Karen Everett isn't looking to join a band the day she loses her notebook of poetry. She plays the cello and is unsure about what she wants in life, but she's pretty sure it doesn't involve being a professional musician. But a crush on the band's beautiful lead singer Lana Kent, along with the desire to have her poetry shared with a larger audience, leads her to throw caution to the wind and play an audition that leads to her being invited to join the band at gigs.
After a spur of the moment decision lands them a spot on national television, Karen and the band find themselves riding an unexpected wave of popularity. Soon they're touring the country, recording albums, making music videos, and trying to find time to have a personal life amid all the craziness. Aware that their surge in popularity is due to a fortuitous combination of popular trends and knowing they only have a few good years before their celebrity begins to wane, the ladies of Radiation Canary strive to make the most of their time in the spotlight before the public moves on.
With one eye on the inevitable end of their fame even as their popularity hits its peak, the band learns that it's not how high you fly, it's how gracefully you fall.