Missing Wiba
An inside look and conversation with Burbank’s most beloved Indie DIY artist
Photography, Interview & Profile by Maleah Pasasouk
Based in Highland Park, Los Angeles


Through his loveable, dreamy indie chords, Marc Mangabat, also known as Missing Wiba has made a name for himself through his approach to Indie music, drawing crowds into the heartfelt worlds he creates through songs that derive from his experiences. Recognizable to many, “My Love” is a two-minute song about ending up with his love, though not entirely name-able, Wiba sings of devotion through and through.  

Embodying the artistry of DIY, Marc embodies unit-like capability, as he single-handedly manages production, merch, streaming platforms, promotion, and finally performing all of his work. Whether it be the backyard of a Silverlake home or the stage at the Lodge Room in Highland Park, one thing to take into conscious account is that Marc truly did it all himself.  Showing why he is one to keep a heavy eye on. 



During my 6-hour-long visit, Marc truly gave me the tour of all tours. His bedroom goes in hand with his personality and displays his varying interests. Marc is the type of guy who if it’s not decorated, covered in stickers, pinned, or customized with his original graphics, you go to wonder just how important said item of his may be. 




So what makes Missing Wiba... Missing Wiba?


Missing Wiba is very centered around my life.  Unless I need help, I always try to do things myself. I mainly write about my feelings towards things, and my friends, and my stories. It’s really difficult to share that with other people (as in writing songs with others) and it’s super intimate. 

Having people be like “Maybe you should edit that” or “You should edit this”, I’m just like... I can’t. Each part of the story has to be there. That’s what I experienced.  Along with making art, I can’t come to make art, whether commissioned or for me, without having a reason to make it for myself.   

Your music displays lots of story-telling, I wanted to ask what’s the most recent story of yours that sparked up the idea to make a song or art? 

There’s one project that I have where I wrote a lot about a specific person and how my experiences with them this summer. 

Summer fling... Summer situation?  
What’s like below situationship....?

I feel like when it comes to these things it’s more just like if I can think back to summer and think 
about this person only, that person was my summer
Then yeah this was my summer.  I wrote about summer 2023, that was an important time for me and I wrote songs for a lot of how I was feeling.  I’ve also been working on a little project about Magnolia St.  It’s basically all thrift and vintage stores, I just love the community of Burbank.  It’s a big appreciation for the strip and the community as a whole.




Why indie music of all Genres?



I think Indie primarily because I tend to listen to it a lot (as Mac Demarco’s "My Kind of Woman" plays on Marc’s bedroom speaker). I’m very inspired by many Indie musicians. A lot of them record at home, self-record, and frankly, it’s just good for me.

If not Indie, then also just like Indie because of the real definition of independent. At this moment, I am an independent artist. I find myself doing many things by myself, like publishing and making the music. Eventually, I do want to be on a label because a lot of things I worry about I don’t want to have to focus on, like having my music distributed to Spotify and all the other streaming services.
And you take that all on your own right now?
Yeah man it sucks sometimes, I can’t wait to be in a position where I’m just like “Here’s the song! Here’s the cover art! Do the rest!”. 
But if not Indie, I consider myself either Folk or Alternative. 





How do you manage to get a pumped-up and as interactive as possible crowd when performing?
 I’ve been to a lot of shows and I’ve just been sitting there bored in the crowd. You can listen to a song you know, but when you go to someone and see them live you’re watching them perform. The crowd is gonna hear the song, they might even know it already, so might as well try and be as entertaining as possible. 
 I try to make everybody in the room as comfortable as possible so they can laugh, dance, or even talk to their friends. At the end of the day, I don’t think a lot of people go to shows and are like “Oh yeah! Those scales were really good, and those keys were nice!” you know? They just remember they felt happy. 


Ah! Oh my god, I hate when the crowd is not feeling it cause then I'm not feeling it.

It’s like everyone is NPC city
Dude. One time I was playing a show and this girl was literally sitting down in front of me scrolling on her phone! I was like come on... I’m right in front of you! You’re at a show! 

Sometimes people come up to me and they’re like “You’re talented musically, but you should also try comedy”.  I’ve heard that multiple times and I’m just like wow that’s beautiful lol. 

So you like that?
A lot of people say my music is goofy, and I understand when I have a song called “Batman vs Spiderman” You know, I’m not too offended but it’s fun! It’s supposed to be fun and I’m enjoying myself. 




Are there any notable artists whom you take inspiration from? 

Mac Demarco is the big main one for sure! From his stage presence and what I’ve seen through interviews of his, you can just tell he’s such a gentle and chill admirable figure. I love his sound too, I have a vibrato pedal myself and I also own a Stratocaster. 

Second to that, probably Kurt Cobain.  He’s just so cool man. I think everybody should have a Kurt Cobain or Nirvana phase. I love Rockabilly, I love 50s, I love Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley,  and stuff like that. 




What do you see for yourself in the future through your music and artistry?

 In the future I want to tour, play more shows, and in all I want to be more official. I want my name to be more household, I want to get to a type of deal where you walk into a record store and you find the Missing Wiba file. I hope that the umbrella of music takes me to a lot more different types of art too.  Like Courtney Love is not only a musician but also an actress and shit. 

It can be a turn-off for people to hear that I want to do creative work, so I resort to “I do music”, which always seems to get the response of “Oh, okay”. It’s kind of energy-draining to hear others’ opinions on what I should be doing with my life.  I love making music but it’s not just music I enjoy, it’s art in general, and creating and working with great people.


 “I don’t want to be old and just have a box of Missing Wiba stuff and be like “Remember the days?” [insert old person voice]. I want to be like Yup! That’s me! I’m that person! I’ve been that person!”



Pre and Post Missing Wiba interview, Marc has always carried a fascinating aura to him. Deemed incredibly admirable, there’s a warm feeling knowing there are refreshing artists out there, but how Marc differs comes down to his entire being. His authenticity seeps speedily and shines like no other, his character and intentions are unquestionable.

In the realm of artistic pursuits, driven creatives are commonplace, but throughout all of the searching, Marc is a standout. Through the process of “trusting it all”, trying various mediums, and crafting an art style like no other, the knowledge in itself is what makes Wiba unique. The blend of self-assurance, passion, and care for each minuscule detail of his craft grants the irrefutable pathway to Missing Wiba’s success and the continuation of it for years to come. 




Photoshoot & more