{"id":3280622,"date":"2026-01-16T20:45:55","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T00:45:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chsrfm.ca\/blog\/?p=3280622"},"modified":"2026-01-16T17:07:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T21:07:40","slug":"once-on-much-ep07-pluto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/chsrfm.ca\/blog\/current-shows\/music\/onceonmuch\/once-on-much-ep07-pluto","title":{"rendered":"Once On Much – Ep07 Pluto"},"content":{"rendered":"
Once On Much – Ep07 Pluto\"\"<\/a><\/h5>\n

When Ian Jones looks back on the 1990s, his memories aren\u2019t just of stages and studios\u2014they\u2019re of thrift stores, long tours, and a distinctly Canadian scene that felt both scrappy and quietly confident. In this conversation, the Pluto<\/strong><\/a> frontman reflects on coming up during a moment when Canadian alternative rock wasn\u2019t chasing trends so much as carving its own lane. While grunge dominated south of the border, bands like Pluto, Sloan<\/a>, Eric\u2019s Trip<\/a>, Cub<\/a>, and Treble Charger were embracing melody, pop instincts, and community. \u201cWe were pop bands,\u201d Jones says plainly\u2014rough-edged, maybe, but committed to songs that stood apart from the prevailing American heaviness of the time.<\/p>\n

That independence was nurtured by institutions that now feel almost mythical: Mint Records<\/strong><\/a>, MuchMusic<\/strong><\/a>, and compilations like Big Shiny Tunes<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. Jones speaks fondly of Mint as a true creative home\u2014one that quickly put Pluto on the road with Cub and Pansy Division, and into rooms full of sold-out crowds. MuchMusic, meanwhile, wasn\u2019t just a broadcaster; it was an ecosystem. Videos, interviews, tour listings, and constant rotation helped turn regional bands into national ones, especially for kids in rural Canada discovering new music through a TV screen. Being on Big Shiny Tunes<\/em>\u2014with Pluto\u2019s \u201cPaste<\/a>\u201d sitting alongside peers and heroes\u2014changed the scale of everything.<\/p>\n

Looking back now, Jones is clear-eyed about both the thrill and the cost of that moment. Signing to a major label brought muscle and momentum, but also compromises that dulled the joy that first drew Pluto together. What remains, though, is something harder to manufacture: songs written from the heart, a sound instantly recognizable, and a legacy tied to a brief but powerful era when Canadian bands supported each other and trusted their instincts. For listeners discovering Pluto today, this interview offers a reminder of what made that time special\u2014and why it still resonates, decades later.<\/p>\n

Connect with Pluto:
\nIAN JONES<\/a>\u00a0|| MUSIC<\/a><\/b><\/h6>\n

Tracklist:<\/strong>
\n1.) Pluto<\/strong> – Paste<\/a> || Pluto<\/em><\/a>
\n2.) Pluto<\/strong> – When She Was Happy<\/a> || Pluto<\/em><\/a>
\n3.) Pluto<\/strong> – The Goodbye Girl<\/a> || Shake Hands With The Future<\/em><\/a>
\n4.) Pluto<\/strong> – Black Lipstick<\/a> || Pluto<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Did this conversation resonate with you?<\/b>\u00a0Let us know your favorite part! Follow\u00a0Once On Much<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Instagram<\/a>, and share this episode with a friend!<\/p>\n

\"Play\"<\/a><\/div>\n

Podcast: Play in new window<\/a> | Download<\/a><\/p>

Subscribe: RSS<\/a> | More<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Once On Much – Ep07 Pluto When Ian Jones looks back on the 1990s, his memories aren\u2019t just of stages and studios\u2014they\u2019re of thrift stores, long tours, and a distinctly Canadian scene that felt both scrappy and quietly confident. In this conversation, the Pluto frontman reflects on coming up during a moment when Canadian alternative<\/p>\n

Read more…<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Play\"<\/a><\/div>\n

Podcast: Play in new window<\/a> | Download<\/a><\/p>

Subscribe: RSS<\/a> | More<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":3280623,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[13767],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3280622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-onceonmuch"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/chsrfm.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Once-on-Much-2-Pluto.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/chsrfm.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3280622","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/chsrfm.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/chsrfm.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/chsrfm.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/chsrfm.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3280622"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/chsrfm.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3280622\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3280624,"href":"http:\/\/chsrfm.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3280622\/revisions\/3280624"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/chsrfm.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3280623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/chsrfm.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3280622"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/chsrfm.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3280622"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/chsrfm.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3280622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}