Los Angeles — Tim Heidecker is navigating his own sense of existential anxiety.
“There’s a million things to think about as you’re trying to go to sleep at night,” he confided, reflecting on the complexities of a post-pandemic world filled with political turbulence and global uncertainties.
Heidecker, best recognized for his absurdist humor alongside collaborator Eric Wareheim, has increasingly embraced songwriting in recent years. Through his music, he has expressed some of the darker contemplations that keep him awake.
His new album, “Slipping Away,” which debuts on Friday, blends semi-fictional apocalyptic narratives with sincere and touching observations on themes like fatherhood, aging, and the pursuit of success. One song, “Dad of the Year,” features the lyrics, “I’ve got bills to pay / I’ve gotta keep working every day / I’m not gonna go down in history / Only my family will remember me.”
In his more fictional tracks, Heidecker channels his genuine worries—especially about the futures of his children—into compelling artistic expressions. In the song “Bows and Arrows,” he sings, “Birds all falling out of the sky / Bees don’t sting and no one knows why / The air is thick, I can’t breathe / If I had anywhere to go you know, I would leave.”
He chuckled as he acknowledged the grim subject matter of his songs, saying, “The subject of the songs that deal with this post-apocalyptic hellscape world and people suffering — it all sounds like a lot of fun, I know. But I think I’m a fan of those kinds of TV shows and movies. I don’t see that a lot in rock music or in pop music, but it provides fertile material for me to think about.”
When comedians involved in artistic projects beyond their usual realm, they often face skepticism from audiences. Although Heidecker, who picked up the guitar in his teen years, has been making music alongside his comedy endeavors for quite some time, he admits that it has taken some audiences a while to understand his genuine intentions.
However, the doubts have not discouraged him. Over the years, at age 48, he has collaborated with notable musicians such as Mac DeMarco, Weyes Blood, and Father John Misty.
Despite dedicating more of his energy to music and touring, Heidecker remains engaged in his broad comedic world. He continues to host “Office Hours Live,” a weekly call-in show, and “On Cinema,” a comprehensive and satirical film review series he has co-hosted with Gregg Turkington for over a decade.
For Heidecker, the drive behind his prolific output isn’t solely financial or merely a way to keep busy. Instead, he finds inspiration in artistic collaboration—whether through song or comedy.
“The spirit of creativity should be completely intertwined with the communion of friendship and doing stuff with people you want to do things with,” he explained. “I want to do more things with these people, you know? And whatever that is, it will either be good or bad or connect with an audience or not connect with an audience. That’s kind of like secondary.”
This philosophy motivates Heidecker to put in the sometimes-challenging effort to cultivate friendships and collaborations, a quality that Wareheim believes is one of Heidecker’s strengths.
“We’ve been working together for over 25 years, and that is hard. I’ve been through lots of relationships since then that have not worked,” Wareheim laughed. “Tim has always been super, super fair and always gives credit and builds up the people around him.”
The duo, known professionally as Tim & Eric, first crossed paths at Temple University, where their connection sparked immediately. Although they started crafting skits together, both continued to explore diverse personal interests, which remains true today.
Heidecker pursued various musical endeavors and was eventually discovered by writer and actor Bob Odenkirk, who collaborated with them on a pilot that was later picked up by Adult Swim, solidifying their career path. “It was like, ‘Okay, this is what we’re doing,’” Heidecker recounted.
While he often created music for their show, he initially didn’t see it as a viable career option. However, after becoming a father and revisiting the work of artists like Randy Newman and Warren Zevon, Heidecker experienced a profound insight.
“In my 40s, I discovered that these guys seemed a lot like me,” he reflected. “They didn’t have to leave their sense of humor at the doorstep. They could incorporate it into genuine songs. They weren’t parody songs.”
Consequently, he gradually shifted away from the satirical themes of his earlier work, including his 2017 concept album critiquing former President Donald Trump, and his 2013 project, “Urinal St. Station,” created with one of his bands, The Yellow River Boys.
“I’ve been testing the waters and discussing themes that are a little more personal and private, and I’m getting more comfortable doing that,” he shared.
Although Heidecker recognizes that some of his comedy fans may never fully appreciate this musical direction, he is also heartened by the heartfelt responses from those who resonate with his emotional openness, particularly following his previous album, “High School.”
“I found a lot of guys my age or in their 40s who had similar experiences or were at a similar place in life,” he noted. “That’s something I never really got from the comedy we did; this feeling of ‘That connected with me, and I relate to those experiences.’”
“There’s a million things to think about as you’re trying to go to sleep at night,” he confided, reflecting on the complexities of a post-pandemic world filled with political turbulence and global uncertainties.
Heidecker, best recognized for his absurdist humor alongside collaborator Eric Wareheim, has increasingly embraced songwriting in recent years. Through his music, he has expressed some of the darker contemplations that keep him awake.
His new album, “Slipping Away,” which debuts on Friday, blends semi-fictional apocalyptic narratives with sincere and touching observations on themes like fatherhood, aging, and the pursuit of success. One song, “Dad of the Year,” features the lyrics, “I’ve got bills to pay / I’ve gotta keep working every day / I’m not gonna go down in history / Only my family will remember me.”
In his more fictional tracks, Heidecker channels his genuine worries—especially about the futures of his children—into compelling artistic expressions. In the song “Bows and Arrows,” he sings, “Birds all falling out of the sky / Bees don’t sting and no one knows why / The air is thick, I can’t breathe / If I had anywhere to go you know, I would leave.”
He chuckled as he acknowledged the grim subject matter of his songs, saying, “The subject of the songs that deal with this post-apocalyptic hellscape world and people suffering — it all sounds like a lot of fun, I know. But I think I’m a fan of those kinds of TV shows and movies. I don’t see that a lot in rock music or in pop music, but it provides fertile material for me to think about.”
When comedians involved in artistic projects beyond their usual realm, they often face skepticism from audiences. Although Heidecker, who picked up the guitar in his teen years, has been making music alongside his comedy endeavors for quite some time, he admits that it has taken some audiences a while to understand his genuine intentions.
However, the doubts have not discouraged him. Over the years, at age 48, he has collaborated with notable musicians such as Mac DeMarco, Weyes Blood, and Father John Misty.
Despite dedicating more of his energy to music and touring, Heidecker remains engaged in his broad comedic world. He continues to host “Office Hours Live,” a weekly call-in show, and “On Cinema,” a comprehensive and satirical film review series he has co-hosted with Gregg Turkington for over a decade.
For Heidecker, the drive behind his prolific output isn’t solely financial or merely a way to keep busy. Instead, he finds inspiration in artistic collaboration—whether through song or comedy.
“The spirit of creativity should be completely intertwined with the communion of friendship and doing stuff with people you want to do things with,” he explained. “I want to do more things with these people, you know? And whatever that is, it will either be good or bad or connect with an audience or not connect with an audience. That’s kind of like secondary.”
This philosophy motivates Heidecker to put in the sometimes-challenging effort to cultivate friendships and collaborations, a quality that Wareheim believes is one of Heidecker’s strengths.
“We’ve been working together for over 25 years, and that is hard. I’ve been through lots of relationships since then that have not worked,” Wareheim laughed. “Tim has always been super, super fair and always gives credit and builds up the people around him.”
The duo, known professionally as Tim & Eric, first crossed paths at Temple University, where their connection sparked immediately. Although they started crafting skits together, both continued to explore diverse personal interests, which remains true today.
Heidecker pursued various musical endeavors and was eventually discovered by writer and actor Bob Odenkirk, who collaborated with them on a pilot that was later picked up by Adult Swim, solidifying their career path. “It was like, ‘Okay, this is what we’re doing,’” Heidecker recounted.
While he often created music for their show, he initially didn’t see it as a viable career option. However, after becoming a father and revisiting the work of artists like Randy Newman and Warren Zevon, Heidecker experienced a profound insight.
“In my 40s, I discovered that these guys seemed a lot like me,” he reflected. “They didn’t have to leave their sense of humor at the doorstep. They could incorporate it into genuine songs. They weren’t parody songs.”
Consequently, he gradually shifted away from the satirical themes of his earlier work, including his 2017 concept album critiquing former President Donald Trump, and his 2013 project, “Urinal St. Station,” created with one of his bands, The Yellow River Boys.
“I’ve been testing the waters and discussing themes that are a little more personal and private, and I’m getting more comfortable doing that,” he shared.
Although Heidecker recognizes that some of his comedy fans may never fully appreciate this musical direction, he is also heartened by the heartfelt responses from those who resonate with his emotional openness, particularly following his previous album, “High School.”
“I found a lot of guys my age or in their 40s who had similar experiences or were at a similar place in life,” he noted. “That’s something I never really got from the comedy we did; this feeling of ‘That connected with me, and I relate to those experiences.’”