A “labor of love.” That’s how Sam Plecker (Vista Kicks) describes Pulga Jams, the unlikely Beatles and power pop-inspired EP that he recorded during the pandemic while holed up in a resurrected California ghost town.

During this week’s conversation, Sam describes his one-of-a-kind quarantine situation (and how it came to be), the gear he lugged into the historic Pulga, California school house that he converted into a recording studio (including a Silvertone Jupiter guitar, a 1961 Fender Deluxe, and a vintage Tascam 388 eight-track machine), his musical upbringing in Roseville, California and a lot more. It’s a fascinating chat with a young musician on the rise.

Check out Sam’s EP here: https://withkoji.com/@SamPlecker?fbclid=IwAR0gjB7mC1uRYj6TWx1KpHr-GbP8Ab3VW56dYpEyJHZQxLklqAghNkXLjqk

Brought to you by Calton Cases and Martin Guitars. Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here. Don't forget, we now host an entire family of podcasts, about everything from lutherie to home recording: Luthier on Luthier; The Truth About Vintage Amps; The Truth About Recording & Mixing;Acoustic Voices; and Sweep the Floor.

This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars.

Podcast 329: Sam Plecker (Vista Kicks)