Regina Sayles is a queer biracial singer-songwriter who advocates for more representation within the music industry. Her latest single’s music video, One Big Lie, released on International Women’s Day and aims to create more visibility for women like her. Often donating to the Looking Out Foundation, she hopes to help other’s voices be heard. Beyond the music, Sayles is an educator and a mentor, working hard to uplift others and help them believe in themselves. With more new music along the way, we are surely in for a treat! Read on to learn more about Regina Sayles’ new music and what representation means to her.

Where are you based?
East Stroudsburg, PA

What inspired you to explore a career in the music industry?
I got into the music industry a little by accident. When I first graduated college, I was working as a substitute teacher in New Jersey and going into New York City for auditions. I had started gigging out as a solo, acoustic act in college just to pay the bills. Slowly but surely, I started auditioning less and gigging more. I formed a band with three musicians who were NYC based and started playing NYC venues like Arlene’s Grocery and the Bitter End. That started in 2004 and has continued to grow and evolved ever since. I’ve had various part-time jobs over the years, but since 2012, I have been working fulltime as a singer/songwriter.

Congratulations on the release of One Big Lie. Can you tell us more about the story behind this song?
Thank you! I picked up a writing prompt book off of my shelf one day in 2020 and flipped to a random page; the prompt said: “write about a time you felt dispensable.” I had a girlfriend who I had parted ways with post college. After we split, she started dating men, which was totally fine. The part I had a difficult time with was I became a secret. It was as if 2.5 years of our life together, which included living together, didn’t exist. Being out in the early 2000s was still really difficult, so I respected her position, it just felt really terrible, like our relationship was “one big lie.”

One Big Lie was released on International Women’s Day. How did that timing come about, and what significance does the day hold for you and this track?
Women come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and identities. As a biracial queer woman, I felt like releasing a video like this on international women’s days felt like I was creating visibility for women like me who may have found themselves in a similar position. In the music video for “One Big Lie,” I represent myself. The other actress in the video represents women who may feel torn between two worlds and who are struggling to be their authentic self. Two very different positions, but equally important.

Your previous single, For This Love, became an LGBTQ+ anthem. How does One Big Lie continue the message or expand on the themes of For This Love?
My hope with One Big Lie is that people will see the struggle that both of these women are going through. One trying to be her most authentic self, and the other refusing to be someone’s secret. Because of societal expectations, these are very real struggles in the queer community.

What advice do you give young artists who are trying to find their voice in an industry that often asks people to fit a mold?
If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. If it doesn’t feel right, ask yourself why it doesn’t feel right? Is it your own insecurity or something else? I have walked away from some opportunities that might have elevated my career, but ultimately didn’t feel right for me. It wasn’t that I was afraid to take a risk, you have to be willing to take risks in this business. I just didn’t want the risk to force me to be someone I’m not.

We heard that you are not just a performer but also an educator and mentor. How has teaching influenced the way you create and share your music?
I didn’t have a mentor when I was first starting to play and sing. I had some great teachers who supported me, but they were not doing the things that I wanted to do. I have my bachelor’s degree in theatre and a master’s degree in education. Between school and my life experiences as writer and a performer, I’ve learned a lot over the course of my career. My goal is always to help the young folks I teach and mentor to get to where they want to be faster than I did. Whether it’s music, advice, or just positive energy I’m always trying to put helpful things out into the world because I really believe that’s part of my job and I’m really passionate about it.

Can you tell us more about your work as an educator?
One of my collogues always says he “admires me as an artist but loves me because I have the heart of a teacher.” I think that might be one of the greatest compliments anyone has ever given me because it really embodies who I am at the core. The difference between being good at something and being great at something is confidence. I have had some of the most amazing singers come into my studio, but their lack of confidence is the thing that holds them back. As an educator part of my job is to help people believe in themselves. When I go to elementary schools each year and pump the kids up through familiar songs they know and talk to them about all tools they can use to become good people, I’m ultimately big cheerleader for their success, and they get it! I had a young man approach me a few years ago at one of my gigs and say, “I know you don’t remember me, but I was one of the kids you used to sing for in elementary school. I loved every year when you would come to our school and I’m in my second year of college to become a music teacher because of you.” That made me take a deep breath and fight back some serious tears! But in that moment, I knew I must be doing something right.

Your involvement with Brandi Carlile’s Looking Out Foundation is incredible. How did that connection come about, and what kind of impact do you hope to make through your work with the foundation?
I have never been directly involved in Brandi Carlile’s foundation, but I would love to be! I just periodically donate to the foundation and share its mission on social media because I love what they stand for and all the good they put out into the world.

How do you see the next generation of songwriters and producers changing the landscape of the music industry?
I 100% believe there will be more women and non-binary folks involved which makes me so happy. Representation matters and hearing music written and produced from those perspectives is exciting to me. I think the collaborative efforts of writers and producers working to diversify the room in all aspects of the creative process is going to speak through the music; I can’t wait!

You are deeply involved in advocacy for women and LGBTQ+ artists in the music industry. What changes would you like to see in the next five years to make the industry more inclusive?
Hire more women. Work with more women. Seek out perspectives that are different from your own and start asking questions. I learned studio production in my 30s. I encourage all young folks I work with, especially women to “learn how to push the buttons.” I relied on men for so long to do all the technical work instead of asking questions and figuring it out for myself. I am absolutely a better writer for learning how to do things myself. Not because I want to write, produce, mix and master all of my own music, but I understand the process now and know what to listen for and how to communicate.

Are there any upcoming projects you would like to share?
I’m currently releasing my new EP as singles. For This Love, Quiet Room and One Big Lie are out there on all the streaming platforms to listen to. I have another new single being released on May 12th called Toes. It’s a love song about my dog. I know that might make you laugh, but being a dog owner and losing a dog is such a universal experience, I needed to write a song about it. When I play this song live, people immediately ask me where they can listen to it, so I’m happy to release it soon, even though it always makes people cry!

It has been a crazy past few years, how have you been staying positive?
Honestly, sometimes I don’t stay positive, but I’m getting better at letting myself feel my feelings honestly. I find that fighting it just makes it worse. When I’m having a bad day, I let myself have a bad day. We have this thing in American culture urging us to go all the time and I think it does a lot more harm than good sometimes. Being a creative, you have to have some self-motivation for sure, but you also need to allow yourself some downtime. It’s easier for me to stay positive when I let myself go through periods of not feeling positive and also not making myself feel guilty for my own feelings.

What is your motto in life?
Be here now.

To learn more about Regina Sayles, please check out the links below:
www.reginasayles.com
Instagram: @reginasayles
YouTube: @reginasayles
Tiktok: @reginasayles0
Facebook: Regina Sayles Music

Regina Sayles - Helping Voices Be Heard