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.

Don’t forget, the FJ now hosts 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.