After A Year On The Road, Arj Barker Is Finding The Funny In Overdue Home Improvements

At the time of our interview, Arj Barker is driving to Ballarat in 30-degree heat. Not the most ideal circumstances for a chat, but as Barker declares, "They've got air conditioning in cars now, so it's not too bad."

Touring his latest show Organic, Barker has had plenty of time to suss out the finer details of the show, which concludes its epic run in Brisbane this December after kicking off at the beginning of 2017. "It takes about two years for me to tour a show all around Australia and the UK and the US, so by that time [audiences] are expecting something new," he says "I'm actually going to be filming the DVD up there. The show is in the best condition it's been in, so it felt like the right time to go for it."

While he's happy with what Organic has finally evolved into, the American comedian admits it's never a smooth process. "It's been difficult, but they've all been difficult so I'm sort of used to it. Especially when you have a show that already works and you're forced into this uncharted territory. But then you end up with all this new material and that other show gets pushed to the back." He continues, "the old shows, they still exist on DVD, and occasionally I'll bring out an old joke here and there, but it'd be boring, for me especially, to do the same show over and over. So it's hard, but it's always exciting."

As well as fine-tuning Organic for the DVD filming, Barker took the time to road test brand new material in a show he's called Keeper Or Crapper. "It's a bit of a juggling act," he says of balancing the two shows, "but all you can do is try. I'm not the most disciplined or organised person but I do my best. If I force myself to try then I find I'm more attuned to good ideas. It's like flexing a muscle; it just gets easier over time." Barker adds of his creative process, "It's a lot of trying - and a lot of trying unsuccessfully... I'll know pretty quickly if something just isn't working. The silence of an audience is usually a pretty good indicator."

While Organic has finally reached its last incarnation, Barker has managed to avoid getting too bogged down by the giant orange elephant in the room; the comedy catnip that is US President Donald Trump. Ever the professional, the comic coyly explains that it's just too obvious to crack wises at the man in charge of his native land: "He's already a joke, so what can I say, you know? How do you joke about a joke? It's so redundant, especially because comedy audiences already know how insane he is. It's just preaching to converted, so I'm not really into that. I'm not opening anyone's eyes to some hidden secret."

Despite having multiple endeavours simultaneously underway, Barker still managed to find time to create his own web series this year. Along with Tripod's Steven Gates behind the camera, the two created Do It Myself, where Barker undertakes DIY tasks with a wink and a smile. Speaking of how the idea came about, Barker simply laughs and says, "I just needed to do some DIY around the house, like everyone." He continues, "We wanted to do this pseudo-informative, semi-comedic hybrid where you might actually learn something. We don't really know what we're doing, but we're doing it anyway. I really enjoy undertaking these projects and making the videos is fun, too. I like acting like an expert even though I'm not. It's nice working with a friend on something as well."