WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.129 Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today, we're really 00:00:03.129 --> 00:00:06.429 digging into the career of a comedian who kind 00:00:06.429 --> 00:00:09.089 of perfectly shows the modern way to build success. 00:00:09.429 --> 00:00:12.130 Yeah. Blending that deep regional feel with a 00:00:12.130 --> 00:00:15.009 really smart digital approach. We are unpacking 00:00:15.009 --> 00:00:17.530 the story of Amber Preston. And what makes her 00:00:17.530 --> 00:00:20.109 story so interesting, I think, is this like tension 00:00:20.109 --> 00:00:23.469 you see in the sources. She gets called a top 00:00:23.469 --> 00:00:26.070 comedian to watch by, well, Marc Maron, a huge 00:00:26.070 --> 00:00:28.949 name, back in 2011. Right. Very early on. But 00:00:28.949 --> 00:00:31.350 then like seven years later. Alice calls her 00:00:31.350 --> 00:00:34.009 one of the best undiscovered comedians in America. 00:00:34.250 --> 00:00:36.670 And then she hits number one on the comedy charts. 00:00:36.890 --> 00:00:39.270 It's quite a path. That contradiction, that's 00:00:39.270 --> 00:00:41.289 the perfect way in, isn't it? We've pulled together 00:00:41.289 --> 00:00:43.250 pretty much everything available on her career, 00:00:43.390 --> 00:00:45.210 you know, from her background where she grew 00:00:45.210 --> 00:00:48.130 up to the big successes. OK. And our mission 00:00:48.130 --> 00:00:50.909 really is to trace how a performer builds that 00:00:50.909 --> 00:00:54.770 national name while staying, well, fiercely true 00:00:54.770 --> 00:00:57.409 to this very specific, very regional identity. 00:00:57.729 --> 00:01:00.420 We want to go beyond just like. listing awards 00:01:00.420 --> 00:01:02.700 right more the strategy behind it all how she 00:01:02.700 --> 00:01:05.299 made it last exactly the strategy because when 00:01:05.299 --> 00:01:08.239 you just look at the basic facts the story grabs 00:01:08.239 --> 00:01:11.239 you straight away born raised in fargo north 00:01:11.239 --> 00:01:14.340 dakota makes the move to l .a a big strategic 00:01:14.340 --> 00:01:18.099 step and then her first album sparkly parts comes 00:01:18.099 --> 00:01:21.879 out in 2020 and boom number one Both Amazon and 00:01:21.879 --> 00:01:24.519 iTunes comedy charts. Yeah, the kind of immediate 00:01:24.519 --> 00:01:27.159 impact for a debut. Yeah. Especially after years 00:01:27.159 --> 00:01:29.540 plugging away, it suggests there was a real plan 00:01:29.540 --> 00:01:32.219 there, a carefully built thing. Absolutely. And 00:01:32.219 --> 00:01:34.159 that's the plan we want to dissect today. Okay, 00:01:34.200 --> 00:01:36.359 so where do we start? We'll begin right where 00:01:36.359 --> 00:01:39.019 her comedy often starts. Yeah. That solid Midwestern 00:01:39.019 --> 00:01:41.420 foundation. The Fargo years. Minneapolis, too. 00:01:41.599 --> 00:01:45.040 Exactly. And some pretty unexpected family ties 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:47.519 that actually anchor her comedy. Then we'll look 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:49.859 at defining her specific voice, how she uses 00:01:49.859 --> 00:01:51.579 those roots. It's almost like a comedic tool. 00:01:51.700 --> 00:01:53.340 And the critical praise she got along the way. 00:01:53.459 --> 00:01:55.500 Right. And finally, we'll get into her major 00:01:55.500 --> 00:01:58.060 projects like that album Success and really analyze 00:01:58.060 --> 00:02:01.260 what seems to be the real engine of her rise. 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:04.879 Her huge, very strategic presence online, especially 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:07.500 in podcasts. Okay, let's dive into that foundation. 00:02:08.099 --> 00:02:10.879 Because for Amber Preston, where she's from isn't 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:13.439 just background info. It's like part of the character, 00:02:13.500 --> 00:02:15.699 right? Oh, absolutely. It's fundamental. She 00:02:15.699 --> 00:02:17.759 grew up in Fargo, North Dakota. Graduated West 00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:21.419 Fargo High in 96. The sources really stress how 00:02:21.419 --> 00:02:24.680 that Fargo identity is just, well, it's a core 00:02:24.680 --> 00:02:26.639 to what she does. Grounds everything. Yeah, the 00:02:26.639 --> 00:02:29.319 grounding element. So after high school, she 00:02:29.319 --> 00:02:31.460 does what a lot of creative folks in that area 00:02:31.460 --> 00:02:34.800 do. Moves to Minneapolis. Late 90s. Which is 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:37.539 a big step in itself. Huge. Right. And crucial 00:02:37.539 --> 00:02:40.280 for two big reasons. First, she gets a theater 00:02:40.280 --> 00:02:41.979 degree there from the University of Minnesota. 00:02:42.180 --> 00:02:45.199 So she's building that formal performance skill 00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:48.500 set. Second, Minneapolis isn't just any city. 00:02:48.580 --> 00:02:50.699 It has one of the best regional comedy scenes 00:02:50.699 --> 00:02:54.060 in the U .S. Really vibrant, competitive, but 00:02:54.060 --> 00:02:57.819 also... So it let her really sharpen her stand 00:02:57.819 --> 00:03:00.080 up skills. Exactly. In a tough environment, but 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:02.120 maybe without that intense, immediate pressure 00:03:02.120 --> 00:03:04.319 you get in New York or L .A. right away. And 00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:06.520 the sources show she didn't just like rush off 00:03:06.520 --> 00:03:08.580 to the coast. She spent years building that base 00:03:08.580 --> 00:03:11.900 in Minneapolis. That's right. The big strategic 00:03:11.900 --> 00:03:16.259 move, the pivot that came way later, 2014. That's 00:03:16.259 --> 00:03:18.599 when she moves from Minneapolis to L .A. And 00:03:18.599 --> 00:03:21.159 specifically to focus on stand -up and acting. 00:03:21.340 --> 00:03:23.400 Specifically, yeah. So what does that tell you? 00:03:23.460 --> 00:03:26.360 Waiting almost two decades after high school, 00:03:26.520 --> 00:03:29.120 well after starting comedy, to make that jump. 00:03:29.259 --> 00:03:31.639 It tells you she's playing the long game. She's 00:03:31.639 --> 00:03:34.259 being calculated. You see so many comics, they 00:03:34.259 --> 00:03:36.560 just jump straight to L .A. or New York. And 00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:39.599 burn out fast. Often, yeah. Because maybe they 00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:41.120 haven't really found their voice yet or they 00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:44.240 don't have a solid 45 -minute set they can rely 00:03:44.240 --> 00:03:47.400 on. Preston spent those years mastering the region. 00:03:47.770 --> 00:03:50.289 Winning contests, getting good reviews locally. 00:03:50.449 --> 00:03:52.629 Right. So when she finally hit L .A. in 2014, 00:03:52.949 --> 00:03:56.150 she wasn't just like raw talent hoping someone 00:03:56.150 --> 00:03:58.289 would notice her. She was already a proven comic. 00:03:58.469 --> 00:04:01.050 She had a fully formed act. She had fans, even 00:04:01.050 --> 00:04:03.229 if they were mostly regional back then. It shows 00:04:03.229 --> 00:04:05.710 real professional maturity, I think. Yeah. It's 00:04:05.710 --> 00:04:07.210 like the difference between going to L .A. to 00:04:07.210 --> 00:04:09.150 figure out how to do stand up versus going there 00:04:09.150 --> 00:04:11.710 to really do stand up professionally. Precisely. 00:04:11.960 --> 00:04:14.699 But this whole deep connection to the Midwest, 00:04:14.939 --> 00:04:19.600 it brings us to one of the most surprising little 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:21.879 details we found in the sources, something that 00:04:21.879 --> 00:04:24.839 connects her to this, well, very specific part 00:04:24.839 --> 00:04:26.939 of American entertainment history. OK, I think 00:04:26.939 --> 00:04:28.319 I know where you're going. This is the Lawrence 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:30.620 Welk connection, isn't it? Bingo. For listeners 00:04:30.620 --> 00:04:33.079 who might not know, Lawrence Welk, the famous 00:04:33.079 --> 00:04:36.660 TV band leader, the accordion player known for 00:04:36.660 --> 00:04:40.060 that. wholesome champagne music and his well 00:04:40.060 --> 00:04:42.699 very distinct accent that's the one and the sources 00:04:42.699 --> 00:04:45.500 confirm amber preston is actually related to 00:04:45.500 --> 00:04:48.399 him which seems you know totally random for a 00:04:48.399 --> 00:04:50.600 modern stand -up comedian it does on the surface 00:04:50.600 --> 00:04:53.000 but this isn't just a fun fact it's become a 00:04:53.000 --> 00:04:56.000 specific kind of marketable anchor point for 00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:58.360 her comedy how so how does that work in a routine 00:04:58.970 --> 00:05:00.850 Well, the key thing is she talks about it. She's 00:05:00.850 --> 00:05:03.970 explicitly brought this kind of absurd family 00:05:03.970 --> 00:05:06.629 link into her stand -up. Okay, so how does that 00:05:06.629 --> 00:05:09.430 land comedically? Taking this figure of ultimate, 00:05:10.050 --> 00:05:12.550 wholesome, mid -century entertainment and mixing 00:05:12.550 --> 00:05:14.730 it with modern, personal stand -up? It works 00:05:14.730 --> 00:05:17.389 on a few levels, I think. First, it instantly 00:05:17.389 --> 00:05:20.009 helps define her character, right? She's this 00:05:20.009 --> 00:05:23.189 comic from Fargo, she has the accent, and boom, 00:05:23.490 --> 00:05:25.970 this relationship immediately grounds her in 00:05:25.970 --> 00:05:28.990 this specific regional past. It's kind of dorky, 00:05:28.990 --> 00:05:31.350 but it's also deeply authentic. Right. It adds 00:05:31.350 --> 00:05:34.790 a layer. Yeah. And second, it creates this great. 00:05:35.069 --> 00:05:37.189 comedic juxtaposition. You know, she could be 00:05:37.189 --> 00:05:38.889 talking about something totally contemporary, 00:05:39.069 --> 00:05:41.170 like dating apps or whatever, and then she drops 00:05:41.170 --> 00:05:43.850 the name Lawrence Welk. This figure of almost 00:05:43.850 --> 00:05:46.509 unbelievable wholesomeness. It highlights the 00:05:46.509 --> 00:05:49.470 gap between her life and maybe what you'd expect 00:05:49.470 --> 00:05:51.870 from that family history. Exactly. It's self 00:05:51.870 --> 00:05:54.250 -deprecating, but it's also tied to her real 00:05:54.250 --> 00:05:57.250 heritage. It gives the audience this unique hook, 00:05:57.410 --> 00:06:00.209 something specific to remember her by, and it 00:06:00.209 --> 00:06:02.629 really leans into the idea that Her comedy is 00:06:02.629 --> 00:06:04.949 hers. It could only come from this particular 00:06:04.949 --> 00:06:08.149 slightly quirky Fargo family background. It really 00:06:08.149 --> 00:06:10.230 shows she's not afraid to use every part of her 00:06:10.230 --> 00:06:12.829 own story, no matter how unusual. So for you, 00:06:12.829 --> 00:06:15.050 the listener, right away this tells you something 00:06:15.050 --> 00:06:18.959 important. We're dealing with a comic whose material 00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:21.839 comes from these super specific personal details. 00:06:22.199 --> 00:06:24.899 And often that's the kind of comedy that really 00:06:24.899 --> 00:06:27.740 connects. And that focus on the personal, it 00:06:27.740 --> 00:06:29.639 leads us right into talking about her actual 00:06:29.639 --> 00:06:32.120 comedic voice. She started building this right 00:06:32.120 --> 00:06:34.740 after college. And the sources are really clear. 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:37.439 The material is personal, but the delivery is 00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:40.259 rooted in place. So what are the key things you'd 00:06:40.259 --> 00:06:42.819 hear in an Amber Preston set? What makes it hers? 00:06:43.180 --> 00:06:45.579 Well, the first thing is just the sound. Her 00:06:45.579 --> 00:06:48.060 routines really feature her distinct Upper Midwest 00:06:48.060 --> 00:06:50.889 accent. It's central. And her Fargo upbringing 00:06:50.889 --> 00:06:53.310 is this constant theme, this backdrop. And it's 00:06:53.310 --> 00:06:55.389 not just about sounding authentic, is it? No, 00:06:55.410 --> 00:06:56.810 it's more than that. It's like signaling her 00:06:56.810 --> 00:06:59.389 identity, her perspective. The accent itself 00:06:59.389 --> 00:07:01.850 can be part of the humor. For a national audience, 00:07:02.089 --> 00:07:04.269 maybe it sounds inherently funny in a way. But 00:07:04.269 --> 00:07:06.750 for people from the region, it's relatable. She's 00:07:06.750 --> 00:07:08.709 basically highlighting these regional quirks. 00:07:08.750 --> 00:07:10.949 And nothing shows the specificity, the detail 00:07:10.949 --> 00:07:13.470 in her material quite like the example the sources 00:07:13.470 --> 00:07:16.269 give about her New Kids on the Block fandom and 00:07:16.269 --> 00:07:19.019 KOTB. Oh yeah, this isn't just like, hey, remember 00:07:19.019 --> 00:07:22.779 the 90s. This goes deep. Really deep. It's like 00:07:22.779 --> 00:07:28.339 comedic obsession level deep. We know she doesn't 00:07:28.339 --> 00:07:30.500 just mention the band. She actually sometimes 00:07:30.500 --> 00:07:33.980 reads out loud on stage from this specific series 00:07:33.980 --> 00:07:37.220 of novels. From the early 90s. Where the new 00:07:37.220 --> 00:07:39.800 kids are having adventures. Like... In the style 00:07:39.800 --> 00:07:41.860 of the Hardy Boys. Okay, stop right there. That 00:07:41.860 --> 00:07:44.800 is amazing. Isn't it? Think about the layers. 00:07:44.899 --> 00:07:47.279 It's almost like archival comedy. She's digging 00:07:47.279 --> 00:07:50.160 up this piece of genuinely forgotten 90s pop 00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:52.639 culture artifact. This book series written just 00:07:52.639 --> 00:07:54.660 to cash in on teen obsession. And she performs 00:07:54.660 --> 00:07:56.879 it seriously. Well, maybe seriously as comedy. 00:07:57.160 --> 00:07:59.199 She's relying on the audience, you know, to get 00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:01.079 the sheer absurdity of that cultural moment. 00:08:01.180 --> 00:08:02.800 She's basically saying, look what we loved. Look 00:08:02.800 --> 00:08:04.420 at this thing we consumed. That's brilliant. 00:08:04.839 --> 00:08:06.740 But doesn't focusing on something that niche 00:08:06.740 --> 00:08:09.399 like NKOTB adventure novels, doesn't that risk 00:08:09.399 --> 00:08:11.459 maybe losing some of the audience, making it 00:08:11.459 --> 00:08:13.800 too small? You'd think so, maybe. But I think 00:08:13.800 --> 00:08:16.480 the risk is lessened by her authenticity and 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:19.160 just the performance itself. Really great comedy 00:08:19.160 --> 00:08:21.639 often finds something universal in the extremely 00:08:21.639 --> 00:08:24.089 specific, right? Yeah, that's true. She's not 00:08:24.089 --> 00:08:26.110 just talking about NKOTV. She's talking about 00:08:26.110 --> 00:08:29.209 like the intensity of being a teenager, how earnest 00:08:29.209 --> 00:08:32.750 that pop culture was, how time passes. The novel 00:08:32.750 --> 00:08:36.110 is just the vehicle for that. And the vulnerability 00:08:36.110 --> 00:08:38.330 of admitting you loved this slightly embarrassing 00:08:38.330 --> 00:08:40.789 thing. Exactly. That vulnerability connects. 00:08:40.909 --> 00:08:44.019 And honestly, it takes guts. to bring actual 00:08:44.019 --> 00:08:47.399 props like old books onto a comedy stage. Yeah, 00:08:47.419 --> 00:08:50.299 no kidding. And this unique style, this voice 00:08:50.299 --> 00:08:52.460 she was building, it started getting her real 00:08:52.460 --> 00:08:55.259 recognition regionally, even years before she 00:08:55.259 --> 00:08:57.700 made the L .A. move. For sure. Back in 2011, 00:08:58.179 --> 00:09:00.879 City Pages, which is a big deal in the Twin Cities 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:03.240 art scene, they named her one of the top 100 00:09:03.240 --> 00:09:05.600 creative people in Minneapolis. That's major 00:09:05.600 --> 00:09:09.139 local validation. Huge. maybe even more important 00:09:09.139 --> 00:09:11.419 for her career path, was winning that competition 00:09:11.419 --> 00:09:13.419 in 2011. The best of the Midwest competition 00:09:13.419 --> 00:09:16.299 at Gilda's Laugh Fest. That's in Grand Rapids, 00:09:16.299 --> 00:09:18.659 Michigan. That one's so critical. Because, well, 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:20.940 the Midwest comedy scene is massive. Winning 00:09:20.940 --> 00:09:23.519 that contest. basically signals to everyone, 00:09:23.779 --> 00:09:27.299 agents, bookers, other comics, that you've kind 00:09:27.299 --> 00:09:29.620 of conquered the regional circuit. You're ready 00:09:29.620 --> 00:09:31.659 for the next step. It was like her regional diploma. 00:09:32.039 --> 00:09:34.440 And we can see the immediate effect because the 00:09:34.440 --> 00:09:36.340 sources point out she was actually performing 00:09:36.340 --> 00:09:38.639 at that laugh fest when she got her first big 00:09:38.639 --> 00:09:41.580 national break, her first appearance on WTF with 00:09:41.580 --> 00:09:44.360 Marc Maron in 2012. The timing is perfect, right? 00:09:44.379 --> 00:09:46.179 Yeah. That connection is clear. Yeah. And she 00:09:46.179 --> 00:09:48.600 kept competing, too. She was a finalist in 2012 00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:51.059 at the Great American Comedy Festival. That one's 00:09:51.059 --> 00:09:53.490 held. in Norfolk, Nebraska, Johnny Carson's hometown. 00:09:54.070 --> 00:09:57.850 Wow. So placing there connects her to this bigger 00:09:57.850 --> 00:10:00.269 history of American comedy. Definitely. And it 00:10:00.269 --> 00:10:02.730 showed she could hold her own outside her Minneapolis 00:10:02.730 --> 00:10:05.429 base. But the really big national stamp of approval, 00:10:05.509 --> 00:10:07.950 that came even earlier, didn't it? 2011. From 00:10:07.950 --> 00:10:10.629 Marc Maron himself. Yeah, Maron named her one 00:10:10.629 --> 00:10:13.450 of his five top comedians to watch very early 00:10:13.450 --> 00:10:15.970 in her career. That kind of endorsement, well, 00:10:16.049 --> 00:10:19.690 it opens doors. And we even have the quote, what 00:10:19.690 --> 00:10:22.309 he said about her. Yeah, Marin called her a brassy 00:10:22.309 --> 00:10:25.009 gal who could play a one -nighter at a bowling 00:10:25.009 --> 00:10:27.669 alley or a thousand -seat theater and just nail 00:10:27.669 --> 00:10:30.210 it. That quote says so much, doesn't it, about 00:10:30.210 --> 00:10:33.110 her versatility, her toughness. Totally. It highlights 00:10:33.110 --> 00:10:35.750 someone whose act works anywhere. She doesn't 00:10:35.750 --> 00:10:38.090 need fancy production or a specific type of room. 00:10:38.230 --> 00:10:40.289 The material and her presence are strong enough. 00:10:40.759 --> 00:10:43.600 She's a road comic, a true professional, a comics 00:10:43.600 --> 00:10:45.879 comic. Okay, so now we get to that core puzzle, 00:10:45.940 --> 00:10:47.980 the contradiction we need to really unpack. Right. 00:10:48.080 --> 00:10:50.799 Marin, the ultimate comedy insider, he's hyping 00:10:50.799 --> 00:10:54.019 her in 2011, top talent, then seven years fly 00:10:54.019 --> 00:10:57.080 by, it's 2018, and Thrillist, the entertainment 00:10:57.080 --> 00:11:00.159 website, names her one of the best undiscovered 00:11:00.159 --> 00:11:02.559 comedians in America. Yeah. How does that work? 00:11:02.899 --> 00:11:05.960 How are you a top... Proven talent, but still 00:11:05.960 --> 00:11:08.580 undiscovered almost a decade later. This gap, 00:11:08.639 --> 00:11:11.100 this is such a key lesson in how the modern comedy 00:11:11.100 --> 00:11:13.519 business works, I think. It just highlights the 00:11:13.519 --> 00:11:16.500 massive difference between industry recognition 00:11:16.500 --> 00:11:19.419 and actual mainstream visibility. Okay, explain 00:11:19.419 --> 00:11:22.179 that. Marin's praise meant the people inside 00:11:22.179 --> 00:11:24.759 comedy knew her. The other comics, the bookers, 00:11:24.779 --> 00:11:27.460 the club owners, they respected her. She'd paid 00:11:27.460 --> 00:11:30.399 her dues, won the right contest, toured, built 00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:32.700 the act. Right, known within the scene. Exactly. 00:11:34.090 --> 00:11:37.129 But Thrillist. Yeah. They're writing for a much 00:11:37.129 --> 00:11:39.970 broader audience. People who mostly find out 00:11:39.970 --> 00:11:41.690 about entertainment through, you know, online 00:11:41.690 --> 00:11:44.570 lists, mainstream websites, social media. So 00:11:44.570 --> 00:11:46.649 Undiscovered basically meant she hadn't broken 00:11:46.649 --> 00:11:49.509 through that next level of mainstream amplification 00:11:49.509 --> 00:11:51.669 yet. Like she didn't have the big late night 00:11:51.669 --> 00:11:54.889 set or a recurring role on a sitcom or the huge 00:11:54.889 --> 00:11:57.850 Netflix special deal. Precisely. The label isn't 00:11:57.850 --> 00:11:59.730 really a critique of her talent at all. Right. 00:11:59.809 --> 00:12:01.730 It's just a reflection of her market penetration 00:12:01.730 --> 00:12:04.570 at that point. It shows just how crowded and 00:12:04.570 --> 00:12:06.970 tough the entertainment world is. You can be 00:12:06.970 --> 00:12:09.450 championed by the absolute best, have a killer 00:12:09.450 --> 00:12:12.149 act, and still spend years kind of flying under 00:12:12.149 --> 00:12:14.149 the radar for the average person. But the fact 00:12:14.149 --> 00:12:15.990 she was still making those kinds of lists in 00:12:15.990 --> 00:12:18.649 2018, that also says something positive, right? 00:12:19.080 --> 00:12:21.860 Oh, absolutely. It confirms her quality was consistent. 00:12:22.100 --> 00:12:24.940 She didn't disappear. She had the stamina, the 00:12:24.940 --> 00:12:27.620 persistence to keep working through those years 00:12:27.620 --> 00:12:30.519 it took to bridge that gap between the industry 00:12:30.519 --> 00:12:33.259 buzz and real commercial breakthrough. And that 00:12:33.259 --> 00:12:35.220 stamina, that consistency, it really did pay 00:12:35.220 --> 00:12:37.440 off commercially with her debut album, Sparkly 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:40.440 Parts. Let's get into that. Released April 17, 00:12:40.700 --> 00:12:44.059 2020. Stand -up records. Right. And we know she'd 00:12:44.059 --> 00:12:46.059 built the fan base, the reputation over years. 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:50.519 But the success was immediate. And really significant. 00:12:50.779 --> 00:12:53.419 How significant? It debuted at number one on 00:12:53.419 --> 00:12:55.799 both the Amazon and the iTunes comedy charts. 00:12:55.960 --> 00:12:59.600 Wow. Both. Both. Now, that tells you more than 00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:02.019 just, oh, she has some loyal fans. It shows that 00:13:02.019 --> 00:13:04.519 all that groundwork, the regional touring, but 00:13:04.519 --> 00:13:06.740 also crucially, all that digital outreach, we'll 00:13:06.740 --> 00:13:08.980 talk more about it, had built a big enough network. 00:13:09.419 --> 00:13:11.259 People who were ready and waited to buy her stuff 00:13:11.259 --> 00:13:13.059 the second it dropped. That first week surge 00:13:13.059 --> 00:13:15.320 is what gets you to number one. Exactly. That 00:13:15.320 --> 00:13:17.840 immediate buy in. But the timing here is wild. 00:13:18.179 --> 00:13:21.220 April 2020. Yeah. Right as the world was basically 00:13:21.220 --> 00:13:23.700 locking down. Yeah. Coronavirus quarantine hitting 00:13:23.700 --> 00:13:27.100 hard. So no big album release party at a comedy 00:13:27.100 --> 00:13:29.779 club. Nope. Couldn't happen. So she had to pivot 00:13:29.779 --> 00:13:33.129 instantly. Which really shows that, you know, 00:13:33.149 --> 00:13:35.730 necessity breeds invention in comedy, too. What 00:13:35.730 --> 00:13:38.389 did she do? Instead of the usual club show, she 00:13:38.389 --> 00:13:40.490 live -streamed a comedy set right from her home. 00:13:40.690 --> 00:13:43.470 Smart. Really smart. It not only marked the album 00:13:43.470 --> 00:13:46.470 release, but it also gave people stuck at home 00:13:46.470 --> 00:13:49.789 some much -needed timely entertainment. Great 00:13:49.789 --> 00:13:52.590 timing, in a weird way. And the reviews backed 00:13:52.590 --> 00:13:55.539 up the sales numbers. They did. Richard Lenoy 00:13:55.539 --> 00:13:57.799 over at the Serious Comedy site, he reviewed 00:13:57.799 --> 00:14:00.399 Sparkly Parts and called it a hoot to listen 00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:04.179 to. And this part is key. He said it had no weak 00:14:04.179 --> 00:14:06.759 moments. No weak moments. That points back to 00:14:06.759 --> 00:14:08.500 all those years of work, doesn't it? Absolutely. 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:10.799 That's the payoff of that long regional development. 00:14:10.919 --> 00:14:13.500 By the time she recorded that first album, she 00:14:13.500 --> 00:14:16.440 had road tested every single joke. Dozens, probably 00:14:16.440 --> 00:14:19.059 hundreds of times. First in Minneapolis, then 00:14:19.059 --> 00:14:21.659 nationally in L .A. and on tour. So the quality 00:14:21.659 --> 00:14:24.159 wasn't some accident. It was earned. Totally 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:27.179 earned. The product of just relentless consistency 00:14:27.179 --> 00:14:29.779 and editing down to the best stuff. Now, besides 00:14:29.779 --> 00:14:32.539 her own solo work, Preston seems really involved 00:14:32.539 --> 00:14:35.820 in the, like, community side of comedy, too, 00:14:35.860 --> 00:14:37.840 especially out in L .A. Yeah, she co -hosts this 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:39.960 weekly showcase at the Hollywood Improv. It's 00:14:39.960 --> 00:14:42.379 called Punchline Punchout. Okay, tell us about 00:14:42.379 --> 00:14:44.519 that. Well, first off, she co -hosted with another 00:14:44.519 --> 00:14:48.480 fantastic comic, Andy Erickson. who is, fittingly, 00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:51.899 also a Minnesota transplant. Ah, keeping the 00:14:51.899 --> 00:14:54.220 Midwest connection strong in L .A. Seems like 00:14:54.220 --> 00:14:56.820 it. And the show itself, the format, it sounds 00:14:56.820 --> 00:14:59.019 intense. It's designed to keep comics sharp. 00:14:59.100 --> 00:15:01.679 It runs like a game show. Comics get just 10 00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:03.519 minutes, apparently, to come up with punchlines 00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:06.120 really fast, all based on a specific topic they're 00:15:06.120 --> 00:15:08.559 given. Wow, 10 minutes. That's pressure. High 00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:11.279 pressure. It forces quick thinking, improvisation 00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:13.980 mixed with... structured writing. It's like essential 00:15:13.980 --> 00:15:16.419 training for any working comic. It keeps you 00:15:16.419 --> 00:15:19.279 from just getting stuck doing the same old material 00:15:19.279 --> 00:15:21.340 over and over. It's constant agility practice. 00:15:21.620 --> 00:15:23.779 Makes sense. Keeps the writing muscles flexed. 00:15:23.799 --> 00:15:26.559 Exactly. And doing that collaboration with another 00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:28.460 comic from back home right in the middle of Hollywood, 00:15:28.620 --> 00:15:32.120 it just reinforces that regional bond, that shared 00:15:32.120 --> 00:15:34.600 viewpoint. Probably influences the whole vibe 00:15:34.600 --> 00:15:36.299 of their show. And she's branched out beyond 00:15:36.299 --> 00:15:38.320 just stand -up too, right? The sources mention 00:15:38.320 --> 00:15:42.340 acting, film work. Trying to diversify? Yeah, 00:15:42.440 --> 00:15:44.559 definitely making moves there. She starred in 00:15:44.559 --> 00:15:48.080 a short film in 2019 called The Poacher. Okay. 00:15:48.360 --> 00:15:50.980 Did it get seen anywhere? It did, yeah. It had 00:15:50.980 --> 00:15:53.840 a pretty decent festival run. Played at the Culver 00:15:53.840 --> 00:15:55.879 City Film Festival and the Yucca Valley Film 00:15:55.879 --> 00:15:59.120 Festival in 2019. Then in 2020, it screened at 00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:01.639 the Los Angeles Short Film Festival. So respectable 00:16:01.639 --> 00:16:04.320 indie festivals. Exactly. And that's important 00:16:04.320 --> 00:16:07.179 because these shows, she's not just like waiting 00:16:07.179 --> 00:16:09.139 for her stand -up fame to maybe get her an acting 00:16:09.139 --> 00:16:11.799 gig. She's actively going out and getting roles 00:16:11.799 --> 00:16:13.960 in projects that are getting critical attention 00:16:13.960 --> 00:16:16.519 on the festival circuit. It helps broaden her 00:16:16.519 --> 00:16:19.960 profile from just comedian to, you know, versatile 00:16:19.960 --> 00:16:21.960 performer within that L .A. industry machine. 00:16:22.200 --> 00:16:24.679 OK, this section feels absolutely crucial to 00:16:24.679 --> 00:16:26.960 understanding how Sparkly Parts hit number one, 00:16:26.980 --> 00:16:30.080 her podcast history. It's extensive. Oh, it's 00:16:30.080 --> 00:16:33.600 huge. And looking at the list, it's not just, 00:16:33.639 --> 00:16:35.840 oh, she did some podcasts. It's like a strategic 00:16:35.840 --> 00:16:39.500 roadmap. It shows exactly how she built her network, 00:16:39.620 --> 00:16:42.919 raised her profile over years, using the digital 00:16:42.919 --> 00:16:45.419 space almost like a second stage. It's the modern 00:16:45.419 --> 00:16:48.080 comedian's playbook, isn't it? Absolutely. If 00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:49.720 you're not constantly on the road, you're constantly 00:16:49.720 --> 00:16:53.259 on podcasts or both. Right. And these appearances, 00:16:53.460 --> 00:16:55.860 they work on so many levels. They're promo for 00:16:55.860 --> 00:16:58.539 her live shows, for the album eventually. They're 00:16:58.539 --> 00:17:00.779 networking, connecting with other comics hosts. 00:17:01.240 --> 00:17:03.399 And they're a way to actually workshop material, 00:17:03.620 --> 00:17:06.200 especially the really niche stuff, for audiences 00:17:06.200 --> 00:17:08.220 who might specifically get it. And the biggest 00:17:08.220 --> 00:17:10.799 connection, the one that really tracks her career 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:14.180 arc, is Marc Maron's podcast, WTF. She was on 00:17:14.180 --> 00:17:16.859 three separate times. Three times, which is significant 00:17:16.859 --> 00:17:19.559 in itself on a show that big. Let's look at the 00:17:19.559 --> 00:17:21.200 timeline again because it tells the story. Okay, 00:17:21.240 --> 00:17:24.759 first time. Episode 292 back in 2012, recorded 00:17:24.759 --> 00:17:27.460 live at Gilda's Laugh Fest. Right. Right when 00:17:27.460 --> 00:17:29.779 she was winning awards, getting that first wave 00:17:29.779 --> 00:17:32.700 of critical buzz, that appearance was basically 00:17:32.700 --> 00:17:36.019 Maren telling the national comedy audience, hey, 00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:38.059 pay attention to this person. It put her on the 00:17:38.059 --> 00:17:40.339 map for listeners outside the Midwest. Then fast 00:17:40.339 --> 00:17:44.359 forward three years, 2015, episode 576. And this 00:17:44.359 --> 00:17:46.319 one was different. It was a multi -guest episode. 00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:49.839 She's on there with huge names, Whitney Cummings, 00:17:49.900 --> 00:17:52.779 Pamela Adlon, Shelby Farrow. Wow, that's heavy 00:17:52.779 --> 00:17:55.220 company. Right. Being included in that lineup, 00:17:55.319 --> 00:17:58.599 that's validation from her peers. It shows she's 00:17:58.599 --> 00:18:00.980 now seen as a respected working conic operating 00:18:00.980 --> 00:18:03.500 at a high level within that L .A. scene. It's 00:18:03.500 --> 00:18:05.359 industry acceptance. And then the third time, 00:18:05.500 --> 00:18:09.440 episode 1132, June 2020. Perfect timing. Just 00:18:09.440 --> 00:18:12.500 after Starkley Parts dropped. Using Maren's massive 00:18:12.500 --> 00:18:15.359 platform to push the album. Exactly. That's the 00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:17.640 commercial payoff appearance. So just tracking 00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:19.920 those three WTF episodes, you get this clear 00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:22.680 narrative, discovery, peer respect, and then 00:18:22.680 --> 00:18:25.140 commercial launch. It shows this ongoing relationship 00:18:25.140 --> 00:18:27.859 with one of comedy's biggest platforms and how 00:18:27.859 --> 00:18:29.980 she used it strategically at each key stage. 00:18:30.220 --> 00:18:33.140 But it wasn't just the huge shows like WTF. Her 00:18:33.140 --> 00:18:35.619 strategy seems much deeper going on to niche 00:18:35.619 --> 00:18:38.160 podcasts, too. This is where you see the real 00:18:38.160 --> 00:18:41.309 planning, I think. She used these smaller, more 00:18:41.309 --> 00:18:44.009 focused podcasts to really dig into her specific 00:18:44.009 --> 00:18:48.130 material, like that NKOTB stuff. Right. You mentioned 00:18:48.130 --> 00:18:50.029 she did a whole episode about that. Yeah, on 00:18:50.029 --> 00:18:53.789 Obsessed with Joseph Scrimshaw, 2016, episode 00:18:53.789 --> 00:18:56.990 92. The entire episode was focused specifically 00:18:56.990 --> 00:19:00.390 on her new Kids on the Block material. That's 00:19:00.390 --> 00:19:02.819 brilliant targeting. Isn't it? It's not just 00:19:02.819 --> 00:19:05.839 general promotion. It's finding the exact audience 00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:08.460 that's already primed to love that specific slice 00:19:08.460 --> 00:19:10.779 of pop culture history she's mining for comedy. 00:19:11.130 --> 00:19:13.390 It let her go way deeper into the bit than she 00:19:13.390 --> 00:19:16.089 probably could in a typical 15 -minute club set. 00:19:16.230 --> 00:19:18.269 And she did Jackie Cashin's show, too, The Dork 00:19:18.269 --> 00:19:21.329 Forest. Yes, in 2015, live from the Bridgetown 00:19:21.329 --> 00:19:23.750 Comedy Festival. And Jackie's show is literally 00:19:23.750 --> 00:19:26.230 about people's specific, often nerdy obsessions. 00:19:26.329 --> 00:19:28.450 So again, a perfect fit for someone whose signature 00:19:28.450 --> 00:19:31.369 bit involves reading from obscure 90s boy band 00:19:31.369 --> 00:19:33.369 novels. It shows she knew where her material 00:19:33.369 --> 00:19:36.410 would resonate most strongly. Totally. And she 00:19:36.410 --> 00:19:40.519 even showed some versatility by going on... probably 00:19:40.519 --> 00:19:43.980 science in 2015. That's a comedy show about science. 00:19:44.200 --> 00:19:46.420 Yeah, basically. Yeah. Comics riffing on science 00:19:46.420 --> 00:19:49.220 news. Appearing on that suggests her humor isn't 00:19:49.220 --> 00:19:51.680 just based on telling personal stories. She also 00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:54.759 has the quick wit, the smarts, to hang in a conversation 00:19:54.759 --> 00:19:56.920 about... you know, current events and science. 00:19:57.119 --> 00:19:59.680 It signals adaptability to bookers and listeners. 00:19:59.920 --> 00:20:01.920 She's not a one -trick pony. And the rest of 00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:03.940 the list just shows this was ongoing, consistent 00:20:03.940 --> 00:20:06.700 work. Shows like Stuffed Animal Party way back 00:20:06.700 --> 00:20:10.220 in 2013. Later on, things like Magnetronic, Lady 00:20:10.220 --> 00:20:13.500 to Lady, somewhere right up near the album release 00:20:13.500 --> 00:20:16.200 in early 2020. Year after year of engagement. 00:20:16.220 --> 00:20:18.559 That digital space. It really was her second 00:20:18.559 --> 00:20:20.940 touring circuit. and probably her main marketing 00:20:20.940 --> 00:20:22.920 engine. She was building connections, building 00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:25.720 trust, creating anticipation with literally thousands 00:20:25.720 --> 00:20:27.660 of listeners across all these different shows 00:20:27.660 --> 00:20:29.799 and niches. So when Sparkly Parts finally came 00:20:29.799 --> 00:20:32.720 out? Those thousands of listeners who felt like 00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:34.819 they knew her, they knew her voice, her specific 00:20:34.819 --> 00:20:38.039 stories. They were ready, ready to click buy. 00:20:38.299 --> 00:20:40.880 Her success wasn't some overnight viral thing. 00:20:40.940 --> 00:20:44.619 It was the direct result of years, almost a decade, 00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:48.480 of consistent, maybe low -key, but very strategic 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:53.220 digital outreach. Hashtag digital outro. So looking 00:20:53.220 --> 00:20:55.099 back at the whole picture, we've really traced 00:20:55.099 --> 00:20:58.940 Amber Preston's path from that Fargo high school 00:20:58.940 --> 00:21:01.460 grad related to Lawrence Welk using her accent 00:21:01.460 --> 00:21:04.079 as part of her act in Minneapolis all the way 00:21:04.079 --> 00:21:06.180 to being this chart -topping comic based in L 00:21:06.180 --> 00:21:07.960 .A. getting nods from the biggest names in the 00:21:07.960 --> 00:21:10.579 business. It's a really powerful story of just 00:21:10.579 --> 00:21:12.759 sticking with it and staying true to your specific 00:21:12.759 --> 00:21:15.500 voice. Absolutely. I think what her career really 00:21:15.500 --> 00:21:18.660 demonstrates is the incredible power of consistency. 00:21:18.900 --> 00:21:21.519 But consistency mixed with that super personal, 00:21:21.579 --> 00:21:23.839 super... specific material. She never tried to 00:21:23.839 --> 00:21:25.839 hide or sand off the edges, the regional stuff, 00:21:25.940 --> 00:21:28.299 the dorky stuff like NKOTB, the woke thing. Totally 00:21:28.299 --> 00:21:32.099 leaned into it. And she combined that unique 00:21:32.099 --> 00:21:34.900 vulnerability with just relentless hard work. 00:21:35.119 --> 00:21:37.359 The competitions like Gilda's Laugh Fest, the 00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:39.480 film projects, being part of the scene with shows 00:21:39.480 --> 00:21:41.480 like Punchline Punch -Out, it was all part of 00:21:41.480 --> 00:21:43.700 the build. And managing to hit number one with 00:21:43.700 --> 00:21:46.230 sparkly parts. right in the middle of a global 00:21:46.230 --> 00:21:49.130 pandemic, pivoting immediately to that live stream 00:21:49.130 --> 00:21:51.829 release. It just proves, you know, if the material's 00:21:51.829 --> 00:21:53.869 tight and the network's been built and the timing 00:21:53.869 --> 00:21:57.869 hits, the comic who can adapt, they win. She 00:21:57.869 --> 00:22:00.230 was ready. She'd done the work, built the audience. 00:22:00.430 --> 00:22:03.730 And that audience, stuck at home, was probably 00:22:03.730 --> 00:22:06.029 desperate for exactly the kind of authentic, 00:22:06.230 --> 00:22:09.210 funny escape she offered. Yeah. And that brings 00:22:09.210 --> 00:22:11.250 us to maybe the final thought for you, the listener, 00:22:11.329 --> 00:22:13.950 to chew on. Think again about those two labels. 00:22:14.460 --> 00:22:16.980 Top comedian to watch in 2011 from Maren the 00:22:16.980 --> 00:22:19.740 Insider and then undiscovered comedian from Thrillist 00:22:19.740 --> 00:22:22.420 in 2018 aimed at the mainstream. Right. The talent 00:22:22.420 --> 00:22:24.460 was clearly there all along. The visibility was 00:22:24.460 --> 00:22:27.019 the variable. Exactly. So what does that gap 00:22:27.019 --> 00:22:29.920 really tell us about how we measure success now? 00:22:30.480 --> 00:22:33.519 Is real national recognition maybe measured less 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:35.640 by who the traditional gatekeepers say is good 00:22:35.640 --> 00:22:38.700 and more by stuff you can actually count? Like 00:22:38.700 --> 00:22:40.460 hitting number one on iTunes, which means the 00:22:40.460 --> 00:22:42.819 audience directly voted with their wallets. Direct 00:22:42.819 --> 00:22:45.500 engagement versus critical acclaim. Maybe. Is 00:22:45.500 --> 00:22:48.539 that the new metric? And thinking about her foundation, 00:22:48.859 --> 00:22:52.319 how she turned that very specific Fargo Midwest 00:22:52.319 --> 00:22:55.299 identity into a national asset, it makes you 00:22:55.299 --> 00:22:58.019 wonder, doesn't it? Wonder what? Well, what other 00:22:58.019 --> 00:23:00.289 regional voices are out there right now? comics 00:23:00.289 --> 00:23:03.470 in, I don't know, Boise or Austin or rural Pennsylvania 00:23:03.470 --> 00:23:07.329 who are mastering their own specific niche, building 00:23:07.329 --> 00:23:09.950 their own digital network quietly, just waiting 00:23:09.950 --> 00:23:11.609 for that perfect moment to drop their album, 00:23:11.670 --> 00:23:14.549 make their pivot, and maybe surprise everyone 00:23:14.549 --> 00:23:16.910 by hitting the top of the charts too. Who's next 00:23:16.910 --> 00:23:17.609 to bridge that gap?