Meet JL Regal | Artist/Music Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with JL Regal and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi JL, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Taking a risk is the most terrifying yet necessary action an artist could take because you’re going against everything you thought you knew by challenging your ideation and interpretation. I took a risk a year or two ago by deleting 4 years of work, every song I’ve made up to that point because I felt like none of them possessed the substance of what it meant to be a reflection of me as an artist. I would rather start at the bottom, barely knowing who I am, than start at the top not knowing how I got there.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is simply a translation of what already exists, the energy that resides in all of us. The need for self-expression and existential exploration. I love my ability to see things for what they really are, seeing the beauty in what might not look like a lot in the beginning. I think sometimes as artists, we can get caught up on why things aren’t as they could be when that’s not what creation is about, it’s about seeing things as they are and existing in the now. But to get there, you need to put in the sleepless nights, the constant research, the re-evaluations. Nothing of substance can be made overnight, that’s why I spend that time perfecting my craft. I think the only thing that I’d want people to know now to the day I pass, is that I knew myself. Regardless of circumstance, position, or ability. That I knew what it meant to be me in every facet possible. There’s no such thing as a perfect artist and I don’t strive to be that, just a different interpretation.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a Southern boy, so the first thing I’d do with a friend is go out to eat, I feel like eating with someone is the best way to understand them because you participating in an act needed for survival, so it brings you both to the same level for the ability to understand each other. I also love getting lost, whether in a car by driving in a certain direction for a random amount of time or on foot and losing myself in nature. By doing that, I’ve found different art museums =, bars, people, and experiences I would’ve never found before.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d say one of the most important figures in my life as a mentor, an inspiration, a reason to keep going would be my mother. She’s the person that taught me how to hone in my artistic process as a child. Giving me everything I needed, as needed so I could express myself the way I do today. From keyboards and amps to wisdom and perspective. Everything mattered, everything stuck. Without that foundation, I would’ve surely collapsed.

Website: https://lnk.bio/jlregal

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jlregal/?next=%2F

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jlregal

Image Credits
Jonathan Redmond Anna Fletcher