Farideh

We’re very excited to be speaking today with acclaimedand very funny - comedian and musician Farideh! Before we dive in, how has 2023 treated you so far?

2023 has been wonderful! I feel like 2023 has been a year where I know what I’m doing. I spent 2020-2022 a little lost, I quit my music career because I was tired of touring and leaving my kid at home when I was on the road. I had no idea what I was going to do. I started making content because it felt like fun, then in December 2022 I went viral with my comedic song “You are such a good dad”. It was clear my music career wasn’t over, and that my comedy career had just begun.

Major congratulations on the upcoming release of your anticipated debut musical comedy album The Motherload! Can you give our readers an idea of what they can expect from the album?

The Motherload is an album of 16 songs that reflect the largely invisible life of mothers. From the resentment we feel towards our husbands around the division of labour, to the frustration we feel when our kids won’t eat, each of the songs touches on the funny in those everyday moments.

The Motherload touches on the trials and tribulations of motherhood. Was it challenging to “find the funny” on these touchpoints, or did it come quite easily for you?

It was easy to write these songs because I live those trials and tribulations, and so do my friends. My child is 8 now, so I’m not in the fire of parenting a child who is under five. Those years are so hard. I think the distance from the hard times makes it easier to find the funny. When I was a new mom, I was just surviving. It would be very hard to write these songs if I was still in the thick of it.

The Motherload features some very funny tracks. Listening to the album, it feels like there easily could be another sixteen songs. Can we expect a second album with the tracks that maybe didn’t make it to this first album?

I definitely think another album is coming. We don’t see or hear about the journey of motherhood in music or movies, When I’m writing songs, I have this incredible opportunity to write about feelings and frustrations that no one else is writing about. In our society, there is nothing less cool than a mom. We see her as this out-of-date character that has no past, or future. Which is of course, not true. The sixteen songs I have written for The Motherload feel like just the beginning of what I could write about.

In an era which feels very sensitive and electrically charged, is it difficult as a comedian to tackle hot button issues which sometimes divides audiences?

Sometimes I worry people will misconstrue my critique of patterns in our society as me “hating men”. I do get those sentiments in my comment sections but sometimes people will misunderstand you on purpose.

I also worry that my privilege in life will have me blindly make a joke that is insensitive. One thing I love about the online sphere is that we’re seeing so many comedians reflect, apologize and do better. That normalizes the reality that we’re all going to make mistakes. My hope is if/when I say something in the future that isn’t in keeping with my values, that I will be humble, apologize, and learn to do better next time.

Who inspires you, comedy-wise?

I love artists like Bo Burnham, Tenacious D and The Lonely Island. I’ve been looking at what they do for songwriting and performance ideas with songs. I also love comedians like Tig Notaro, Steve Martin, and Sindhu Vee.

In addition to your music career, you are known for your personal storytelling and engaging videos. For those who may not be as familiar with this aspect of your career, can you talk about how you became a viral internet sensation with your videos?

After I had quit music and was creating comedy videos for social media, I enrolled in a comedy class. In that class, I learned that the strongest students weaved their other skills of impressions or acting into their stand-up routines. I realized I was leaving music at the door because I didn’t see music in my future.

Inspired by this lesson, I started attempting comedy songs. My first comedic song was about an entirely true accident where I licked bird poop while out for a walk. The next song I wrote was inspired by my annoyance that folks would walk up to my husband when he was pushing the stroller to tell him he was “such a good dad”. No one came up to me when I was grocery shopping with our kid. Yet, he was celebrated for doing the bare minimum.

When I posted the song “You Are Such a Good Dad”, it went viral and became clear that my next career path was a blend of comedy and music.

How do you top The Motherload? What’s next for you?

I have been really busy writing songs for The Motherload so I haven’t had the chance to create as much video content as I would like. I’m really looking forward to getting back to setting up my camera and making silly videos in my kitchen. I’m also working on a live show. After 20 years of experience performing, I can’t wait to meet and connect with my audience in person on stage.

We’re big admirers of The Vacation Song off of The Motherload! What’s the secret origin story of this song?

I’ve noticed that my audience especially LOVES when I sing about the division of labor in the home. It was summertime and I was reflecting on where the division of labor between moms and dads seems the most apparent. One of those situations is vacation. All that work that goes into planning, packing, and prepping is invisible and it largely falls on the shoulders of moms.

After I wrote that song and shared it with my husband, he said the song made him uncomfortable. “That is what happens for us at vacation. You do all the work and I drive the car”. It led to a great consultation for us to reflect on the division of labor in our home and on vacation.

At the end of the day, what do you hope listeners walk away with after listening to The Motherload?

I hope moms feel seen. I hope they listen to this album and can laugh at all the challenges they face and know they are not alone in their struggles. We’re all out here doing our best.