Prequel Podcast

Prequel dives into the lives of artists before they thought about a career. Starting with how their parents first met and ending with their first time practicing their craft, hosts Neel Nanda and Tushar Singh discover why their guests became who they are. Prequel tends to put their guests in vulnerable places by exploring forgotten stories and finds that success can come from anywhere.

Episode 44: Jono Zalay 08/07/2014

Episode 44: Jono Zalay This episode of Prequel brings your the wonderful NYC comic Jono Zalay. Neel & Tushar were able to sit down to talk about his childhood. He started life and standup in San Diego. In 2006 he moved to Boston where he became a staple at New England comedy clubs, all while earning his Doctorate in Neuroscience. Since 2008 he has been invited to perform in over 20 comedy festivals, winning all of them in the “most fun” category he made up. Jono now lives in New York City where he has been featured in Time Out New York and Comedy Central’s ‘Up Next’ talent search. His informed background brings a perspective to stand-up comedy unequaled by almost any PhD in Neuroscience. Please follow him on twitter @JonoZalay and enjoy the show! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/3000257

Episode 43: Matt Knudsen 07/15/2014

Episode 43: Matt Knudsen Matt Knudsen is a LA based comedian and actor. Neel & Tushar sat with Matt to discuss being raised in the midwest by a traveling pastor. Hawaii and was quickly whisked away to grow up in the unforgiving cold of the Midwest. After finishing school in California, he started his life at sea as a merchant marine, sailing to various ports in Europe, Africa, the Americas, Japan, Korea and China. After almost 5 years, Matt began performing stand-up comedy at clubs in Los Angeles and New York. As a stand up, Matt has performed at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal where he was named a “Best of the Fest,” as well as Conan, The Late Late Show and Last Call. His critically acclaimed albums, The Comedy Stylings of Matt Knudsen and American are top downloads on iTunes and heard regularly on Sirius/XM radio. Please follow him on twitter @mattknudsen and enjoy the episode! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2945229

Episode 42: Guy Branum 07/04/2014

Episode 42: Guy Branum Guy Branum is an actor, comedian, and writer that can be seen as a regular panelist on "Chelsea Lately" on the E! network. Neel and Tushar were able to sit with Guy to discuss his pre-comedy life which included growing up near an almond farm in rural Northern California. We learn that Guy is a late bloomer in many aspects of his life including starting comedy and coming out of the closet after becoming a professional lawyer. Honest, vulnerable and hilarious - this conversation is great for many reasons. Watch his live stand up and follow Guy on twitter @guybranum. Enjoy the episode! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2927486

Episode 41: Todd Glass 06/25/2014

Episode 41: Todd Glass Veteran Stand up Comedian, Podcast Host (The Todd Glass Show), Actor, Writer, and a newly published Author, Todd Glass sits down with Prequel hosts Neel Nanda and Tushar Singh to discuss his life before comedy. Todd shares vivid stories of his 3 brothers and his fathers shoe business. Todd also shares his experiences growing up in Philadelphia and keeping to himself that he is gay. He tells us stories about the friends he was comfortable talking to about his sexuality and the times he had to avoid the subject all together. Todd ends the podcast by telling us about his first time telling jokes on stage after he backed out the week before. Todd has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night With Conan O' Brien, Louie, Tosh.0 and filmed his Comedy Central Presents in 2001. Todd currently hosts The Todd Glass Show on the Nerdist Network. Todd just released his first book, The Todd Glass Situation, which is an honest memoir about his last 30 years of comedy and his personal search for acceptance. Follow Todd Glass on twitter @ToddGlass and pick up a copy of The Todd Glass Situation. /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2909623

Episode 40: Nate Bargatze 06/11/2014

Episode 40: Nate Bargatze Comedian Nate Bargatze sat down with Neel & Tushar for this week's Prequel. He discussed his childhood including growing up in Tennesse with a father as a magician & clown. Exposed to stand up early, Nate shared with us the events that led to him moving to Chicago and ultimately NYC to become one of best working comics around. He won both the New York and Boston Comedy Festivals in the same year. You may have caught him on the Tonight Show as well as the Clean Cut Comedy Tour. Nate's best selling album "Yelled at by a Clown" held onto the Billboard Top Ten Comedy Charts for two weeks. Please check out his live performances by visiting his website www.natebargatze.com and following him on twitter @natebargatze. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2885055

Episode 39: Steve Hofstetter 06/05/2014

Episode 39: Steve Hofstetter Author, columnist, and comedian Steve Hofstetter sits down with hosts Neel Nanda and Tushar Singh to talk about his childhood. Steve discussing growing up poor and Jewish in New York. He also tells a story about joining and falling in love with Improv at age 12 because of a crush. Steve has appeared ESPN's Quite Frankly, where Stephen A. Smith yelled at him for three minutes. Hofstetter has also appeared on CBS' "Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson," Showtime's "White Boyz in the Hood," VH1's "Countdown," Sundance's "On the Road in America," and ABC's "Barbara Walter's Special." Follow @stevehofstetter and please see him live. /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2874613

Episode 38: Aparna Nancherla 05/27/2014

Episode 38: Aparna Nancherla Hilarious Comedian (Last Comic Standing, Conan), Writer (FX), and Psychology Major Aparna Nancherla sits down hosts Neel Nanda and Tushar Singh to talk about her life before she started comedy. She begins by telling the story of her parents arranged marriage and their journey to America. She discusses being a "loner", "spacing out", and taking a public speaking class when she was 11 where she wrote a speech about improving Bollywood Movies. Listen to her story up until her first time on stage at a Best Western. Follow her on twitter @aparnapkin and YouTube her Conan appearance, it's easily one of the best. /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2858642

Episode 37: Chris Fairbanks 05/20/2014

Episode 37: Chris Fairbanks Hosts Neel Nanda and Tushar Singh sit down with hilarious comedian, actor and podcast host Chris Fairbanks to explore his childhood. Chris talks about growing up in Montana and knowing that he wanted to be an artist at an early age. Chris talks about getting into skateboarding, drawing, and putting a lot of his effort into the things he wanted. He walks us through his first stand up comedy set in Texas. Watch Chris Fairbanks's Conan appearance and follow him on twitter @chrisfairbanks /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2847218

Episode 36: Kris Rubio 05/13/2014

Episode 36: Kris Rubio For this week's Prequel we got to sit down with the very talented muscial comedian Kris Rubio. Born in the Philippines, Kris Rubio started stand-up comedy in high school and always strived to be comically different. After performing traditional stand-up for many years he enterted the world of writing comedy music where he found his calling. This episode is filled with stories of his pre performance life, including strange religious practices in his mother country as well as an amazing first kiss story. Please follow him on twitter @krisrubio and visit his website for his live tour dates www.KrisRubio.com. /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2835169

Episode 35: Danny Jolles 05/06/2014

Episode 35: Danny Jolles Comedian and actor Danny Jolles sits down with us to talk about everything before his first time stepping on stage. Danny shares the delightful story of how his parents met as actors working on the same live production. He also shared a traumatic story of his house burning down and talks to us about discovering comedy through Improv. Please see Danny perform and follow him on twitter @Dannyjolles . Also watch and subscribe to his sketch group Sasquatch on YouTube . Download and subscribe on Itunes : /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2822092

Episode 34: Ben Bizuneh 04/29/2014

Episode 34: Ben Bizuneh Comedian and good friend Ben Bizuneh begins his childhood story with an inspiring tale of how his parents made it to the United States. Growing up in Indiana, Ben discusses being a first generation student and having two older brothers. Ben also describes an experience that changed dating for him forever at a very young age. Bizuneh mentions how his father is a hit at Ethiopian parties although he doesn't understand his father's jokes. Ben finds comedy from a vulnerable place and draws from personal experience. Please follow Ben @benbizuneh and watch his YouTube channel Lie Guys. /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2809359

Episode 33: Julia Prescott 04/22/2014

Episode 33: Julia Prescott Comedian and writer for Vice.com, Julia Prescott sits down with us to discuss her short but exciting road stand up comedy in Los Angeles. Born and raised in North Hollywood Julia recalls being an avid comedy fan at a young age because of her father's influence. Julia describes her father (who has performed comedy) as a "Dave Collier from Full House" kind of guy. Aside from her family, Julia talks about her life as a teen in North Hollywood and attending Art School and quickly realizing it wasn't for her. Listen to her Prequel here, then follow Julia on twitter @Juliaprescott and listen to her podcast Friday Night Film School. /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2796400

Episode 32: Josh Gondelman 04/08/2014

Episode 32: Josh Gondelman Listen to a great episode of Prequel with New York based comedian Josh Gondelman. He is a writer and comedian who incubated in Boston before moving to New York City. With years of experience as a preschool teacher and a pretty good guy, Josh charms audiences using his good-natured storytelling and cracks them up with his sharp, pointy wit. He takes topics from surprise parties to playing the trombone and makes them all equally hilarious. Winner of the inaugural Laughing Skull Festival in 2010 and one of the stars of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, please follow Josh on Twitter and catch his live performance dates at www.joshgondelman.com. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2772026

Episode 31: Nate Craig 04/01/2014

Episode 31: Nate Craig This week's episode of Prequel is with Los Angeles based comedian Nate Craig. Fresh off his tour opening for Bill Burr, Nate shared with us his stories of pre-comedy life including his parents being divorced early on, being a fat kid and having a prominent overbite. Catch all his live performance dates on www.natecraig.com and follow him on twitter @Natecraig1. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2760563

Episode 30: Kristen Rand 03/25/2014

Episode 30: Kristen Rand Our guest on this episode of Prequel is Denver based comedian Kristen Rand. The stories leading up to her first set included a relatively wonderful childhood, her foray into sketch & acting, and her relationship with drugs & sex. Please follow her on twitter @krandomthoughts and check out her live performances. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2748645

Episode 29: Matthew Broussard 03/11/2014

Episode 29: Matthew Broussard This week we got to sit down with the very funny LA based comedian Matthew Broussard. A great story leading into his first set as he revealed that his heritage is half-Jewish but he was raised full Jew. The more Matthew is depressed/stressed out, the more he works out - leaving him as a sad, very physically fit man. We loved this one. Visit his website http://mondaypunday.com/ and follow him on twitter @mondaypunday. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2724319

Episode 28: Wendy Wason 03/04/2014

Episode 28: Wendy Wason This week on Prequel we have the UK based comedian Wendy Wason. A truely international childhood, Wendy shared with us her road to stand up comedy that came after her second child. A seasoned actress and a hilarious comedian, we love this episode as she takes us on wonderful tangential stories. Follow Wendy on twitter @Wendy_Wason and enjoy! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2713246

Episode 27: Jeff Oliver 02/25/2014

Episode 27: Jeff Oliver Jeff Oliver is a New York based comedian who sat down with us to describe his relatively unique childhood. In Obamaesque fashion Jeff was raised by a single white mother in Oregon with a not-to-be-seen black muslim father. This means that one day he will run for comedy President. A great story teller and a wonderful comedian, please follow Jeff on twitter @Jeff_Oliver and enjoy the episode! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2699722

Episode 26: Felicity Ward 02/18/2014

Episode 26: Felicity Ward This week we were lucky to sit down with the lovely international comedian Felicity Ward. Originally from Austrialia and now in UK, Felicity had a very interesting road to stand up. She is a very good friend of ours and maybe the bestest person around. Please follow her on twitter @felicityward and check out her website www.felicityward.com. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2689507

Episode 25: Adam Newman 02/12/2014

Episode 25: Adam Newman We are happy to announce that this week's Prequel guest Adam Newman is on a short list to have his own Comedy Central special this year! Based out of New York City and brought up in Atlanta, Adam decribed his dreadlocked musical years leading up to his first time on stage - which was a truly unique 45 minute set. Please follow him on twitter @Adam_Newman and catch his tour dates on http://adamnewmancomedy.com/. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2675844

Episode 24: Zach Sherwin 02/04/2014

Episode 24: Zach Sherwin This week we got to sit down with the hilarious LA based comedian/rapper Zach Sherwin. Previously known as MC Mr. Napkins, Zach's life before comedy included being raised by a single mother who is a Rabbi and a strong interest to express himself musically. He even performed one of his early raps for us which was amazing. Please follow him on Twitter @zachsherwin and catch one of his live performance dates http://zachsherwin.com. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2663398

Episode 23: K-Von 01/28/2014

Episode 23: K-Von This week we got to interview the very funny LA based comedian K-Von. We had a great time discovering everything that led to him starting stand up as he described the tales of growing up with a dad from the Middle-East and a mom from Middle-America. An amazing live act, his disconnection with his father's culture has given him a unique perspective on stage. K-Von was nice enough to offer two tickets to one of his shows to any one who mentions they heard this episode. Follow him on twitter @KvonComedy or go to his website www.k-voncomedy.com. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2652640

Episode 22: Ester Steinberg 01/21/2014

Episode 22: Ester Steinberg The wonderful Los Angeles based comedian Ester Steinberg sat with us this week to talk all things before comedy. Growing up in a large Jewish family Ester has a colorful childhood with a Israeli mother and lawyer/comedian father who "brainwashed" her to pursue a career in entertainment. Please follow her on Twitter @esterkay and catch her live performance dates. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2640805

Episode 21: Dan Cummins 01/14/2014

Episode 21: Dan Cummins This week we were very happy to sit down with the very funny LA based comedian Dan Cummins. His stories of growing up in relative isolation were great, including a super sad virginity tale, thoughts on Mormonism and a great path to starting stand up. He will soon be the first exclusive Pandora comedian. Be sure to check out his live performance dates on www.dancummins.tv and follow him at @D_cummins. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2630887

Episode 20: Brent Sullivan 01/09/2014

Episode 20: Brent Sullivan This week we got to sit down with the very funny LA based comedian Brent Sullivan. Brent had an interesting childhood with a pivatal moment early on that made him into the comedian he is today. He is a great performer so please follow him on twitter @mrbrentsullivan and check out a live show. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2624137

Episode 19: Shane Mauss 12/24/2013

Episode 19: Shane Mauss LA comedian Shane Mauss sat down with us for a great Prequel where he discussed all things pre-comedy. He was a bit of a wild child with run-ins with the law that was driven by alcohol - eventually starting in Boston. We are glad he survived it all to become one of our favorite comedians. Shane has a new special coming out in 2014 so lookout for that release on www.shanemauss.com and follow him on twitter @shanecomedy. Enjoy this episode! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2606719

Episode 18: Fahim Anwar 12/17/2013

Episode 18: Fahim Anwar LA based comedian Fahim Anwar sat down with us this week to discuss his childhood. Yet another comedian with an early start in comedy, this episode covered Fahim's ambitious ability to produce shows as well as the idea of a "mega mosque". Catch his sketch comedy group www.goatfacecomedy.com, follow him on twitter @fahimanwar and check out his live performance dates at www.fahimanwar.com. Please enjoy this episode! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2597100

Episode 17: Andi Osho 12/10/2013

Episode 17: Andi Osho This episode of Prequel goes over LA comedian Andi Osho's childhood which took place in London. We loved this one as we got to explore how much we don't know about the rest of the world. Please catch her live dates at www.andiosho.co.uk and follow her on twitter @andiosho. Please enjoy! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2587374

Episode 16: Melissa Villasenor 12/03/2013

Episode 16: Melissa Villasenor As a Los Angeles based comic, artist, musician, actress, & writer, Melissa Villasenor sat down with us to discuss her short life before comedy. A great interview with several breakout song sessions and wonderful childhood stories. We love her. Her EP is coming out soon, please follow her on @melissavpees and check out her tour schedule at http://melissavillasenor.virb.com/. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2577936

Episode 15 - Annie Lederman 11/27/2013

Episode 15 - Annie Lederman Annie Lederman sits down to talk about growing up as the badass twin. She discusses having problems with human touch and being kicked off her own mom's little league team. Annie is a Chelsea Lately regular and one of our regulars at our Westside Comedy Theater's Unnecessary Evil. She's a nationally touring headliner so catch her in your city and follow her on twitter @annielederman /episode/index/show/prequel/id/2570058

Prequel Podcast

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