis resident, talks with Joe about the unwarranted and ill planned ICE invasion of his city that resulted in the murder of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Read Zak's thoughts on the ICE invasion here. Zak Sally

Zak's music here. The Hand

Mentioned in this episode:

Distrokid

Izotope

Schecter Guitars

Joe drops the newest episode of PUNK THIS WEEK and sneaks onto the show to welcome Nina and Even to the Ruinous Podcast Network.

"As of this moment, our podcast has joined Ruinous Media! We get a check-in from our new pod father Joe Plummer (Tour Stories, The Check-In) before we even had a chance to sweep up all the crumbs from our conversation about Wheatsville popcorn tofu, Jet’s turbo crust, and Cel-Ray.

Discussed this week are excellent new records from DBR, Gylt, Teini-Pää, Rifle, Poor Girl, and Fuckin’ Warheads.

Thanks to Ruinou...

Louis Bradshaw is the drummer and a founding member of Brighton based band Plantoid. They’re second full-length album Flare is set to be released on January 30 via Bella Union records. Louis tells us how the new record quickly slipped from a writing session to a recording session on the edge of the Welsh national park, Snowdoina. We learn why the band pivoted from a live recording approach to a more intentional slowed down and thoughtful process.The two discuss the role of repetition on the new songs and how that created a platform for a more emotive expression. Th...

Nate Mendel is the bass player of the Foo Fighters. He cut his teeth in the Northwest punk rock scene touring and recording with Diddly Squat, Christ On A Crutch and Sunny Day Real Estate, to name a few. In this episode Nate shares the curious history of nudity in his rock n roll career.

Music by Nate Mendel, Lieutenant, and Joe Plummer.

⁠https://lieutenantmusic.bandcamp.com/album/if-i-kill-this-thing-were-all-going-to-eat-for-a-week

This episode supported by our friends Izotope This episode is produced with Ozone 12, the newest from Izotope. Head over to izotope.com now for sa...

Today we celebrate the release of the new All Smiles record Skate Videos From Memory (out January 6). Jim Fairchild (Grandaddy, Modest Mouse) and Joe discuss the visual inspiration behind the record and how skate videos shaped the sound. They talk about the impact that skate culture has had on not only their own music, but their general mindset and approach to life. We learn why the new record is a prayer to the universe, why Jim and Joe are celebrating more reflexive music and they muse on why rock music maybe be taking a less cerebral turn. The two...

Sari Jordan is a vocalist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in New Orleans. Their debut album Perfect Be The Enemy is due out May 2026 with the video and lead single Freak hitting the streets on January 9th.  Sari tells us how New Orleans has shaped and nourished their musical life and why it’s a healthy and challenging scene. Sari shares how their approach to recording has changed from the previous EP, why the new record comes from a place of both lightness and existential contradiction and how the single Freak is a celebration of a win as a transgender per...

MEMORIALS is Verity Susman (Electrelane) and Matthew Simms (Wire, Better Corners, It Hugs Back, Uuuu, Fitted). Their newest single In The Weeds is out now via Fire Records. This is their first release since the acclaimed debut album, Memorial Waterslides. The duo tell us how both film scoring and the band Sterolab brought them together and why the formation was an accident in reverse. Verity and Matthew share how their recording approach has changed and how physical space and concision play a role on the new recordings. They discuss the beauty of imperfect instruments verses digital tools and what’s...

Jamie Cheller is a founding member and guitarist of Brighton based indie dance rockers, congratulations. They will release their debut album Join Hands on February 13th, 2026, via Bella Union.  Jaime shares the story behind the formation of congratulations, why musicianship is important to them and how a combination of experimental music and 80’s rock energy seeped into their overall sound and delivery.  Jamie tells us why the band walks the line of seriousness and humor and how that plays a role in the collaborative nature of the band.  Joe and Jamie discuss the production behind Join Hands, how it was t...

Will Epstein is a composer, singer and multi-instrumentalist based in Woodstock NY. His newest release, Yeah, mostly (out January 9th via Fat Possum Records) takes a turn from his avant-guard and soundscape tendencies and very comfortably settles into a more traditional form of song writing and direct lyricism, but retains the sonic intrigue of his earlier work. Will shares his experience of growing up in an artistic atmosphere in NYC, how that shaped his expression over the years and how he found himself playing saxophone for a member of the Velvet Underground as a youngster. Will tells us why...

Thalia Zedek is a guitarist and singer based in Boston. Throughout the 1980’s and 90’s, she has joined and or been a founding member of several influential rock  bands including Live Skull, UZI, and Come. She continues to record and tour with her solo project Thalia Zedek Band and E.  Recently her mid 80’s band Via, a short-lived project with members of Nuclear Theater, Six Finger Satellite, UZI and Cell, have released their long lost self-titled EP, available now via Dromedary Records.  Thalia and Joe discuss the origin of Via, why the project didn’t continue beyond two shows and one rec...

Alex Tōth is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Bedford-Stuyvesant, NYC. His newest album, And The Voice Said (out February 27th via Northern Spy/Egg Hunt Records) is a co-production with long-time friend Caroline Rose and features a duet with Kimbra.  Alex tells us about his rowdy teen years led to a teen jazz program and why the trumpet gave him an identity amongst the Jersey hardcore scene.  He explains the voice(s) that inspired the record title, how Caroline Rose helped him grow as a vocalist and the two discuss the role of negativity in Alex’s songw...

New Car Smell is wildly spirited London based trio made up of Alex Shaw (Sax), Jack Marks (Tuba) and Alex Shad (Drums). Their newest EP, Nerdz After All is available now. Nerdz After All is a more produced answer to their previous release, Keep Them On The Streets, and ode to busking and live performance. Both EPs retain a high level of psychotic energy in their own respects.  Alex, Jack and Alex share their views on the struggle of playing live shows in London, how busking has informed the band’s modus operandi and why playing on the streets can...

Devon Church is a guitarist, singer and a songwriter based in Queens NY.  His newest solo record, All That’s Solid Melts Into Air is out 11.7. Growing up in Winnipeg, Devon tells us how his connection with music developed and why he feels songs are the best medium for his interest in poetry and literature. Joe and Devon discuss how his voice/word forward music combined with “bedroom production” has developed his unique sound and delivers both a poetic and concise message.  Devon explains the story behind the record title, the two talk through some of the ideas in the lyric...

Jon Chaney is the keyboardist and a founding member of San Francisco’s prog-psych-pop band, Magic Fig. As a quick follow to their 2024 S/T ep, their debut full length record, Valerian Tea, is due out 11.21 via Exploding In Sound Records. In this episode, Jon shares his path from hardcore and punk to more psychedelic and prog sounds. He tells us why France’s most famous astronomer became the inspiration for the single Flammarion, how they how they expanded their sonic reach on the new record and how early prog rock played a role in the recording process. Joe and...

Matt Maust is the bass player for Cold War Kids, a visual artist and a t-shirt shirt collector based in Los Angeles. Ryan Kattner is a singer, composer, actor and founding member of the band Man Man. In this special episode, Joe talks with long time pals and bandmates about the movie Pavements, the experimental docufiction meta biopic about the legendary Stockton California band, Pavement. We begin with Ryan and Matt’s experience with Pavement, their contrasting introductions to the band at different times of their lives and how they view Pavement’s significance in their own rock n roll...

Immersion is the electronic duo formed by life and art partners Colin Newman of Wire and Malka Spigel of Minimal Compact.  Their newest record WTF?? is out now via their own label swim ~.  In this episode, Colin and Malka share the story behind their long-time collaboration, why it continues to evolve and how giving each other space played a role on the new record. They tell us how the songs they wrote for a tour became WTF?? and they explain the importance of the direct, positive, and connective message the record expresses. We learn how drummer extraordinaire Matt Schulz joi...

Olivia Barton is a singer-songwriter based in Pasadena,CA. Her third and most recent record For Myself and For You is described as a ‘‘powerful collection about queer love, family life, heartbreak, aging, anxiety and body image that are startling in their directness and crushing in their emotional weight”. In this episode Olivia shares the dynamics that drove a new creative process on For Myself and For You, how trusting herself played a role and why the new record feels more realized than previous releases. She’s share story behind the single My First House and the two discuss why it m...

Alicia J. Rose is a musician, award winning photographer, director, and overall seasoned creator based in Portland Oregon. Alicia’s newest project, Menopunks, is a documentary and movement that follows Gen-X musicians and medical professionals as they challenge misinformation surrounding menopause and advocate for hormonal healthcare.  Menopunks has been described as “a raucous, myth-busting documentary that follows how middle-aged Riot Grrrl era musicians and female doctors are fighting to reclaim hormonal health care.” Alicia shares her experience with the onset of perimenopause, how her research into hormonal replacement therapy ultimately radicalized her and led to making Menopunks. She explains how the...

Izzy Hagerup is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist now based in Los Angeles by way of western Massachusetts. She operates under the moniker Prewn. Prewn’s sophomore effort System (out Oct 3 via Exploding In Sound) is described as a “private journal made public” and has taken a beautifully explorative and self-reflective turn from her debut record, Through The Window.  Izzy shares her early relationship with music and how a “bad boyfriend” drove her to eventually focus on the guitar. She explains why discomfort and self-absorption play a major role on System, why there will always be darkness in her music, and...

Ron Gallo is a Philadelphia based singer-songwriter and creator of the social media project 7AM Songs of Resistance for The Internet.  His newest album checkmate is due out October 17th via Kill Rock Stars. In this episode Ron tells us how growing up in the diverse South Jersey/Philadelphia DIY scene shaped his formative years, why he remains dedicated to music, and why words are the focus of his creativity. We learn why making checkmate was a vastly different experience from his previous records, what drove him to finally write about love and how the last song he wrote f...

Martin Atkins is a drummer, producer, educator, author, and museum operator. He has worked with PIL, Ministry, NIN, Skinny Puppy, Killing Joke and was a founding member of Pigface alongside fellow drummer and multi-instrumentalist, Bill Rieflin.  He also works as a consultant, has written multiple books on the music industry, and is the music industry studies coordinator at Millikin University. Martin is the owner and operator of the Museum of Post Punk and Industrial Music. Joe jumps in with a burning question about Four Enclosed Walls by PIL and gets a more robust answer than he expected. The two di...

Tim Carr (Perfume Genius, Hand Habits) is singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and session drummer based on Los Angeles. His newest album (out now) Pleasure Drives is a future looking vacillation of hi and low fi production drenched in California sunlight.  Tim explains how growing up in a musical family ultimately led him to a career in both production and performance. He shares his experience at Cal Arts and how that encouraging community helped him find authentic expression. He tells us why the Pleasure Drives cover art guided him through finishing the record and why it felt natural to lean into a m...

Andrew Dalton is the singer of the California based band Nuzzle. Their seminal 1995 record, Follow, For Now will be re-issued via Solid Brass Records, complete with a remix and remaster for maximum clarity and bangoverage. In this episode, Andrew delivers a refreshed version of the band’s origin story, how he went from hanger on to member and why he thinks setting down the guitar was one of his best career moves. He shares the bands journey from the basement to touring to recording, what regrets he may have and why he’s now able to look at Nuzzle as s...