专辑简介

On the debut single from her self-titled EP, Joell Regal lets everybody know "I'm black... and that's where it's at!" The song is "So Black", and the statement is a reflection of memories about the culture she grew up with - being born in a project of Montgomery, Alabama, and raised in Birmingham. When she heard a man say to her… "You are SO black” one night at an open mic, four simple, yet powerful words became a catalyst for reflection on a past she has now grown to appreciate. With jazz & gospel music being played on her mother’s stereo, and the backdrop of the Civil Rights era still hanging in the air, pulling down shades of indie-soul, along with the cadence of hip-hop into her music was automatic. With the A-list cast Joell assembled to join her on this record, Dave Crenshaw, Lester Nuby III, and Matt Devine each pulled double... sometimes triple duty sessions to help create this new sound from one of Alabama's freshest singer-songwriters. The music of Joell Regal is equally influenced by Billie Holiday, Lauryn Hill and Alanis Morisette. Labels like "R&B" and "rock & roll" don't really define her, and to call her a rapper would also put restraints on the songs she writes and performs. Though powerful, melodic, diverse and independent may not be musical genres, they're great words to use when describing Joell Regal.