Overview of This Will Ruin the Tour by the writers of Welcome to Night Vale
Night Vale Presents announces the release of This Will Ruin the Tour, a new audio original romance from Joseph Fink, Jeffrey Cranor, and Brie Williams. Directed by Carlin Daigle and featuring Robin Virgini(e) as the voice of Radio Jupiter and Michael John Improta, the project is described as a romantic, cinematic story in the spirit of Roman Holiday and Before Sunrise, with original music and sound design by Disparition.
The creator says the story is so engaging that even after repeated editing passes, the final section still made them stop taking notes and get absorbed in the narrative. The main pitch is simple: buy the audio drama, keep it forever, and hear the full story without ads.
What the excerpt is about
The sample is from Episode 4 and follows:
- Neil Ritter, a young journalist profiling pop star Kiara Sloan
- Their interview day in New Orleans, which keeps unexpectedly turning into a shared adventure
- A slow-burn connection that grows more intimate as the day winds down
Key story beats in the excerpt
- Neil and Kiara keep wandering together instead of parting ways.
- They ride a ferry toward Algiers, extending the day beyond its original plan.
- Their conversation turns personal and flirty, touching on:
- first concerts
- childhood experiences with fame
- celebrity identity vs. the person underneath
- Both characters clearly feel the pull toward kissing, but hesitate because of public scrutiny and the complications of Kiara’s image.
- A crowd notices them, but the moment is interrupted by an alligator in the water, turning them into accidental tourists posing with the local wildlife.
- The scene ends with them arriving in Algiers and the emotional tension still unresolved.
Themes and tone
Romantic tension and vulnerability
The excerpt emphasizes the chemistry between Neil and Kiara, especially the quiet, unspoken realization that they may be falling into something more than an interview.
Celebrity vs. personhood
Kiara repeatedly grapples with the gap between her public image and who she is privately:
- the pressure of being photographed
- the fear of headlines
- the desire to just be “Katie,” not Kiara Sloan
Spontaneity and being pulled off-script
A major idea in the promo is that the story thrives when the characters stop following the plan and let the evening unfold naturally.
New Orleans atmosphere
The setting is used to heighten the mood:
- ferries
- the French Quarter
- Music Box Village
- sunset over the river
- the surprise alligator cameo
Release details and call to action
- Available now wherever audiobooks are sold
- Presented as a paid audio original
- No ads
- Listeners are encouraged to:
- buy the full audio drama
- keep it permanently
- recommend it to someone else if they enjoy it
Quick takeaway
This Will Ruin the Tour is pitched as a lush, emotionally charged romance about a journalist and a pop star whose interview in New Orleans turns into an unexpected day of connection, flirtation, and near-confession—wrapped in rich sound design, a strong voice cast, and a strongly cinematic feel.