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 for him. Joe and Kai discuss the direct and personalness of his lyrics, the familial origin of Girl and Girl and the experience of recording Call A Doctor. Joe encourages Kai to become an actor, Kai tells us about surfing with “big fish” and we hear a couple tunes off the new record.

Girl and Girl

Sub Pop Records

Mother Video

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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 and” style in their voltronic writing process. He also tells us about how the record was made partially live in an Irish pub, how his bandmate Anaïs has changed his lyric stylings and why the new record might have a broader reach of listeners.  Joe and Eric also discuss Eric’s deep indie rock pedigree and his rich history of touring and recording from the early aughts to the present. The two reminisce about their tenure together in The Shins and how they both greatly benefitted from that experience.  We learn about the invention of the famous SoftRockTail™ and hear a new tune from Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free.

Bonny Light Horsemen

Eric D Johnson

Jagjaguwar

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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 for Modest Mouse), his interaction with a MTV beach party, to a more recent experience of jamming with Bob Weir in a small club. Old pals Joe and Eric laugh, they almost cry, and we hear a great live version of a Fruit Bats song.  And this is only Part 1.

Fruit Bats

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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 between listening with their hearts and employing technical input. We learn how cooperative comradery drives the inspiration of The Red Pears and the why a kindred conscientious serves as the glue in their writing, recording, and touring. They discuss the contrast of extensive touring and structureless home life, their upcoming shows at The Forum and Coachella and we hear a few tunes.

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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 hardcore scene in his late teens. He tells us about his approach to songwriting as an entirely self-produced artist, his philosophy on live performance verses recording and why he ended up recording vocals in his van while on a recent tour. The two discuss shoes, why it’s important to make touring loveable and we hear a few tunes.

Joe P

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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 Atlanta, the scene that took them in and motivated them to start a band. We hear the process behind the new record, what sparked the change in lyrical perspective and how new drummer Chris Yonker contributes to the sound of Souvenir. The four discuss the process behind their visual aesthetic, share tips for hotel deals on the road and we hear a couple tunes.

Omni

Sub Pop Records

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Bibi Club is the Montreal based pop project of singer-keyboardist Adèle Trottier-Rivard and guitarist Nicolas Basque. Their newest record, Feu de garde, is out May 10th via Secret City Records. Adèle and Nicolas tell us how the intersection of a chaotic living situation and nature inspired the record and why Adèle’s experience in the “dude world” of rock music informs her lyrics. We learn how these parents of three manage their lives as working artist’s and how why bringing kids on tour brings a special energy to their performances. The two share the meaning behind Feu de garde, what it was like to finally share mixing duties, and we hear a few tunes.

Bibi Club

Secret City Records

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Julia Shapiro and Gretchen Grimm are one half of Seattle's noisy dream pop legends, Chastity Belt. Their 5th album, Live Laugh Love (out March 29th via Suicide Squeeze Records) is a dreamy layering of guitars, vocals and gentle rhythms that guide the listener through both emotional sincerity and lighthearted nostalgia, all with the sheen of cheekiness that the band has celebrated from the beginning.  Julia and Gretchen share the process and inspiration behind the new record, its cover art, and how the power of simplicity guided the recording.  The three discuss biking in Seattle, essential skills learned on the road and their relationship with music in their formative years. For the first time we take a few questions from friend of show John Atkins that leads to a thorough education on The Harp Twins and how to make a Renaissance Faire hat on the cheap. As always we hear a few tunes from the record.

Chastity Belt

Suicide Squeeze

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Joe Wong is a LA based musician, film and tv composer, producer, and podcaster. His newest record, Mere Survival, is a lush orchestral psychedelic pop odyssey laden with timeless song structure and stacked with the heaviest of heavy hitting guest musicians (Mary Timony, Nate Mendel, Money Mark, Jim Keltner and Matt Cameron, to name of few).  Joe (Wong) shares the motivation behind this realistic, yet despair rich record, and how this stage in his career naturally led to its completion. The Joe’s discuss the absurdity of the all-star cast of contributors and why Joe Wong sees making a record as an innately social experience. The two exchange their gleaned wisdom they’ve absorbed from Buzz Osborne, Joe (Wong) tells us why he’s getting his podcast The Trap Set up and running again and we hear his plans for upcoming performances of Mere Survival. As usual, we hear a few tunes and soak up the vibrations.

Joe Wong

Mere Survival

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         Stephen Buono is a producer, songwriter, and devisor of the collective project Church Chords. The debut record, Elvis, he was a Schlager is out Feb 23 on his new label, Otherly Love. Stephen takes us through the process of making this expansive and cohesive record, how it was initially inspired by the University of Miami marching band, and why the first version of the record was scrapped. He tells us why the spirit of freedom and collaboration was crucial for this project and why he's grateful for the long list of heavy hitters that contributed. Joe and Stephen have a Minutemen superfan moment and we hear a few tunes from the new record.

Church Chords

Otherly Love

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