Jon Regen is no stranger to the power of the pop song. The New York-based singer, songwriter, and pianist has released critically acclaimed albums independently, written songs with hit makers like Rob Thomas (Matchbox Twenty) and Dan Wilson (Adele, Taylor Swift), and recorded with artists like Andy Summers of the Police and Benmont Tench from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. But even a veteran musician like Regen was surprised at the recent acclaim his new song “All the Same” garnered after he posted it online. BLOUIN ARTINFO talked to him about the story behind his new offering.“All the Same” has got a lot of attention since you shared it online just a few weeks ago. How did it come to life?I was sitting in my apartment in New York City during a heatwave that was engulfing the US. So I was basically a captive audience to the 24-hour news cycle. And between the insanity of the American election, the horror of the shootings of black men by the police, and then the equally horrendous murder of police officers, it really seemed like the world I knew was coming apart. I was sitting at my Steinway and my hands just fell onto the plaintive chord progression that the song is based around. That’s when the phrase “We’re all the same” came out. And the song basically wrote itself from there. It came from my gut.How did the song go from paper to Internet talking point?It happened within a matter of hours, really, which just shows you the speed at which the music business moves these days. I wrote the song without any attempt to be political or topical. In fact, it’s the first topical song I’ve ever written. I was really just writing from my heart, thinking, “things are beyond out of control. What happened to the lessons our parents taught us, like respect and concern for others?” Between the election here, terror around the world, and the gun violence across the US, I was really just writing a rallying cry, if only to myself, saying, “For the love of God, can we stop killing each other?!”After I wrote the song, I recorded it in my New York City apartment, which doubles as my recording studio. I tracked the song myself, playing piano to an old Casio drum machine, then singing all the vocal parts live into my favorite microphone, a vintage Neumann U47 that once lived in John Lennon’s UK studio. I finished the song by adding some extra keyboard parts as well. And so I was happy with the final product, and I thought to myself that it would serve as a good document of the song, or a demo for my next album. I played it for some friends and family, and the response was really positive. My buddy Rob Thomas heard it and really liked it. That made me think I might be onto something.The day after I finished it, I saw a Facebook post by my friend Kim Bullard who plays keyboards in Elton John’s band. He was caught in the aftermath of the terrible massacre in Nice, France. His post about another senseless act of violence made me want to share my song with people, raw as it still was. I felt like maybe there were other people out there that felt like I did. So I decided to post it online.Is that when you decided to make a video for it?Yes. I thought that if I just share a song link, nobody will take the time to listen to it. We live in a world where people get distracted in the middle of typing a Tweet! So I thought that the only way the song would ever be heard was if there was a video for it. But I was alone in my apartment with no one else to help to me shoot a video. So I stuck my iPhone on a makeshift tripod, sang the song into the selfie lens, and taught myself how to edit a movie in about 12 minutes. And that’s how the video for the song was born.Soon after, I showed it to a few musician friends like Julian Lennon, Ryan Star, and Mitchell Froom, the producer of my last album “Stop Time.” They convinced me to share it. So I posted it online to Facebook and later to YouTube.How long after you shared the video online did you start to realize it was being shared around the world?It had a few hundred views by the time I went to sleep. The next day it was at 4,000 views. And people kept sharing it. The day after that it was at 20,000 views. Then 50,000. And it just kept growing.What kinds of responses have you received about the song?It’s been incredible knowing that something I recorded in my apartment has moved people around the world. I’ve gotten countless messages on Facebook and by email, even kind notes from some of my musical heroes that they were affected by the song. And that’s gratifying, because whatever your race or religion or political viewpoint, we’re all human beings and we need to remember that and respect each other.Are you planning on releasing it commercially?Right now, I just want the message to be heard. This song has made me re-examine what I want my next album to be about, and what kinds of songs I’d like to have on it.As someone who is familiar with your past work, this new song sounds familiar yet fresh.Well, I think there are some stylistic hallmarks in my music that are imprinted in my DNA at this point! I have a certain style on the piano, and a certain way I phrase as a singer. Also on this one, I dragged out my trusted Casio MT-68 keyboard and used the drum machine. That’s the same one I used on my song “Revolution” from 2012.Many people know you from your career as a jazz pianist with the likes of Jimmy Scott and Kyle Eastwood. But you then made the jump to singer/songwriter pop. How did that happen?That’s right. I started my career as an instrumental accompanist to jazz artists, and I released a number of jazz albums as a leader myself. But around a decade ago, I was looking for a way to tell my own story, which I found by combining the harmonies and freedom of jazz with the economy and emotional component of pop music. I also had to learn how to sing!You weren’t singing much before your career as a singer and songwriter?I was nearly 30 before I started to sing professionally on gigs. And I’m still learning!What’s next for you?I’m hitting the road with my band for shows across Europe and the US. And I’m continuing to write new songs for what will be my next album. This song has been a great catalyst to help jump start that project.View the YouTube video below, or click here to view it on Facebook.
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