Sunita Somvanshi
Singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles is inviting the world into one of her most painful experiences: trying to become a mother through fertility treatment.
Bareilles and her husband Joe Tippett went through multiple rounds of in-vitro fertilization. She tried IVF a few times, but it was unsuccessful. Now, as her new album “Good Grief” released August 28, she’s discussing the deep uncertainty that comes with that journey — the exhausting “messy middle” where you’re still hoping but don’t know how the story ends.
The album “Good Grief” was released August 28 via Epic Records. The 14-track collection was recorded at Dreamland Studios in Woodstock and at Long Pond in the Hudson Valley. Tracks include “Ladies In A Line,” “Home,” and “Still Crying.”
The work explores grief, friendship, resilience, and showing up for each other during impossible times.
A companion documentary, directed by Josh Alexander, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival this year. The 90-minute film captures both the album’s recording process and the deeper story underneath — Bareilles grappling with loss and what it means when life doesn’t follow the script you imagined.
One song, “Ladies In A Line,” connects directly to her IVF journey. It speaks to the shared experience of people waiting together in fertility clinics, all hoping their moment comes.
Bareilles has discussed considering egg donation as a potential next step. It’s a decision many people facing infertility weigh carefully. But she emphasized the uncertainty remains — nothing is settled, and she doesn’t know what will come.
Fertility declines naturally from around age 30, dropping more sharply in the mid-30s. By 45, natural pregnancy becomes unlikely. These aren’t personal failures. They’re biological realities.
Medical experts stress that success rates for fertility treatments vary widely by age, diagnosis, previous pregnancies, and the type of treatment used. What works for one person may not work the same way for another. There’s no universal answer.
“Good Grief” is available now. Bareilles is touring in support of the album, bringing her story to audiences across the country.
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