Could one of these Tri-City podcasts be the next 'Serial' or 'S-Town'?

Chatting with the "Vanilla Sunday" guys is like chatting with your own friends.

Except — no offense to your friends — perhaps even more fun.

That's because the guys, who put out a weekly podcast in which they riff on pretty much whatever they want, joining a growing number of Tri-Citians who've plunged into the booming podcast market, are lightning quick and gut-bustingly funny.

Witness this exchange, in which Joel Petersen admits they're learning as they go.

"None of us have experience being personalities of any sort," he says.

"Um, in fifth grade, I was in a play, 'Lewis & Clark,'" Jeffrey Graham breaks in. "I was the lead, Meriwether Lewis."

"Oh man," Brandon Gale says with a laugh.

"I'm sorry, Brandon, were you in a play?" Graham asks, with a playful edge.

"I've been in plays," Gale shoots back. "No big deal."

Brian Griffin rounds out the four-man "Vanilla Sunday" crew.

With their what'll-they-say-next charm, the longtime friends — all in their mid-20s to early-30s — fall on the looser and more free-wheeling end of local podcasts.

Like the wider podcast market, with everything from the true-crime juggernaut "Serial," to the artful and emotional "S-Town," to the rowdier, funny "2 Dope Queens," Tri-City offerings run the gamut.

Paul Casey , a local life coach, author, speaker and trainer, jumped into podcasting with "Tri-Cities Influencer."

He interviews local leaders, with the goal of showcasing their successes and offering tools to those looking to follow in their footsteps.

He's talked with everyone from Preston House, local Papa John's Pizza owner, to LoAnn Ayers, president and CEO of United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties.

"The conversation is around leadership and self-leadership. We talk about how you organize yourself, delegation, etc. — practical stuff that you can use every day," Casey said. "They give you tools that you can easily apply to your life, your leadership."

In her podcast "Tri-Citizens," Kristi Shumway also sits down with local movers and shakers — advocates for the Tri-Cities.

She was inspired after moving to the Tri-Cities from California a few years ago. She loves the area, and bristles at the perception that there's nothing to do here.

The opposite is true, Shumway said.

With the podcast, "I'm saying, 'We live in a great place. There’s a lot happening here. There are a lot of go-getters here. There’s a lot of potential because of the dedication people have here,'" Shumway told the Herald.

And, she said, "I like the fact that the (podcast content) lives for a long time. Even if someone comes into the Tri-Cities five years from now, they’re going to have all these episodes telling them what the Tri-Cities has been like."

On "Tri-Citizens," Shumway has interviewed everyone from David Spaulding of Wheelhouse Community Bike Shop, to Zach Sansom and J.D. Loveless of Tri-Cities Alliance FC.

Audio recordings of Fuse SPC's Fireside Chats also air as part of Tri-Citizens.

Another popular Tri-City podcast also aims to inspire.

Rayne Anderson, of Unraveling with Rayne, started as a blogger before trying her hand at podcasting.

To her, the medium in powerful.

"The great thing about a podcast is you can just put it on, put the headphones on — you're doing dishes, doing chores, you can listen and keep your brain engaged. Keep your brain fed," she said. "We get stuck in these ruts and our brain is on autopilot, but podcasts allow us to check in and contemplate new ideas that we haven’t thought of."

In "Unraveling," Anderson goes tête-à-tête with local artists, musicians and others.

In a recent interview with entrepreneur Krista Ann Patterson, for example, the two women talk about everything from business to motherhood.

"We discuss their journey, life philosophy, passion. All of the things," Anderson said. "The great thing about sitting down with all these different kinds of people — there are so many similarities, I’ve found."

In the show, "there’s a little bit of everything, for everybody," she said.

The local podcasters all take different approaches when it comes to production.

Some record at home, like the "Vanilla Sunday" guys. Others, like Casey and Shumway, use Fuse's podcast studio.

The medium is a relatively simple, DIY way to speak your mind, reach out and connect, the local podcasters said.

Kimberly Kessler , a Tri-City writer, editor and speaker, is part of the "Story Grid Editor Roundtable Podcast," aimed at helping people become better editors. She's used Fuse's podcast studio, and also records at home or in her office.

"(Podcasting) is so much more accessible than you think. There's so much you can do online, at Fuse. There are forums online. If you have an interest, dig in and go for it. It’s something that is so accessible now," Kessler said.

And, she said, it can go a long way toward building community.

"It’s not about finding 25,000 people to listen to you, it’s about finding your people. I would encourage people to get out there and start making stuff," Kessler said. "We want more people putting out cool stuff, especially in our community. It’s better for everybody. It levels us all up when everyone is doing what they’re supposed to be doing. "

The "Vanilla Sunday" guys have been doing their thing since last year.

Petersen handles much of the production. Gale, who moved to Portland after the podcast got under way, joins by video chat.

Graham's role? "I have the apartment," he said, noting they record at his dining room table.

Griffin shakes his head. "We could do it in an Arby's. (Your role) is the wild card."

"Yes, you're the comic relief," Gale piped in from afar.

Griffin feigned hurt. "Comic relief? Brandon thinks Jeff is the only funny one."

The friends agree they're all funny. They turn to defining Griffin's role.

"You bring a lot of poise," Petersen says.

"You also have the nicest hair," Graham offers.

Griffin touches his neatly-styled locks. "I don’t think so. I really don’t."

"No," Petersen says encouragingly, "you do."

For the "Vanilla Sunday" crew, virtually nothing is off limits as they curse and laugh.

In an interview with the Herald, they talked about everything from nose hair (Graham is getting more) to MSG (don't get Griffin started,) to dip versus soup (on that one either), to more serious topics, like the Roy Moore scandal and the #MeToo movement.

They regularly bring in artists, musicians, entrepreneurs and other guests to join in on the fun.

And for them, fun is at the heart of it all.

"I think all of us had slightly different ideas on where we’d go with (the podcast). In my mind, it was an avenue to highlight different, interesting things happening in the Tri-Cities. I think everyone else really thought it was more of an avenue to just hang out and talk and record it and see what happens. It ended up being somewhere in the middle of that," Griffin said.

"I think that we’re having conversations that everybody has with their friends."

This story was originally published May 6, 2018 at 2:45 PM with the headline "Could one of these Tri-City podcasts be the next 'Serial' or 'S-Town'?."