Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Toke.
Hi Josh, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Hi there! My name is Josh Toke, JT if you like it like that. Pleased to meet you! I was raised in the cornfields of northwest Wisconsin north of Eau Claire but now I live fabulous Saint Paul, Minnesota!
I attempted to learn guitar every year since the age of 5 but I think it eventually stuck around age 14 or so when my mind was opened through video games. The soundtrack of video games in the 2000s heavily influenced my taste, particularly Guitar Hero and the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series soundtrack. I was exposed to all of these cool sounds and eventually I wondered if I can make them myself. Luckily I stuck around guitar on my next attempt to learn the instrument.
Fast forward to about age 27, I decided to start a music project and at least record one record. Under the project name “The Choads”, I wrote a handful of songs and bribed a bunch of my friends to play on the record. That record became “Greatest Threads” featuring “Sunday Afternoon.”
Fast forward a couple years with the now current lineup, we just released our latest set of EPs titled “Growing Pains” and “Unraveled”. GP was the primary record that we worked on throughout 2025 for release in 2026. It features 5 originals that pulls from a variety of influences. It was recorded by Will Keebler, mixed by John Fields (Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Soul Asylum) and mastered by Justin Perkins (Sum41, The Replacements, The All-American Rejects).
“Unraveled” on the other hand was recorded and produced this past summer in Will Keebler’s studio, SkeleTone Sound. The idea was to create an “Unplugged” record featuring new songs from GP as well as deep cut favorites from our discography. There’s something for everyone throughout these two releases!
As for today, we’re trying to promote our new records the best we can as well as figuring out what we want to do next!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been like driving on a highway where a portion of it has been redone. Some parts of the journey has felt smooth while others has been a bit bumpy. We’ve had our share of troubles common amongst smaller bands from rotating band members to trying to get noticed in our music scene.
The top struggle like most bands today is finding a sustainable way to be able to create art. From the advent of AI to rising costs, it can sometimes be a struggle to work on and present our art. My band has been fortunate enough to at least break even in all of our activities but we still need to maintain full-time jobs to sustain ourselves and our families.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am the lead guitarist and manager for Pullstring. On the creative front, I help write the songs for Pullstring as well as manage our content creation and social media accounts. On the managerial front, I manage the band from booking to logistics. Outside of Pullstring, I also do concert photography within our local music scene around Minneapolis! You can see my own work on my Instagram account @smokin.toke
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The biggest thing that I have learned in my creative journey that I don’t have to create some crazy career in a day but rather take it one day at a time. Similar to that saying where “it’s about the journey rather the destination.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pullstringband.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pullstringband/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pullstringband
- Twitter: https://x.com/pullstringband
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@pullstring
- Other: https://www.submithub.com/link/pullstring-growing-pains
