CHSR-FM 97.9 | Once On Much

Once On Much – Ep07 Pluto

When Ian Jones looks back on the 1990s, his memories aren’t just of stages and studios—they’re 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 rock wasn’t chasing trends so much as carving its own lane. While grunge dominated south of the border, bands like Pluto, Sloan, Eric’s Trip, Cub, and Treble Charger were embracing melody, pop instincts, and community. “We were pop bands,” Jones says plainly—rough-edged, maybe, but committed to songs that stood apart from the prevailing American heaviness of the time.

That independence was nurtured by institutions that now feel almost mythical: Mint Records, MuchMusic, and compilations like Big Shiny Tunes. Jones speaks fondly of Mint as a true creative home—one that quickly put Pluto on the road with Cub and Pansy Division, and into rooms full of sold-out crowds. MuchMusic, meanwhile, wasn’t 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—with Pluto’s “Paste” sitting alongside peers and heroes—changed the scale of everything.

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—and why it still resonates, decades later.