Interview with Singer-Songwriter Regina Pimentel
Regina Pimentel By Emily Copeland
Regina Pimentel is an artist that you are about to hear more of if you haven’t already. Pimentel, though young, is extremely talented when it comes to her craft. She currently has over 19,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. I got to chat with Regina Pimentel about her journey and what she hopes to achieve in the future. Continue reading to hear about where she gets inspiration from and more.
Where are you from and what do you do?
“I live in California. I go to college at Cal State San Marcos and I am studying Kinesiology. Sometimes on the side, I do music and I post about my music mostly on Tik Tok. That is where most of my audience is from.”
When did you first realize you wanted to get involved in music?
“Growing up my family and I would always do karaoke nights and was always fun to sing. I started to do choir in middle school and then high school. I would sing with my friends and would do covers and it would be a really silly thing. Eventually, I really liked the idea of making my own songs. I started writing songs when I was around 13. I’ve always really connected with music in that way and it just makes me feel like that’s where I can really connect with my own emotions. I think I was always into it growing up.”
What artists do you get inspiration from?
“I definitely get a lot of inspiration from Phoebe Bridgers, I absolutely love her music, and she’s a huge inspiration to me. I also like a lot of Elliot Smith.”
Can you tell me about your most recent single “June”?
“So, I started writing that around a year ago. I was talking to someone I am really close to about his experience of feeling betrayed by someone that he never thought would hurt him. We just talked to each other about our own experiences and that just sparked the whole idea of the song. It made me want to turn all the hurt and anger into something that I could like. As I was making the song I really liked the idea and sound of the orchestral string. I reached out to someone on Fiver and they helped make something amazing.”
What made you want to explore the Indie/Folk genre of music?
“Listening to artists like Phoebe Bridgers and even Levi Roth, I just absolutely love that sound. It’s the genre that makes me feel the most connected. I love the sound of violins and acoustic guitars. It all just feels so raw and I love that.”
What naturally comes first for you when making a song, lyrics or the sound?
“Honestly, it depends. Mostly I just start playing with chords on my guitar and when I come up with a really nice chord progression then I start making the melody. After that, I’ll write the lyrics. Other times I’ll just be feeling a lot and start writing in my notes on my phone.”
If you could collaborate with any artist who would it be?
“Phoebe Bridgers for sure. Also, beabadoobee, she’s amazing. For huge artists Taylor Swift for sure.”
What would you say has been the highlight of your music career so far?
“The fact that I recently got my song put onto a Spotify playlist. I’ve never done or been on anything like that before so that was huge to me.”
Where do you see yourself taking your artistry next?
“I am just going with the flow right now. I don’t usually perform outside of recording and posting covers. But I would love to, I think that is something I would really enjoy. Maybe doing shows.”
Is there anything you would like to leave our readers with?
“If you are feeling like you want to get your emotions out there or just start creating music, writing poetry, or anything like that go for it. I used to be so scared of doing that and showing those sides of myself. I think it’s important to connect with yourself and to be vulnerable sometimes. It’s a good thing.”
Listen below to some of Regina’s top tracks!