New York City-based singer-songwriter Jon Regen’s new single, “Even If the World Falls Down” is out June 21 via JRM/Symphonic. At times reminiscent of Elvis Costello’s most soulful work (think: “Everyday I Write the Book”) with hints of Night and Day-era Joe Jackson, the track’s spare, straightforward lyrical and musical approach demonstrate Regen’s full mastery of hook and texture.
“It kind of came together out of the blue,” says Regen, reflecting on the tune’s origins. “I always say that songs come from strange places. Sometimes young songwriters will say to me, ‘How do you write a song?’ and I say, ‘You’re alwayswriting a song. Things just fall out of the air.’”
In this case, Regen found himself inspired by a new piano he’d purchased for his studio. “Right after it arrived, I came up with this kind of rolling piano line, so I set up my mics and recorded it. Then I programmed a beat on my MPC drum machine and the chorus just popped out. Songs do sometimes write themselves if you’re listening!”
The raw demo sat around for a while and Regen played it for friends to get feedback. “It was mostly there,” he says, “but not quite. I played it for my pal Rob Thomas who said, ‘I DO like that chorus.’” I thought, ‘I must be onto something.’”
But the song wasn’t finished until Regen met producer/multi-instrumentalist Otis McDonald (Aloe Blacc, Eric Krasno) through Instagram. “He’s an amazing musician,” Regen explains. “I watched his videos thought, ‘Wow, this guy plays everything. Maybe he’d be into collaborating.’ I sent him the demo and Otis replied, ‘Oh, the chorus starts first. I love it. It’s like ‘She Loves You’ by the Beatles.’ Not a bad comparison to start with, I thought.”
“When Otis sent me his version of the song after working on it, I was amazed,” Regen says. “He played drums and bass and those great bell parts. It was like the song had sprung to life. The best collaborations push you into places you didn’t know you’d go. What Otis did gave me the gumption to finish the lyrics and add those Wurlitzer and organ parts. So from an unfinished demo came this really nice addition to my catalog, which seems to be making people smile.”
