Rebecca Loebe: “Swallowed By The Sea”
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NBC’s music competition show The Voice has introduced the world to a lot of aspiring musicians, but the hosts were oddly baffled by Rebecca Loebe. Last season she revealed to superstar judges Adam Levine and Christina Aguilera that she makes a living by booking, driving to, and performing at small club gigs across the country, all by herself. Yes, superstars, there are other ways to live a musical life, and Loebe is testament to that fact. On September 18, she’ll release Circus Heart, her third album of doing things her own way.
Loebe grew up in Atlanta as a big fan of ’60s girl groups like the Ronettes and the Shangri-Las, and she took her love of music to Berklee where she earned a degree in audio engineering. Her DIY ethos has served her well over the years: Loebe released her fan-funded second album Mystery Prize in 2010, years before Kickstarter was around, and it went on to spend nine weeks on the Americana Top 40 chart. The young singer-songwriter lived out of her car for months before moving to Austin where she makes a natural home with a lot of like-minded peers. Even her song choice for The Voice audition–Nirvana’s “Come As You Are”–reflects Loebe’s personal conviction.
On Circus Heart (produced by Austin’s Matt The Electrician), Loebe lets her pop smarts bubble to the surface. Past work has had a decidedly country and folk feel, but she trades the pedal steel and upright bass for electric guitars this time. Still, there’s a commitment to her craft, as evidenced by today’s song of the day, “Swallowed By The Sea.” Sparked by her performance on The Voice, Loebe decided to write about her itinerant lifestyle. What results is an honest song from an artist who’s not afraid to blaze her own path, no matter how bumpy the road.
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