Interview with singer songwriter Robert Deeble.
Born in 1966 in Long Beach, California, Robert cut his teeth as a songwriter in the gritty
underground of the LBC, which introduced him to longtime collaborators like drummer Stephen
Hodges (Mike Watt/Tom Waits) and folk heroine Victoria Williams, who helped launch his early
records. His 1998 release, EarthSide Down, earned notice for its orchestral textures and spirit-
infused lyrics—reminiscent of Leonard Cohen and Nick Drake. By his third album, Paste had
described him as “truly an arresting talent, able to gain entry to places rarely imagined by most
songwriters. Following his This Bar Has No One Left EP in 2005, Deeble completed a Master’s
degree in psychology—a journey that has deeply informed his songwriting and emotional
perspective. His 2012 album Heart Like Feathers marked his musical return, with themes of
depression and struggle but with “a redemptive hope that brought glimmers of light (Performer
Magazine).” Robert emerged again in 2018, with one of his more personal works, Beloved. Born
from his experience of fostering and then adopting a child with his wife, the album captures the
agony and tenderness of temporarily caring for a child, the heartbreak of letting her go, and,
finally, becoming her parent. Robert’s recordings over the years have featured such industry
veterans as Rachel Blumberg (The Decemberists), Jen Wood (The Postal Service), Tomo
Nakayama and others. He has shared bills with artists such as Low, IDA, Jason Molina, Sam
Phillips, M. Ward, Over the Rhine, Mike Watt, Damien Jurado, David Bazan and Victoria
Williams.
The Space Between Us shows Deeble to be a craftsman of understated, emotionally resonant
songwriting. Or as Bandcamp put it, "Every new record from Seattle musician Robert Deeble is
like stumbling across some secret grotto.
https://robertdeeble.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Deeble
https://robertdeeble.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.instagram.com/rdeeble/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/robert.deeble.music/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/42LPbMxQThbZsibL4OdqMZ