Podcast Summary: All Of It — "Marc Rebillet Previews Blue Note Residency"

Podcast: All Of It
Host: David Furst (in for Alison Stewart) | WNYC
Guest: Marc Rebillet
Date: September 24, 2024
Main Theme: An in-depth conversation with Marc Rebillet—known as "Loop Daddy"—about his improvised musical style, his new studio single "Vibes All Right," and his upcoming sold-out residency at New York's Blue Note Jazz Club.

Overview

Electronic musician Marc Rebillet sits down with guest host David Furst to discuss his journey from bar gigs in Dallas to viral fame and international tours, culminating in an eight-show residency at Blue Note. The discussion spans his creative process, transition into studio recording, his audience dynamics, and aspirations for future projects—including inspiring kids' creativity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. From Dallas Beginnings to Global Stages

• Dallas Roots: Marc reflects on his early career playing for unsuspecting audiences in Dallas restaurants and bars. He credits these experiences for honing his skills and style:
  • “The people there gave me my first jobs doing this ever and supported me, you know, for the first time. And without that, I wouldn't have been able to cut my teeth… for unsuspecting audiences who often didn’t want to see me.” (05:39)
• Learning to Win Over Audiences: These small gigs taught him how to draw attention and adapt his performance on the fly—skills that remain foundational.
  • “It pushes your instincts and makes you think about just how to get to a creative place in as many different ways as possible and how to draw people in…” (06:41)

2. Life on Tour and Audience Energy

• International Tour Energy: Rebillet describes European audiences as “much more eager to scream at you, throw things at you in a loving way…a lot of vocal enthusiasm and chanting things that make you feel validated...” (03:37)
• Returning to New York as Home: Having lived in New York for some time, Marc now feels a homecoming when playing in the city. (05:39)

3. Creative Process and Performance Style

Improvisation on Stage

• Live Looping: Nearly all of Marc’s live shows are fully improvised, with no set list or predetermined ideas:
  • “I go on stage with absolutely nothing, really. No set list, no ideas…I might come on stage with the tiniest thought or phrase or whatever. But really, outside of that, that’s it.” (13:00)
• Adapting to the Crowd: He highlights the need for flexibility, feeding off audience energy—whether enthusiastic or reserved—to shape the performance in real time. (17:36, 18:51)

Transitioning to Studio Production

• First Studio Single—"Vibes All Right": Marc discusses the major shift from live improvisation to working in a studio for his latest track, collaborating with producer Jake Portrait (Unknown Mortal Orchestra).
  • “It was an attempt to do a thing that, you know, I’ve wanted to do for a long time…trying to traditionally compose tracks…This was a way to sort of get back in the studio.” (08:36)
• Blending Live and Studio Approaches: The studio process sought to retain a "spontaneous, imperfect feel" by first recording live jams, then editing and elaborating on them. (09:45-10:23)
• Studio vs. Stage: Marc finds studio work allows for deeper tinkering and precision, but can also lead to overthinking—a counterpoint to his on-the-spot creativity on stage. (13:54, 15:17)

The Meaning of "Vibes All Right"

• The phrase emerged from a spontaneous voice note: “It just sounds good. It has no real meaning. Like most of what I do, it just. It sounds good.” (15:27)
• Represents a “summer vibe,” a feeling of cruising or chilling, not something deeply symbolic but more about mood. (15:27)

4. Blue Note Residency: An Intimate Experiment

• Format: Four nights, two shows per evening, all shows sold out. (16:50)
• Venue Difference: Blue Note's small, seated space will push Marc into new performance territory:
  • “It’s so small and seated, which is really not the way I usually play…I might sit down. I never thought I’d say this before, but I could take a seat.” (19:31)
  • He expects to focus more on singing and audience conversation than his typical high-energy antics.

5. Off-Stage Life and Future Ambitions

Life Beyond Performance

• Marc describes himself as “quite a relaxed person off stage," enjoying downtime, photography, riding an electric unicycle, and reading (currently The Count of Monte Cristo). (04:37, 21:11-21:49)

Creative Plans and Aspirations

• More Studio Work: He is continuing his studio experiments, both with Jake Portrait and independently. (21:52)
• Kids’ Creative Projects: Inspired by his interactions with children (“the most successful clips have been stuff with kids”), he’s considering ways to harness their creativity, possibly developing a children’s show or workshop concept.
  • “I can see this thing where I’m like helping kids unlock a creative side to them... I’m really feeling this idea of like a kid’s show or some sort of thing like that.” (22:00-23:36)
• Using Influence for Good: When asked what he’d do with unlimited resources, Marc says he'd want to help people and use his platform constructively, especially to inspire kids’ creativity, rather than just commercial projects or more shows. (27:16-28:35)

6. Family Influence and Motivation

• Father’s Support: Marc shares how his late father’s relentless support was both inspiring and, at times, “annoying,” yet pivotal in motivating him to pursue performing seriously:
  • “He was so dogged…so relentless in his suggestions that I be on stage, be performing...He was just like many, many years ahead of me…It’s my way of sort of, you know, honoring him and keeping that alive.” (24:12-26:44)
• Marc’s affirmational musical style echoes this support, as he channels his father’s encouragement into his own motivating lyrics. (26:48)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On European crowds:
  “They’re much more eager to scream at you, throw things at you in a loving way.” – Marc Rebillet (03:37)
• On improvising:
  “I go on stage with absolutely nothing, really. No set list, no ideas…I might come on stage with the tiniest thought or phrase or whatever. But really, outside of that, that’s it.” – Marc Rebillet (13:00)
• On performing at Blue Note:
  “I might sit down. I never thought I’d say this before, but I could take a seat.” – Marc Rebillet (19:38)
• On father’s advice:
  “He was just like many, many years ahead of me. And I needed. I needed to live a lot of life before I really took that to heart and, like, started trying. But…having that in there has been…instrumental in my ability to motivate myself, stay inspired.” – Marc Rebillet (24:12)
• On future ambitions:
  “Right now I feel a very intense urge to do something really constructive and helpful with this…bit of influence I have…I really would love to use that constructively to, like, help people in some way. I don’t know how that is.” – Marc Rebillet (27:16)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Marc on European Tour / Crowd energy: 03:29 – 04:22
• Dallas beginnings and learning performance: 05:18 – 07:26
• Improvisation and creative approach: 13:00 – 13:37
• Transition to studio work & "Vibes All Right": 08:18 – 10:23
• Discussing Blue Note residency & difference in vibe: 16:50 – 20:13
• Life offstage and new creative directions (kids-inspired projects): 21:11 – 23:36
• Reflections on father’s support and legacy: 24:00 – 26:48
• What Marc would do with unlimited resources: 27:16 – 28:35

Tone and Style

The conversation is candid, playful, and thoughtful—mirroring Marc's performance persona, but revealing a more introspective and community-minded side. There’s a focus on openness, creative risk-taking, and a desire to connect meaningfully with both his audience and the next generation.