Tour Stories/The Check-In with Joe Plummer

Evil Island have announced their debut album, Terraform The Afterlife, arriving August 14 via Blowed Out Records. Born from the creative firestorm that followed The Blood Brothers' 2024 reunion tour, the record finds Johnny Whitney, Cody Votolato, Mark Gajadhar and Autry Fulbright pushing their collective chemistry into bold new territory. In this episode, Johnny and Cody explain the story behind Evil Island, how The Blood Brothers 2024 tour was the springboard for the new band and why it feels like they are operating at the height of their songwriting. The two share their views on the importance of a good producer/band relationship and why longtime friend Ross Robinson was not only a perfect fit for the record, but more like a 5th member. Johnny shares his experience of relearning to sing after a 9-year break, why he was motivated to become a singer again and why he feels like he’s reached his best singer and lyricist self. The two explain how creating uncomfortable space in the studio led to a deeper comradery, more reliance on instincts and yielded better performance. They discuss how their songwriting has developed from their younger selves, how that allows more freedom of expression, and we hear some new songs from Terraform The Afterlife.
Evil Island
Blowed Out Records
Tour Stories supported by Kingston Union who is having their Summer Slip On sale now. Use code SUMMERSLIPS25 for 25% All Slip-On's. Go here Kingston Union
Tour Stories would like to welcome our newest sponsor Kuma Coffee. Kuma Coffee is a 100% Independently owned roasting company right here in Seattle since 2008. Kuma is a 5-person team, roasting over 100,000lbs of exclusively high scoring coffee each year. They source their coffees direct from origin and pay well over fair trade pricing to farmers. This guarantees the highest quality, while supporting rural farming communities throughout the Global South
They also just launched an instant coffee… (Joe’s favorite instant)
Find everything Kuma at Kumacoffee.com
Episode supported by our friends Izotope This episode is produced with Ozone 12, the newest from Izotope. Head over to izotope.com now for savings on all their production software. Go check out Ozone 12 and RX 12 and master with the best and solve the unsolvable 20 plug-ins for mastering mastery. Use code FRET10 at checkout.
Ep supported by @distrokid. Distrokid now offers Bandzoogle where you can build your bands website and store in minutes. @thetourstories listeners get 30% off at distrokid.com/vip/tourstories. GET YOUR MUSIC OUT THERE! ITS EASY WITH @distrokid
Summer Slip On Sale at Kingston Union. Add a little leisure and style to your summer vibrations with our classic Slip-On. Right now we're offering 25% Off on ALL Slip-On's. Pre beach, post beach, breezy nights on the deck or be your chillest self on your daily errands. Use code SUMMERSLIPS25 to get yours now.
Mentioned in this episode:
Distrokid
Kingston Union
Kingston Union, your home for the original Wino shoes

Kingstonunionmfg.com

Izotope
Schecter Guitars

Dawson Daugherty is a singer, songwriter and founding member of Almost Monday. Their second album Thank God It’s Almost Monday is due out September 9 via Hollywood Records and are on tour now with Young The Giant and Cold War Kids. This week Joe reports from the back of a tour bus where Dawson share’s the unique origin of Almost Monday, how surfing played a role in the formation of the band and why Dawson with inspired to delve into songwriting as a youngster. The two discuss the sophomoric pressure for the new record, how it came from extreme highs and lows for the band and why that lends to its diverse song to song sound. Dawson tells us why the lead single Leaving Is Easy is an important song for the band, he shares some insight into his writing process, and we get a sample of the newest single, Delicate.
Almost Monday
Tour Stories supported by Kingston Union who is having their Summer Slip On sale now. Use code SUMMERSLIPS25 for 25% All Slip-On's. Go here Kingston Union
Tour Stories would like to welcome our newest sponsor Kuma Coffee. Kuma Coffee is a 100% Independently owned roasting company right here in Seattle since 2008. Kuma is a 5-person team, roasting over 100,000lbs of exclusively high scoring coffee each year. They source their coffees direct from origin and pay well over fair trade pricing to farmers. This guarantees the highest quality, while supporting rural farming communities throughout the Global South
They also just launched an instant coffee… (Joe’s favorite instant)
Find everything Kuma at Kumacoffee.com
Episode supported by our friends Izotope This episode is produced with Ozone 12, the newest from Izotope. Head over to izotope.com now for savings on all their production software. Go check out Ozone 12 and RX 12 and master with the best and solve the unsolvable 20 plug-ins for mastering mastery. Use code FRET10 at checkout.
Ep supported by @distrokid. Distrokid now offers Bandzoogle where you can build your bands website and store in minutes. @thetourstories listeners get 30% off at distrokid.com/vip/tourstories. GET YOUR MUSIC OUT THERE! ITS EASY WITH @distrokid
Ep supported by Heil Sound. For 60 years, Heil Sound has provided innovative, professional quality sound for stage, studio, broadcast, and podcast. Grammy-winning artists and sound engineers worldwide trust Heil microphones for their legendary sound. To find out more about the full line of Heil microphones and products, visit heilsound.com.
Mentioned in this episode:
Izotope
Distrokid
Kuma Coffee

This is a special episode. We would like to present As Many Weirdos As Possible, a documentary photography project honoring the Pacific Northwest music scene from 1985 to 1995. A team of photographers is capturing portraits of bartenders, musicians, engineers, journalists and others from the community, in places that tie them to their stories. Through portraits and handwritten memories, it spotlights the creators and unsung figures who shaped a movement that changed the world. In this episode we hear from Steve Manning at a Seattle Town Hall event on April 17th 2026. Steve Manning has lived everywhere cool in the PNW (Tacoma, Olympia, Seattle), is a 9+ year Sub Pop Records veteran and Joe's occasional pickleball pal. Introduction by John Roderick (Harvey Danger, Long Winters).
As Many Weirdos As Possible
Poser Productions
Video at Town Hall
Tour Stories would like to welcome our newest sponsor Kuma Coffee. Kuma Coffee is a 100% Independently owned roasting company right here in Seattle since 2008. Kuma is a 5-person team, roasting over 100,000lbs of exclusively high scoring coffee each year. They source their coffees direct from origin and pay well over fair trade pricing to farmers. This guarantees the highest quality, while supporting rural farming communities throughout the Global South
They also just launched an instant coffee… (Joe’s favorite instant)
Find everything Kuma at Kumacoffee.com
Episode supported by our friends Izotope This episode is produced with Ozone 12, the newest from Izotope. Head over to izotope.com now for savings on all their production software. Go check out Ozone 12 and RX 12 and master with the best and solve the unsolvable 20 plug-ins for mastering mastery. Use code FRET10 at checkout.
Ep supported by @distrokid. Distrokid now offers Bandzoogle where you can build your bands website and store in minutes. @thetourstories listeners get 30% off at distrokid.com/vip/tourstories. GET YOUR MUSIC OUT THERE! ITS EASY WITH @distrokid
Ep supported by Heil Sound. For 60 years, Heil Sound has provided innovative, professional quality sound for stage, studio, broadcast, and podcast. Grammy-winning artists and sound engineers worldwide trust Heil microphones for their legendary sound. To find out more about the full line of Heil microphones and products, visit heilsound.com.
Mentioned in this episode:
Heil sound
"For 60 years, Heil Sound has provided innovative, professional quality sound for stage, studio, broadcast, and podcast. Grammy-winning artists and sound engineers worldwide trust Heil microphones for their legendary sound. To find out more about the full line of Heil microphones and products, visit heilsound.com.
Izotope
Distrokid
Kuma Coffee

Bob Bert is a New Jersey based drummer, writer, and punk rock veteran whose resume includes Sonic Youth, Pussy Galore, Knoxville Girls and Lydia Lunch. His debut solo record Beach Bongo Bloodbath is due out June 12th via Bar None Records. Bob shares the process and inspiration behind the new record, which is largely made up of an eclectic collection of covers. We learn how a specific percussion setup shaped the record, how he chose the songs to record and why Beach Bongo Bloodbath is a guitar-free recording.The two discuss Bob’s recording process, Bob shares the details for the jam-packed record release event and we hear some new tunes.
Bob Bert
Bar None Records
Tour Stories would like to welcome our newest sponsor Kuma Coffee. Kuma Coffee is a 100% Independently owned roasting company right here in Seattle since 2008. Kuma is a 5-person team, roasting over 100,000lbs of exclusively high scoring coffee each year. They source their coffees direct from origin and pay well over fair trade pricing to farmers. This guarantees the highest quality, while supporting rural farming communities throughout the Global South
They also just launched an instant coffee… (Joe’s favorite instant)
Find everything Kuma at Kumacoffee.com
Episode supported by our friends Izotope This episode is produced with Ozone 12, the newest from Izotope. Head over to izotope.com now for savings on all their production software. Go check out Ozone 12 and RX 12 and master with the best and solve the unsolvable 20 plug-ins for mastering mastery. Use code FRET10 at checkout.
Ep supported by @distrokid. Distrokid now offers Bandzoogle where you can build your bands website and store in minutes. @thetourstories listeners get 30% off at distrokid.com/vip/tourstories. GET YOUR MUSIC OUT THERE! ITS EASY WITH @distrokid
Ep supported by Heil Sound. For 60 years, Heil Sound has provided innovative, professional quality sound for stage, studio, broadcast, and podcast. Grammy-winning artists and sound engineers worldwide trust Heil microphones for their legendary sound. To find out more about the full line of Heil microphones and products, visit heilsound.com.
Mentioned in this episode:
Distrokid
Kuma Coffee
Heil sound
"For 60 years, Heil Sound has provided innovative, professional quality sound for stage, studio, broadcast, and podcast. Grammy-winning artists and sound engineers worldwide trust Heil microphones for their legendary sound. To find out more about the full line of Heil microphones and products, visit heilsound.com.
Izotope

Melanie Radford is a bassist, singer and songwriter based in Seattle. Her debut solo album For The Sake Of Stillness is due out June 26th via Jealous Butcher Record. Melanie shares her experience in the Boise music scene and why she shifted her playing from jazz to rock. We learn how For The Sake Of Stillness is both a personal mediation and a need for stillness and grounding. She tells us why field recordings operate as the core of the record and how they operate as a living collaborator. Joe and Melanie discuss her writing and recording process, why bass is necessary to contextualize her songwriting and how the lush ambient presence was achieved. Melanie tells us about her approach to performing the record and we hear a couple new songs.
Melanie Radford
Jealous Butcher Records

Tour Stories would like to welcome our newest sponsor Kuma Coffee. Kuma Coffee is a 100% Independently owned roasting company right here in Seattle since 2008. Kuma is a 5-person team, roasting over 100,000lbs of exclusively high scoring coffee each year. They source their coffees direct from origin and pay well over fair trade pricing to farmers. This guarantees the highest quality, while supporting rural farming communities throughout the Global South
They also just launched an instant coffee… (Joe’s favorite instant)
Find everything Kuma at Kumacoffee.com
Episode supported by our friends Izotope This episode is produced with Ozone 12, the newest from Izotope. Head over to izotope.com now for savings on all their production software. Go check out Ozone 12 and RX 12 and master with the best and solve the unsolvable 20 plug-ins for mastering mastery. Use code FRET10 at checkout.
Ep supported by @distrokid. Distrokid now offers Bandzoogle where you can build your bands website and store in minutes. @thetourstories listeners get 30% off at distrokid.com/vip/tourstories. GET YOUR MUSIC OUT THERE! ITS EASY WITH @distrokid
Ep supported by Heil Sound. For 60 years, Heil Sound has provided innovative, professional quality sound for stage, studio, broadcast, and podcast. Grammy-winning artists and sound engineers worldwide trust Heil microphones for their legendary sound. To find out more about the full line of Heil microphones and products, visit heilsound.com.
Mentioned in this episode:
Schecter Guitars
Kuma Coffee
Heil sound
"For 60 years, Heil Sound has provided innovative, professional quality sound for stage, studio, broadcast, and podcast. Grammy-winning artists and sound engineers worldwide trust Heil microphones for their legendary sound. To find out more about the full line of Heil microphones and products, visit heilsound.com.
Izotope