Check out our interview with creative, talented, and hilarious Joe Kwaczala. A well-known comedian who has well over 31 million views online and counting. Joe just released his new sketch album called, “Funny Songs & Sketches.” and is gearing up to release his new single and video called, “Low Stakes Dreams,” a catchy, poppy earworm of a song which is all about having underwhelming dreams when you sleep.
Follow Joe on IG @joekwa and TikTok @joekwa
Hi Joe, please tell us a little about you?
I’m a comedian based in LA, originally from Pittsburgh, who started performing in Chicago. I have released two stand-up specials, over 50 sketches, and most recently, an album of funny songs and sketches called “Funny Songs and Sketches.”
Describe your sound in 3 words?
Better than expected
Who influenced you, and why did you choose to make comedy and music?
I was a major “Weird Al” fan when I was a kid. His albums were huge for me, both comedically and musically. And then in high school and college, I really connected with Tenacious D, Flight of the Conchords, and The Lonely Island. Maybe it’s because they’re all so good that I never considered that I could try anything similar. But over the past few years, I’ve been collaborating with a great musician out of Chicago named Yoo Soo Kim, and he’s been helping me with music to incorporate into my sketch videos. Working with him was so effortless, and the results were so good, that I thought making funny songs with him could be a lot of fun. And it was!
Do you play any instruments?
When I was very young, I played the violin, which I did not like. But having a familiarity with that thing allowed me to relatively easily transition to guitar when I was a teenager. I still play guitar and have been busting it out when I play the songs from the album live. I also recall being pretty killer on the kazoo, but I haven’t picked up one of those in a while. It’s probably been like a week?
Do you ever get nervous?
I’m lucky that I can keep my cool before most performances. But I guess if there was a Council of Death watching my show, and they were going to deliberate afterwards to see if I live or die based on the quality of my performance, I’d get some dang butterflies in my tummy!
Tell us about your new sketch album called, “Funny Songs & Sketches?”
I named it that to hopefully get the main gist across: it’s an album of humorous songs and audio sketch comedy. It was important to me that the songs sound really good musically but still have a lot of jokes in them. And the sketches cover a wide range of topics from commercial parodies to slice-of-life scenes and more. You’ll detect some familiar voices in there, whether it be Patton Oswalt, David Cross, Ayo Edebiri, Al Madrigal, Nick Kroll, and many more! Also, my friend Trevor is on there but you probably don’t know him.
And about your new single and video called, “Low Stakes Dreams?”
Low Stakes Dreams is a pop song that might be reminiscent of the Jonas Brothers or Maroon 5, except the lyrical content is all about how my dreams tend to be really boring. And this comes from my reality! When I dream at night, I’m never flying or doing anything exciting. Instead, it’s always just mundane stuff like losing a receipt or finding a rubber band. And we’ve got a great video for it directed by Daniel Clark, who really made this one a feast for the eyes. It’s got dancers, a rotating bed, and even a floppy disk! That’s right… we found a floppy disk!
What’s the story behind the song?
I have a group text with some other comedians where we share our most boring dreams, and it felt like there was some comedic potential there. And if I’m going to do a song about boring stuff, comedically it only felt right to pair it with something upbeat like pop. I went back and forth with Yoo Soo; I’d send him my vocals recorded on my phone and he’d send back some music ideas. And we did that for a while until we felt it was ready! And then it became the #1 song in America!
Now tell us about having over 31 million views and counting. That’s impressive!!
Thank you! It’s all luck, and you never quite know what’s going to hit. I’ve had stuff I love completely tank, and I’ve had stuff that I thought was just fine do really well. One thing that’s consistent with me though is that I’m always looking forward and always making new stuff. Quality is better than quantity but why not have both?
What is the most rewarding part of your work?
It really doesn’t get better than knowing that a lot of people liked something you made. Whether it’s a comment online or in-person or via e-mail… It just feels really great to know you’re making people smile and laugh. And if people don’t like something, you just say that they’re “bots” and play the victim!
What book should every entrepreneur read?
Not exactly sure how this applies to me, but entrepreneurs often aspire to make ungodly amounts of money and that’s often accomplished by mistreating, exploiting, and underpaying the people at the bottom. So I guess I’d recommend “Nickel and Dimed” by Barbara Ehrenreich, which puts the focus on what it’s like to make minimum wage.
What advice would you give to your younger self, and why?
Brother, you gotta stop combing your hair back. It makes you look bald! Comb those suckers forward, and you’ll look good! What’re you doing?!?
What do you think is the secret to having a successful social media channel?
I wish I knew that secret! The only motto I live behind is you gotta keep making stuff and have it be stuff that you’d like to see. Or you know, show your butt. I don’t know!
Which place that you have visited do you think changed you in a particular way, maybe for motivation or to see a different reality, etc?
The last time I went to Disneyland, it occurred to me that EVERYBODY likes churros. I guess I had never really thought about that before.
Tell us your top 3 countries to travel to.
I left the country for the first time this year, and it barely counts– we went to Niagara Falls on the Canada side. So I’m not qualified for this question, and I might as well say like “Oh you gotta go to the moon. That place is wild! No drinking age!”
And which countries or cities are still on your bucket list?
I mean, I’d love to go to Italy or France; those countries just seem so beautiful and have a lot of history AND great food. Japan also seems really cool. I also hear the moon doesn’t have a drinking age.
How would your best friend describe you?
“Joe works really hard and the stuff he makes is so specific, which I think is why it connects. Also, he still owes me money for the Thai food I paid for on Tuesday. It’s probably because I don’t use Venmo and instead use CashApp like a weirdo. ”
If you were a book, what would be the title of the book and why?
“Help I’ve Been Transformed Into a Book by a Wizard or Something! Find a New Wizard to Reverse the Spell!!!” and it would be called that because I would want to be a human again.
What’s next for Joe Kwaczala in 2024?
I’ll be doing more stand-up dates. I’ll be releasing more video content. And I’ll also be chipping away at a secret project that I can’t talk about but will be my most ambitious endeavor to date!
What is your favorite healthy food?
I love to eat just raw, unsalted almonds. I don’t know that they’re healthy exactly, but it does make my girlfriend roll her eyes and shout “BORING!” at me every time I eat them.
And your favorite cheat food?
I mean my life is a dang cheat meal. Ain’t nothin’ better than pizza and ice cream. But DO NOT combine the two! It just doesn’t work– believe me!!!
How would you explain your fashion style?
“Dressed by his girlfriend”
What is your own definition of happiness?
Having the good fortune of not experiencing any suffering in any way. I guess a more fun answer would be like “Happiness is a child holding hands with the sun” or something but I’m not gonna say that.
If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?
One of my grandfathers died in the ’60s, so I’d choose him I think. Kind of a big piece of the puzzle of my family and identity that I’ve never known. Also, I could show him my iPhone and watch his eyes pop out of his skull.
What would be the dream holiday, and who would you go with?
I’m sure everyone gives you this answers, but it would be a dream to have Thanksgiving dinner on top of the Eiffel Tower with Helen Mirren. I know– I’m a cliche!
Best advice ever given?
Don’t take advice from anyone unless you want to end up like them.
Do you support any charities?
I feel it’s very important to donate to local charities in your own community. The money goes such a long way! I have a soft spot for Ground Game LA who do really good work, fighting for progressive causes.
Where do you see yourself and your career in 5 years?
I hope I’m still working and putting out stuff that I’m proud of. I would hope there’s a bigger audience and maybe even… some money? So I can keep living? Maybe I’m asking for too much.
What is your favorite song to belt out in the car or for karaoke?
“Touch, Peel, and Stand” by Days of the New. It’s one of those ’90s alt-rock songs that people have mostly forgotten… until they hear it and immediately have a profound flashback to a time of flannel shirts and Eddie Vedder impressions. The lead singer makes a lot of funny noises that are fun to imitate.
What do you think of social media?
It’s a great way to build an audience and take your career into your own hands. That being said, taking your career into your own hands is a lot of work!
Where can we follow you?
@joekwa on Instagram and TikTok
@joekjoek on Twitter
Search “joe kwaczala” on YouTube to find me there
Book: Our Band Could Be Your Life by Michael Azerrad
Quote: “Yabba Dabba Doo!” – Unknown
Movie: The King of Kong
Tv Series: Great News
Favorite Food: Thin crust, NY style pizza
Travel Destination: I love Chicago
