Getting Candid with John Roberts [INTERVIEW]
We’re Getting Candid in our interview with John Roberts. John is widely recognized as the multi-talented voice behind Linda Belcher on the Emmy award winning “Bob’s Burgers. He got his start on early era YouTube posting comedic skits. This year, John returns to pop with his single “Danger” and “Nothin 4 Something” a moody mid-tempo 80’s throwback.
We’re getting candid with John Roberts about how he found his voice as a singer after a career in voice acting, the significant of finding community online through YouTube and the evolving social media landscape, and the impact being an artist has on one’s mental health.
You can find a transcribed excerpt of our interview John Roberts below.
Name 3 Songs: You are known as the voice actor for Linda Belcher on Bob’s Burgers. Being a voice actor, do you ever feel like Linda starts creeping into your music?
John Roberts: Well, I try to keep her out of my music because Linda is so specific and my music is such an expression of me as a person and so much more attached to my identity and Linda is an imitation of my mom. Bob’s is such an incredible show with the great writers and there’s so many elements of the writers that come in and create Linda. So those are separate.
Any time people like what you’re doing when you’re engaged in something that you love is always a win. So I’m blessed in that way to have things that I’m engaged in and that hopefully other people enjoy.
You’ve had a long career doing comedy. What made you want to start making music?
Weirdly, I’ve always done music, and comedy is the thing that took off. But you live in the East Village in New York City for a long time and you dabble in a lot of different things. I always found music and comedy to be kind of equal for me. But successfully, Bob’s took off. And that became the best thing that ever happened.
But at the same time, creatively, you’re still in the same place. Music is always great for me. So it all feeds into itself. You want to stay happy and have fun with what you’re doing. So the more you take off a little time from one thing and you go back to it, it always seems fresh.
What is that process for you in refining your work and growing?
Well, it’s mostly working with producers and getting in the studio and sounding good, writing a good hook, a good song. Why am I doing this? Just for me or what do I wanna say? So the best part of music is just sitting down and asking how do you wanna express yourself? It’s a good form of pure expression in that sense. When you work with other people and you have a good vibe, a good team of people, it adds so much more. And there’s something so beautiful about starting out the day with nothing and writing a song and having a recording afterwards that can last forever.
Whereas comedy you do a live show and it’s awesome. And it’s the people in the room that are gonna remember it, but music you have a recording and hopefully a message that makes people feel good and takes their minds off of all the horrible things that are happening in the world right now. Entertainment and joy are kind of rebellious in this way. And we need to have that. We need to have the joy and because that inspires other things. And music is good for that and comedy too.
For more of Name 3 Songs, check out our podcast here and other interviews here.
Enjoy this episode? Join our Patreon community or leave us a tip on PayPal!
Want to talk more? Find us @name3songs | @sara_feigin | @jenna_million
Leave a Reply