Band of Mothers is a podcast comedy talk show by moms, for moms. Perfect popcorn chat-show listening with a dash of relatability and advice sprinkled on top for the weary caregiver. Comedians Shayna Ferm and Tracey Tee have been around the kid-having block before, and have made a brand out of motherhood. Each episode the two bring on a guest host to discuss anything and everything under the mothering sun. Unfortunately these conversations never get around to critically evaluating said guest “experts.”

Given the spread of current episodes available, it appears whoever is in charge of booking guests is fine with platforming anyone who wants to market to a famously under-slept and over-stressed market. Band of Mothers is built on being frank and honest with its listeners, but it’s also apparently fine with platforming pseudoscience-slinging lifestyle brand Goop. There’s also the occasional sloppy, ableist jokes. Dark circles under one’s eyes from under-sleeping are  referred to “heroin chic.” Tee quips that said she only wears makeup when on Zoom calls “so nobody thinks I do drugs.” There is merit to BoM, even helpful advice, just be careful to listen with a critical mind and maybe double-check the science before buying anything.

We were fortunate to talk with Fertile about the podcast, how they differentiate from other podcasts, and their future plans in podcasting. See below for our full Q&A.

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DISCOVER PODS: How’d you get into podcasting?

FERTILE: Band of Mothers Podcast was a natural next step after the success our nationally touring The Pump and Dump Show – a night out event/comedy show for moms that we’ve been producing and performing since 2012. We wanted to continue the conversations and provide ourselves a new “off-stage” platform to continue to bring moms validation and humor.

DISCOVER PODS: In your own words, why should listeners tune in to Band of Mothers?

FERTILE: We approach all the subjects in our podcast with wide-eyed curiosity so that moms can actually learn something new every week, and we do so with humor and fun. The #BOMPod really is a break from the perils of parenting and our goal is to make moms feel heard, validated and like the women they were before they had spit-up all over them.

DISCOVER PODS: What kind of feedback have you heard from your listeners?

FERTILE: Because we are also an informative podcast, we hear that some of the experts and subjects we explore literally change people’s lives. We also hear a lot that moms feel like they are “hanging out” with us, and we love that!

DISCOVER PODS: Describe your recording set up? What equipment are you using?

FERTILE: We splurged on some awesome Audio Technica Headset microphones and although we look like we’re playing Roblox, we absolutely love them! They plug into a 4-channel mixer with a USB that goes into our computer. 

DISCOVER PODS: What’s the biggest challenge you face as an indie podcaster?

FERTILE: Like any podcast without celebrity clout, we struggle get people to know about us. The parenting podcast world is a pretty full space, so making sure moms know that we explore lifestyle subjects and not just talk about our kids is a big one too. 

DISCOVER PODS: Where do you want to take your podcast?

FERTILE: We were lucky enough to begin a partnership with an amazing team at Warner Bros. who co-produce the podcast and have been incredibly supportive, so honestly, we just want to grow our numbers and continue to bring moms our message of solidarity and validation. Ultimately, our goal has become to be able to survive in the podcast world while being our most authentic selves.

DISCOVER PODS: What other podcasts are you listening to now?

FERTILE: We listen to a lot of “woo woo” podcasts to help us stay focused and feeling good during the stress of the last year. We love Lacy Phillips’ “Expanded” podcast, Cory Muscara’s “Practicing Human,” Luke Story, Sahara Rose, and as entrepreneurs, we are always fascinated by NPR’s “How I Built This.”

DISCOVER PODS: Anything else you’d like to add?

FERTILE: Shout out to all the independent podcasters out there putting in the sweat to bring their voices to the world. It’s an exciting time and so amazing to know that people feel inspired to stand on this platform. It’s not easy to do, so high fives to our fellow podcasters!!

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