THE PLUG W/ JUSTIN JAY

ENCORE EPISODE — To celebrate the landmark performance The Strokes delivered at Coachella 2026, we're revisiting this conversation.

Nikolai Fraiture — bassist and founding member of The Strokes — sits down to talk about what it actually looked like from the inside of one of the most hyped band launches in rock history, and what's happened in the two decades since.

We get into the Grammy win for The New Abnormal and the making of Reality Awaits with Rick Rubin in Costa Rica — and what it took for Rubin to get a band that started in a New York basement back to playing like one.

The Strokes were the first band any of them had ever been in. After 20 years, Nikolai describes a lock-in with his bandmates that he says can't be manufactured: "I wouldn't walk away from something that special that comes along so rarely." And he's candid about early fame in a way that doesn't feel performed: "I don't think I handled it very well."

Reality Awaits is coming. This is where it started.

YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@theplugwithjustinjay 

Website → https://www.theplugwithjustinjay.com 

Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-plug-w-justin-jay/id1517322794 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/3M3BwnadvgbuwtErUHN1pl 

Email → [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ENCORE EPISODE — To celebrate the landmark performance The Strokes delivered at Coachella 2026, we're revisiting this conversation.
Nikolai Fraiture — bassist and founding member of The Strokes — sits down to talk about what it actually looked like from the inside of one of the most hyped band launches in rock history, and what's happened in the two decades since.
We get into the Grammy win for The New Abnormal and the making of Reality Awaits with Rick Rubin in Costa Rica — and what it took for Rubin to get a band that started in a New York basement back to playing like one.
The Strokes were the first band any of them had ever been in. After 20 years, Nikolai describes a lock-in with his bandmates that he says can't be manufactured: "I wouldn't walk away from something that special that comes along so rarely." And he's candid about early fame in a way that doesn't feel performed: "I don't think I handled it very well."
Reality Awaits is coming. This is where it started.
YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@theplugwithjustinjay 
Website → https://www.theplugwithjustinjay.com 
Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-plug-w-justin-jay/id1517322794 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/3M3BwnadvgbuwtErUHN1pl 
Email → [email protected]




Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode we sit down with actor, director, and New York Times bestselling author Andrew McCarthy for a candid conversation about friendship, identity, and reinvention.
Best known for iconic roles in St. Elmo's Fire, Pretty In Pink, Weekend at Bernie's and some of your favorite 80's films, McCarthy has spent the last decade carving out a second act as a deeply introspective writer. His latest book, Who Needs Friends, documents a 10,000-mile solo road trip across America, where he spoke with strangers—from cowboys to cops—to explore the often unspoken realities of male friendship.
The conversation dives into why men struggle with vulnerability, how friendships evolve (or fade) over time, and what happens when a life in Hollywood gives way to a quieter, more reflective creative path. McCarthy also opens up about the complicated legacy of the Brat Pack, the loneliness of the open road, and the surprising honesty he found in conversations with strangers.
Our conversation with Andrew is a thoughtful look at connection in modern life—and a reminder that it's never too late to redefine who you are.


Check out video clips of this episode and other conversations on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNH5UGRKI5E1AUBWAk-OkrA?sub_confirmation=1


Purchase Who Needs Friends by Andrew McCarthy
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/andrew-mccarthy/who-needs-friends/9781538768945/


HI 1K - 10 Years / 1000 Moments On Hawaii's North Shore by Justin Jay:
⁠⁠⁠https://www.hi1k.com/⁠⁠⁠


Have any comments, feedback or suggestions for upcoming guests? We'd love to hear from you. Email The Plug w/ Justin Jay at: [email protected]
⁠⁠⁠https://www.theplugwithjustinjay.com/⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠https://justinjay.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode we sit down with actor, director, and New York Times bestselling author Andrew McCarthy for a candid conversation about friendship, identity, and reinvention.

Best known for iconic roles in St. Elmo's Fire, Pretty In Pink, Weekend at Bernie’s and some of your favorite 80’s films, McCarthy has spent the last decade carving out a second act as a deeply introspective writer. His latest book, Who Needs Friends, documents a 10,000-mile solo road trip across America, where he spoke with strangers—from cowboys to cops—to explore the often unspoken realities of male friendship.

The conversation dives into why men struggle with vulnerability, how friendships evolve (or fade) over time, and what happens when a life in Hollywood gives way to a quieter, more reflective creative path. McCarthy also opens up about the complicated legacy of the Brat Pack, the loneliness of the open road, and the surprising honesty he found in conversations with strangers.

Our conversation with Andrew is a thoughtful look at connection in modern life—and a reminder that it’s never too late to redefine who you are.

Check out video clips of this episode and other conversations on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNH5UGRKI5E1AUBWAk-OkrA?sub_confirmation=1

Purchase Who Needs Friends by Andrew McCarthy

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/andrew-mccarthy/who-needs-friends/9781538768945/

HI 1K - 10 Years / 1000 Moments On Hawaii’s North Shore by Justin Jay:

⁠⁠⁠https://www.hi1k.com/⁠⁠⁠

Have any comments, feedback or suggestions for upcoming guests? We'd love to hear from you. Email The Plug w/ Justin Jay at: [email protected]

⁠⁠⁠https://www.theplugwithjustinjay.com/⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠https://justinjay.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode we sit down for a chat with Posdnuos AKA Plug One, a founding member of one of the most influential and acclaimed groups in hip-hop history - De La Soul.


For years, De La Soul's music was caught in a complicated web of licensing issues and corporate politics, leaving their catalog unavailable on streaming platforms and out of reach for an entire generation of listeners. Now, nearly three decades after their groundbreaking debut Three Feet High and Rising, their full body of work is finally accessible again—sparking a long-overdue rediscovery.


We discuss Cabin in the Sky, the group's first release following the 2023 passing of friend and bandmate Dave Jolicoeur AKA Trugoy the Dove. Pos reflects on the group's commitment to honoring Dave's legacy while continuing forward.


Pos also talks about navigating grief, the decision to carry on as De La Soul, and the defining "Beat Street moment" that reframed loss into purpose. He also reflects on the long fight to reclaim their catalog and the frustration of being absent from the streaming era.


From cassette tapes and crate-digging to algorithms and viral discovery, this episode is a deep look at legacy, artistry, and staying true to the music across decades of change.


Check out video clips of this episode and other conversations on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNH5UGRKI5E1AUBWAk-OkrA?sub_confirmation=1


HI 1K - 10 Years / 1000 Moments On Hawaii's North Shore by Justin Jay:
⁠⁠https://www.hi1k.com/⁠⁠


Have any comments, feedback or suggestions for upcoming guests? We'd love to hear from you. Email The Plug w/ Justin Jay at: [email protected]
⁠⁠https://www.theplugwithjustinjay.com/⁠⁠
⁠⁠https://justinjay.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices