My interview with Jason Nash

[klorjne]

Jason Nash is a very funny man, the man behind guyswithfeelings.com. I sat down today to talk comedy with him and discuss his new EP, The Darkest Heart.
The Darkest Heart is a standup EP of material from Jason, both new and old. It starts out with a few characters (some he calls Blaracters) and various voices. Then Jason moves onto his newer stuff, which is more personal and deals with jokes about his wife and kids. It's definitely worth checking out, especially for fans of The Shaman or the GuysWithFeelings podcast.

Interview via Skype (Karl Pickles is Jason, Salmonberryclock is me)

Karl PIckles
great fire away
things are crazy at my house right now
no, nanny today.
i'm with a three year old and a screaming five month old

salmonberryclock
So man, let's talk about that cd. Just got a couple days ago and I was interested in how you kind of changed styles there at the end.

Karl PIckles
yeah, it's just an ep
i think my next cd will be all married stuff and kids stuff

salmonberryclock
You started doing some characters and stuff, an then went on to talking about your kids and stuff

Karl PIckles
that's the direction the standup is taking

salmonberryclock
ah, that's cool. Was this recorded from a bunch of different places? I noticed the sound going in and out

Karl PIckles
Yeah, I used to primarily do characters in New York
No, it was all recorded at The Gardner Stages in Los Angeles.
As I've gotten older I've really wanted to move away from characters. I don't know why.

salmonberryclock
Ah, I gotcha. I've just started doing standup myself, and it's hard for me to really think of a direction.

Karl PIckles
Yes! It's really hard.

salmonberryclock
How long had you been doing characters until you decided to sort of change directions?

Karl PIckles
For about five years. Characters came really easy to me and I was good at it, but I always longed to do stand-up. When I would watch Paul F. Tompkins or Zach, I would think "Man, that's what I'd like to do."
What kind of material are you focusing on?

salmonberryclock
Well, I really don't have a lot right now. I wanted to try doing characters and stuff after hearing you and Fred Armisen do standup, but it never came as easy to me

Karl PIckles
You really have to keep going and try to find it.

salmonberryclock
It's more just whatever I think of at the time, because it's hard for me to focus on consistency right now. Speaking of which, how did you decide what was ready to be on the CD and stuff?
I find sometimes I tell a joke 2 or 3 times and give up on it, how did you weed out what was going on the EP?

Karl PIckles
Somebody asked me to do a CD, so I took all my best material and just did it.

salmonberryclock
Ah, I gotcha. The classic "pick what's best and use it"/

Karl PIckles
A couple things fall a little flat, but I think that's the beauty of a live recording.

salmonberryclock
It's always interesting to see yourself fall flat and fix it

Karl PIckles
I'm doing all kids stuff and being a man stuff now. The first half of the CD is completely
ouf of my act

salmonberryclock
Really? I'm gonna miss those blarachters

Karl PIckles
Yes!!!
Me too!!

salmonberryclock
But it is important to keep stuff new. I can always tell when I see somebody doing material that's years old
ok I have to ask, what's with the name Karl Pickles?

Karl PIckles
Yes, I know. You can feel it. I have some stuff that I want to put in my one man show
that was killing three months ago and now, well, we'll see.
I wrote a joke this morning.

salmonberryclock
but that's at least the advantage to writing about yourself, as opposed to the news
Oh really? Let's hear it.

Karl PIckles
Wait what's the advantage?

salmonberryclock
You can update it if it's falling flat now

Karl PIckles
oh yes, you're right.
I have to tell you, my baby is screaming like someone killed her dog right now.

salmonberryclock
haha, I put skype on mute so I could type the interview and not hear screaming

Karl PIckles
It is a relentless, curdling scream that makes you want to put your head in an oven.

salmonberryclock
haha

Karl PIckles
Karl PIckles is just a funny name I picked.

salmonberryclock
sounds like a character from Rugrats

Karl PIckles
It has no meaning.
Yes it does.
the joke was..
I do not hit my kids.
But if danger is eminent, I might not tell them.

salmonberryclock
haha
I think I hear not telling them of eminent danger coming on right now.....

Karl PIckles
Like we had to put cream on his foot the other day and it really stings his feet

Karl PIckles
My wife didn't want to do it, but he was being such an asshole that I couldn't wait to put it on
him

salmonberryclock
haha

Karl PIckles
If you have a dog and then you have kids. You might as well take the dog to the pound on the way to deliver the baby.
My poor dog, he really has taken a back seat.

salmonberryclock
Dogs aren't as good at voicing their needs

Karl PIckles
To these self obsessed little kids.
Ha ha!
You haven't met my dog. His name is Hudson. He would live in my skin if he could.

salmonberryclock
What kind of dog?

Karl PIckles
He would cut me out Silence of the Lambs style.
Golden Retriever.

salmonberryclock
Does the dog want to live in your skin because it loves you, or just because it's a sicko?

Karl PIckles
One time I came home and he was staring in the mirrior with his ball and testicles tucked
under his ass.

salmonberryclock
what the hell

Karl PIckles
I'm not sure!
No, it's because he loves me.
That's a good theme I'm trying to get at.

salmonberryclock
He couldn't have done that on purpose, he has no thumbs

Karl PIckles
Like being loved. I fucking hate it.
I got so much fucking love in my life, I can't take a shit.

salmonberryclock
haha
how much love is too much?

Karl PIckles
Right.
I have a friend named Pink Hamster. He is a 500 lb dude.
He listens to my podcast "Guys With Feelings" and he gets super
upset when I bitch about my full life, because his is lacking in some areas.
So I'm sure somebody could read this and think what an asshole I am.

salmonberryclock
haha.

Karl PIckles
But damn it. I just want to take a shit.

salmonberryclock
You sometimes have to be an asshole to be funny

Karl PIckles
I know.
I have a demo I made based on my act.
salmonberryclock
I remember the first time I watched Patton Oswalt I thought "what an asshole"

Karl PIckles
Do you want to watch it?

salmonberryclock
definitely, link me to it

Karl PIckles
Oh yeah, that's so funny because he is the absolute nicest dude.
I think he's gotten nicer with success.
Most people it goes the other way.

salmonberryclock
I've heard he's a great guy, but he's a total ass on stage. And he's hilarious because of it

Karl PIckles
Well, I did his show at Largo the other night. He just had a baby and he wasn't an asshole at all. He talked about parking tickets, and this awful nurse he had while his wife delivered. The thing I learned the other night watching him.
And this might help you too, is that everything is so great with him because he brings it towards himself. He embraces that nerd side of him and puts it into every bit.

salmonberryclock
I haven't gotten to hear much of his stuff since Wearwolves, but that's what I've tried to imitate about his style is putting stuff on myself

Karl PIckles
I think growing up nerdy kids were so unable to be self-aware. To call themselves nerds. And he was the first one to embrace it.
Yeah, that's the key, I think.
My big thing right now is trying to be a man. Trying to rise to the occassion and raise these damn kids.
I would like to crawl in a hole most days.

salmonberryclock
haha

Karl PIckles
The other day I took my three year old to see "UP" We talked about it all day.
We got there and it was sold out. I thought I was going to have a nervouse breakdown.

salmonberryclock
oh shit
What'd you do?

Karl PIckles
My Dad would have handled better. He would have just taken me in "The Taking of Pelham 123"

salmonberryclock
My dad would have waited all day for a later showing. Not sure how great that would have been

Karl PIckles
We rented a "fire engine" at the mall. It's a cart you put kids in to push them around the mall but it looks like a fire engine. The mall was outdoors and we just took to all these
big buildings in Century City and my son began to ask me to put out some fires.

salmonberryclock
I remember those things! You used to be able to return them and get a dollar

Karl PIckles
And it was really carthartic putting out these fake fires with this cart we had stolen from the mall.
I was also asked to be cookie monster the whole time, by my son.

salmonberryclock
You had to be a firefighting cookie monster?

Karl PIckles
So there I am talking like cookie monster with a stolen cart putting out fake fires.
Ya ya ya!!!!
Yes.

salmonberryclock
was about to ask about the voice!

Karl PIckles
Or as cookie monster would say.
Ya! Ya! Ya!

salmonberryclock
That probably freaked a few people out

Karl PIckles
So once in a while it creeps in and your happy you had kids.
especially the security guard who came over threatened to take me to jail.

salmonberryclock
Because without kids, you wouldn't be allowed to do things like that

Karl PIckles
right!

salmonberryclock
Will we get to hear about cookie monster adventures on your next CD?

Karl PIckles
Yes, for sure.
I think I'm going to end my show with that story.
Need to pull the funny out of it, but I like it. It says what I want to say.

salmonberryclock
It's a great story, I like stories with one moment in them

Karl PIckles
Expand on that.

salmonberryclock
where you need to step back and realize how absurd it is

Karl PIckles
Right, yes!
But is it funny?
That's what's hard about this show I'm writing.

salmonberryclock
Like the time I was in a stranger's backyard calling my best friend to ask if he was out of jail

Karl PIckles
Don't want to go up there and prather on about nothing.
How'd that go?

salmonberryclock
not great

Karl PIckles
What happened?

salmonberryclock
long story short
he got arrested, I was calling to see if he wanted to hang out
I was hiding from the neighbor

Karl PIckles
Ha ha!!!
why were you hiding?

salmonberryclock
because she never shuts up when I'm on the phone
and it was kind of an intimate phone moment
but yeah, with stories like that, it's easy to make them funny after the facy
I don't remember who said it, probably some dude on AST, but he said "I write things that are true, then I change them and make them funny"

Karl PIckles
that's a good rule of thumb.
Have you seen the Shaman?

salmonberryclock
and that's how to handle things like the cookie monster fire fighter and my hiding in a yard
nah, what's that?

Karl PIckles
it's a web series I just produced. I'll send it to you.

salmonberryclock
okay.
send away

Karl PIckles
http://www.atom.com/channel/channel_shaman/

salmonberryclock
Oh hey, IMDB says you were in Melvin Goes to Dinner?

Karl PIckles
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/57e...ash-is-married
yes, I was a bartender.
It was barely a part.

salmonberryclock
I just saw that movie a couple weeks ago, I'm trying to remember what scene you were in

Karl PIckles
I have a joke I would do to Mike Blieden the director.
Who I was living with at the time (along with Matt Price)
Whenever I woudl do something nice for him. Like pick him up from the airport
I'd say, "Hey Mike, thanks for the non-speaking part in your movie."

salmonberryclock
haha

Karl PIckles
That was a good movie though.
Pretty awesome.

salmonberryclock
It was an awesome movie.

Karl PIckles
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/57e...ash-is-married

salmonberryclock
Currently watching the first Shaman.....

Karl PIckles
that's my demo I made with Busy Phillips.
You can watch all that later...

salmonberryclock
You did a demo with Busy Phillips?

Karl PIckles
I have a call in 15 minutes we should rap it up
yes
you know her?

salmonberryclock
I remember the name from Freaks and Geeks

Karl PIckles
Yeah, she's super talented.
She plays a great ball buster.

salmonberryclock
She really does.
So thanks for the interview man, it's been inspiring talking to a pro, I'll check out that demo this afternoon

Karl PIckles
Jason Nash is Married... is my attempt at a sitcom. We'll see if I can sell it.
Yes, please do. Thanks Kyle!

Jason's EP is available on Amazon and iTunes.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00..._f2_album_1_rd

[Itslikeimsayin]

I bought The Darkest Heart a couple days ago and have listened to it twice. I really like it, and I enjoy the character stuff and personal stuff equally.