REBECCA LOEBE – AN ARTIST SPOTLIGHT AND IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW
By Ralph Beauchamp
Singer-songwriter Rebecca Loebe creates music that crosses many different genres. She blends contemporary folk, pop and Americana in order to format a sound that feels both fresh and original. Her voice is easily her focal point. Supported by an acoustic guitar, Loebe‘s vocals are crisp, emotive and richly memorable. As a lyricist, Loebe offers a balance between personal reflection and social commentary. Her songwriting features sublime arrangements and vivid storytelling. Rebecca Loebe is plainly an amazing troubadour.
In 2011, Loebe was on the premiere season of The Voice on NBC. She moved on to the battle rounds but eventually was eliminated from the competition. Loebe has released four studio albums. The last was Give up Your Ghosts in 2019. She has shared the stage with such luminaries as Shawn Colvin, The Civil Wars, Gregory Alan Isakov, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Ellis Paul.
Rebecca Loebe just released her newest single entitled “Little Brute”. It is beautiful track with cinematic vocals that resonates deeply with her fans. The arrangement is melodic with lush intonations. Her voice has an impassioned edge and moving lilt. “Little Brute” follows another recently dropped track, “Queen Mary II”. “Queen Mary II” showcases Loebe’s evolution as a strong songwriter. Once again, the song’s flow is impeccable. The aural softness is forefront. “Queen Mary II” offers a magical soundscape that quickly engages the listener. Both tunes display a special warmth and artistic authenticity.
Rebecca Loebe will be performing this Saturday, June 20th at the Bigger Beast Records / All Boats Rise Entertainment House Concert Series at Cantean Coffee and Tea located at 1600 Whitney Avenue in Hamden. Be aware there is a low ticket advisory. Tickets are available on the Bigger Beast Records website.
Rebecca Loebe was kind enough to sit for this in-depth interview.
AMP: Your music has been described as “lyrically driven acoustic folk rock.” How would you describe your sound in your own words?
REBECCA: My songs blend elements of folk — acoustic guitar, emphasis on lyrics that tell a story or evoke emotion — with with catch melodies and grooves that make your hips move involuntarily, which are obviously the best parts of pop music.
AMP: What musical elements do you think make a song unmistakably Rebecca Loebe?
REBECCA: My goal is for each song I write to make you feel something, to make you giggle a little bit, and to have a melody that gets stuck in your head.
AMP: You often blend folk, pop and Americana influences. How do you balance those different styles?
REBECCA: I try to keep an eye on my listening diet by consuming music across many genres that really inspires me. I love listening to smart writers, writers who go for the emotional core, and writers who are great with melody, and also read inspiring books and poetry and watch good films and have meaningful conversations with people I love. When I proactively cultivate what I’m taking in (and resist the urge to rot away on pocasts and social media) the song style just kind of takes care of itself.
AMP: When you are arranging a song, what comes first: the story, the melody or the groove?
REBECCA: Usually a few words will pop into my head with a melody attached. I’ll record it as quickly as possible, then focus on writing as many words as I can while the inspiration is still fresh, then I’ll flesh out the melody. Groove comes last, and I usually try a few before I find the one that sticks.
AMP: What role does vulnerability play in your songwriting?
REBECCA: It’s huge. I find that the more vulnerable a song is, the more resistant I am to writing it and the more it connects with an audience.
AMP: Your recent singles are “Little Brute” and “Queen Mary II”. Can you give us a little insight into the tracks?
REBECCA: Yes! I wrote “Queen Mary II” during a lonely period – I was grieving a painful loss in my family, I had taken a step back from touring, I was thinking a lot about what I want my life to look like. “Queen Mary II” is kind of an honest answer to that question. What do I really, truly want? The first line, “I wanna eat carbs all day and all night,” made me giggle, but also says a lot: I don’t want to be stressed about food, or spend energy on the body image issues that lead many people to stress about food. I want to be happy and free.
I kept going from there, and ended up meditating on my great grandmother’s immigration from Sicily to America in the early 1900’s. She was 90 when I was born and died when I was six, so I remember spending time with her as a kid. It always amazes me that I, here in the 21st century, knew a woman born in the 1800’s, had a relationship with her.
“Little Brute” came to me quickly, I was reflecting on an interaction with a friend in which I lost my temper a bit. I didn’t get angry, just intense, and although we’d already had a good conversation about it and made repair, I was still marinating in my own guilt. I was alone in the car, humming a melody, and suddenly the melody had words, and suddenly this whole song poured out of me.
AMP: How did appearing on The Voice influence your artistic identity?
REBECCA: My biggest takeaway from being on The Voice is that it was absolutely terrifying. I learned what it was like to by judged for my art – by a television audience, by Hollywood producers, by lawyers, and costumers, and writers, and paid celebrity judges. It was so scary my entire body shook (you can hear it in my performance, it sounds like vibrato but nope it’s just my whole body trembling!).
As soon as I left and started performing normal concerts again, I realized that audiences at venues like the Cantean aren’t there to judge me – we’re all on the same team. They’re there because, like me, they believe that something special happens when we get together to share music and art and feelings. I haven’t had stage fright since.
AMP: What creative risks have had the biggest impact on your career?
REBECCA: Hmm… Going on the Voice, for sure. Also just the initial risk I took in deciding that, for some reason, I should get onstage and sing about my feelings. All the times I put my stuff in storage to move into my car to try to make it work (luckily it’s been awhile since those days but I’m glad I did it). Every time I go into the studio, put money on the line in the hopes that we’re able to conjur up some magic. A life in art is essentially gambling.
AMP: How do you approach creating emotional dynamics within a song?
REBECCA: I think contrast is key in almost every way. If the verses are low, go high in the chorus. If you’re verses are super zoomed in on details, use a broader theme in the chorus. Give people a place to land, space to breathe.
AMP: What have you learned about harmony and songwriting from collaborating with other strong singer-songwriters?
REBECCA: I have learned, over and over again, that community is the most important thing in any career. In any life. We are here for each other. The traveling circus family of touring folk singers is the most incredible group of people I’ve ever had the good fortune of walking amongst – we’re constantly sharing tips about venues, travel hacks, creative support. I’m also very lucky that my friends are amazing songwriters – I listen to their albums on the road and it makes me a better writer. Every day.
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