Episode 33 – Regi Drake
Regi Drake is a guitarist, session musician, producer and vocalist from St. Louis, Missouri. He was raised in a musical family and started his journey by singing. His gaze was then shifted when his uncle presented him with an acoustic guitar on his 7th birthday. He spent the next few years familiarizing and teaching himself guitar, inspired by artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Lenny Kravitz, Prince, Tom Morello and more.
As he grew, Regi gained a deeper appreciation for R&B, Funk, Hip-Hop, Jazz and Rock. He eventually was hired at a young age for personal performances, from small Neo soul nights at local clubs, to opening for acts such as India Arie, Bilal, and the Zapp Band.
Regi attended college at Columbia College Chicago where he studied a Bachelor of Music in Contemporary Urban Popular Music. He played in various projects of different genres, which led him to create his own project, Lofts, an alternative rock quintet. His time at Columbia also brought opportunities to work at various recording studios, masterclasses with artists such as Paula Cole and Lisa Fischer, and to study abroad at the esteemed Popakademie of Mannheim, Germany.
Before quarantine, Regi toured with singer-songwriter, Alice Merton who appeared on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart, Top Ten in 9 countries, and received 7 Platinum Awards for her debut single, “No Roots”. Regi is also working with his group, Lofts in Seattle.