It's rare that you meet an artist whose personality is as energetic as their music. Clocking in at over 140 beats per minute, Debbie Loeb's debut single "Faraway" is a poetic fairy tale that's as intelligent as it is energetic. If her last name sounds familiar, you might remember her sister Lisa, who achieved a number one record as an unsigned artist with "Stay (I Missed You)" Or maybe you saw them both on the hit reality show #1 Single.
DJ Ron Slomowicz: So how does a Berkeley graduate end up making dance records?
Debbie Loeb: Dance music goes perfectly with the way I like to
express myself. It's very action-packed with a lot of energy. I love
dance music that has a melody. I grew up in Dallas and I started
studying classical piano at six years old. About that time I started
with ballet and went on to modern and jazz, so I have been trained
classically my entire life with all forms of dance and music. With
dance music you can integrate movement, music, and entertainment all
at the same time, which is why I love it.
RS: I'm dying to see you perform live. Have you been doing any
club shows off of this?
Debbie Loeb: I am hoping to start doing club shows, so the more
radio play I can get the sooner it'll be that I can start performing.
RS: Satellite radio has been playing "Faraway" a lot!
Debbie Loeb: Satellite radio, both XM and Sirius, have been so
supportive, it's really exciting. It's been the most requested, from
different nights on Sirius and it hit number two on BPM/CM. It's
totally exciting when I'm driving around in my car and hearing it and
seeing my name, and almost crashing my car.
RS: So what was it like the first time you heard it on satellite radio?
Debbie Loeb: I was driving to my parents' house in Dallas to meet my
sister Lisa who was in town and I heard Sky say "we're going to be
playing the new song by Debbie Loeb," and I literally almost crashed
in to the car in front of me - I was getting on to the highway. I
drove home and waited in the driveway. My sister got out of her taxi
before even going inside because she'd just come from the airport, and
I had to pee really badly but I sat in the car and waited with her.
Then it came on and it was really exciting! We took a picture of the
receiver because my name came up with the song.
RS: That's so adorable!
Debbie Loeb: Then we ran inside and both went to the bathroom in celebration.
RS: That's so incredibly real. I wanted to ask you about being
on the show "#1 Single" with Lisa, how real is reality TV?
Debbie Loeb: Reality TV is real but they can't follow you doing
every single thing of your life, so it's as real as what they catch.
That's why they have to keep the cameras on as long so they can to see
things developing and get those special moments when things actually
happen. So I think it's pretty real.
RS: One thing I really like about the show is that you're both
showing different viewpoints as independent Jewish single women. Was
that something that came in to your mind when you agreed to do the TV
show?
Debbie Loeb: Yes it was, how women and men perceive dating and being
single - there are lots of different viewpoints. I think one of the
most important viewpoints is that there are lots of men, it's just
choosing them. It's not this old myth about there are not being
enough guys. There are guys everywhere, it's just about choosing them
and really being strong about who you are, begin open-minded but being
able to be independent. This might not always come across in this
show, but I think it's important to know what you like to do and love
it and then try to meet somebody.
RS: Another viewpoint is that tragic horrible stereotype of
Jewish women as JAPs (Jewish American Princesses) – I love that you
both were able to project positive role models, breaking that
stereotype.
Debbie Loeb: We both work really hard. I love to work and I'm not
happy unless I'm working, which I guess is the opposite of that word.
You know what's just so weird, there are a lot of Jewish people on
television, but when you turn on drama and soap operas you never see
them celebrating Hanukkah, they're always celebrating Christmas. So
it's like, "well where are the Jewish people?" Well, they are writing
the shows! Oh, they're on the sitcoms. So this is a good change to
have a reality show with Jewish people in it, it was quite fun.
