Regina Spektor’s playlist

Regina Spektor had a revelation that changed her life and she tells me it came in form of a cassette tape.

“You know, I only realized that I could write songs as a job when I was 16,” Regina remembers.

“I realized it after a friend of mine made me a cassette tape that had Ani DiFranco and Joni Mitchell on it.”

The 37 year-old Russian-born pianist who began her classical training at age 6 credits that mix tape for giving her the courage and ambition to pursue a career in music.

“It’s an interesting phenomenon. Why does a female need to see another female do something in order to realize that she’s capable of doing it? It’s funny. Before those two women, I just didn’t think it was possible to make a living from music. And I’m not thaaat stupid,” she laughs.

Since her epiphany, Regina has released 7 albums including her latest, Remember Us to Life, her first release since 2012’s What We Saw From The Cheap Seats, which debuted at No.3 on the Billboard Album Chart.

Regina also recently contributed a cover of The Beatle’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” for the animated movie Kubo and the Two Strings featuring the voices of Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey, George Takei, Ralph Fiennes and Rooney Mara.

This isn’t Regina’s first soundtrack involvement. She penned “You’ve Got Time,” the main-title theme song to Netflix’s massive hit series Orange is the New Black, and the tune earned her a 2014 Grammy nomination.

Though Regina has been recording music professionally since the year 2000, it was only after the release of her forth album, 2005’s gold record Begin to Hope, that she found fame and stardom.

The album’s singles “Fidelity,” “On the Radio,” “Better” and “Samson” found major TV placement in hit shows including Criminal Minds and Grey’s Anatomy, and secured her place in the music industry.

“Oh, the music industry,” Regina laughs. “Growing up, I was their biggest nightmare. I didn’t have money to buy music, so all I had were mix tapes and burnt CDs.”

Looking back at her formative years, Regina has made a playlist of tunes found on her that inspiring mix tape.

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Doctor Robert – The Beatles

California – Joni Mitchell

Both Hands – Ani DiFranco

Strange Fruit – Billie Holiday

Running Up that Hill (A Deal With God) – Kate Bush

Kubo and the Two Strings Original Motion Picture Soundtrack featuring Regina’s cover of The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is available on iTunes now. Her new album Remember Us to Life is on iTunes here.

Regina kicks off her North American tour in Montreal on Sunday, March 5. See tour dates below. Join Regina on facebook and visit her official site for updates.

March 5 – Montreal, QC – Metropolis
March 6 – Providence, RI – Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel
March 8 – Boston, MA – Orpheum Theatre
March 9 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
March 11 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall
March 13 – Philadelphia, PA – Fillmore
March 14 – Washington, DC – DAR Constitution Hall
March 16 – Atlanta, GA – The Tabernacle
March 17 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore
March 20 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
March 23 – Detroit, MI – Fillmore
March 24 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theater
March 26 – St. Paul, MN – The Palace
March 29 – Denver, CO – Fillmore
March 31 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex (Rockwell)
April 2 – Portland, OR – Keller Auditorium
April 3 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
April 7 – Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre

Posted by Marc Andrew on Feb 22 2017. Filed under Celebrity Playlist. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.