Regina Zernay
Encyclopedia
Regina Zernay Roberts is an American
instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter
. She plays bass guitar
and Moog synthesizer
with Scarlet Fever
, the all-female band touring with Cee Lo Green. She toured several years in the New Orleans cowpunk
band, Cowboy Mouth
; was founding bassist/singer of Los Angeles
punk rock
band, Méchant
; and was bassist for the hard rock
band, Halfcocked
.
village.
She is the first born child of Polish and Filipino
parents.
After moving to La Puente
in Los Angeles County, California
, she graduated from Nogales High School and Azusa Pacific University
. She married Darren Roberts in 2009.
She began playing guitar at age 11, inspired by (her “first love as a teenager”) Duran Duran
. In high school, friends needed a bass guitarist for their band, her mother bought her one for Christmas, and she “totally fell in love with it.” Although she is left-handed, she plays a standard right-handed instrument.
After high school, she did her first West Coast
tour for two weeks with a band in small pickup, often in difficult living conditions; but nothing made her happier than playing bass. She polished her craft playing with many bands, in small clubs and venues throughout Southern California
, sometimes three bands concurrently.
, in high school she played music by Social Distortion
, the Dead Kennedys
, Black Flag
, Agent Orange
, The Toy Dolls, and The Ramones.
Later role models include John Paul Jones
of Led Zeppelin
, and Ben Shepherd
from Soundgarden
.
), Ten Pound Troy, The Syrups, and Red Delicious.
In 2001, she joined hard rock
band Halfcocked
(on the Dreamworks
imprint Megatronic Records) during their final tour.
She also performed with hip hop
/rock band Jam Balaya, appearing on two episodes of Half & Half
in 2005.
She was featured as the front-cover Bass Quarterly interview for the issue of January/February 2011,
and was chosen number 3 of the top 10
bassists to watch in 2010.
(French
meaning "wicked"). She was the primary songwriter and original bassist for the band. One of their early tracks, "Sweet", was included in the short film Outta Moves in 2005. With the help of several musician friends, she began recording a second CD in 2005, Fate and The Arsenal. The band remained active until 2007.
,
playing more than 200 shows annually,
including a two week USO
tour in Kuwait
and Iraq
.
During her time with them, Cowboy Mouth released the live concert DVD The Name of the Band is Cowboy Mouth
and the full-length CD Fearless. They were also featured as a cartoon in The New Yorker
,
and performed on Live with Regis and Kelly
twice.
on promotional tours for "What Part of Forever" (from the The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
soundtrack) and The Lady Killer
album.
They performed for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
,
BBC Radio
,
Late Show with David Letterman
,
Saturday Night Live
,
and many other venues. Core band members include Sharon Aguilar
(lead guitar, violin), Brittany Brooks (drums), and Theresa Flaminio
(keyboards, background vocals).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. She plays bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
with Scarlet Fever
Scarlet Fever (band)
Scarlet Fever is an all-female backing band touring with Cee Lo Green. Originally formed for promotional tour events, popularity of the "Fuck You" single and The Lady Killer album led to multiple television appearances reaching an audience of millions in Europe and North America...
, the all-female band touring with Cee Lo Green. She toured several years in the New Orleans cowpunk
Cowpunk
Cowpunk or Country punk is a subgenre of punk rock and New Wave that began in the UK and California in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It combines punk rock or New Wave with country music, folk music, and blues in sound, subject matter, attitude, and style...
band, Cowboy Mouth
Cowboy Mouth
Cowboy Mouth is a rock band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Their name usually means "One with a loud and raucous voice". The nucleus of the band formed in the 1990s, and they have become a powerhouse live act whose performances have been likened to "a religious experience."Some of their most...
; was founding bassist/singer of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band, Méchant
Méchant
Méchant, also known as MECHANT or Mechant, is a Los Angeles-based alternative rock/power pop band fronted by lead singer Regina Zernay. Former bassist for rock bands Halfcocked and Jam Balaya, Zernay formed the band in late 2002/early 2003 to showcase her own material.Zernay is the primary...
; and was bassist for the hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band, Halfcocked
Halfcocked
Halfcocked was an American hard rock band. Influenced by 1970s hard rock and punk rock, along with 1980s glam metal, they started out in Boston in 1997 and signed with independent label Curve of the Earth Records...
.
Biography
Regina Zernay was born in Queens, New York, but grew up in a tiny FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
village.
She is the first born child of Polish and Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
parents.
After moving to La Puente
La Puente, California
La Puente is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 39,816 at the 2010 census.* City flower: The Golden Hibiscus* City colors: Green and White.-History:...
in Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
, she graduated from Nogales High School and Azusa Pacific University
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa Pacific University is a private, inter-denominational, evangelical Christian university located near Los Angeles in suburban Azusa, California. It was founded in 1899, with classes opening on March 3, 1900 in Whittier, California. It began offering degrees in 1939...
. She married Darren Roberts in 2009.
Early years
Even as a young child, she wanted to be a musician. There was always a piano in the house. She took lessons until a conflict with her teacher about writing with her left hand.She began playing guitar at age 11, inspired by (her “first love as a teenager”) Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
. In high school, friends needed a bass guitarist for their band, her mother bought her one for Christmas, and she “totally fell in love with it.” Although she is left-handed, she plays a standard right-handed instrument.
After high school, she did her first West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
tour for two weeks with a band in small pickup, often in difficult living conditions; but nothing made her happier than playing bass. She polished her craft playing with many bands, in small clubs and venues throughout Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, sometimes three bands concurrently.
Influences
In addition to Duran DuranDuran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
, in high school she played music by Social Distortion
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...
, the Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
, Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
, Agent Orange
Agent Orange (band)
Agent Orange is an American punk rock band formed in Orange County, California in 1979. The band is one of the first to mix punk rock with surf music. They first gained attention with their song "Bloodstains" which they released on their own 7" E.P. An early demo of the song was presented to...
, The Toy Dolls, and The Ramones.
Later role models include John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (musician)
John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, and Ben Shepherd
Ben Shepherd
Ben Shepherd is an American musician, two-time Grammy Award Winner best known for playing bass in the grunge band Soundgarden from 1990 until the band's 1997 break-up...
from Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
.
Breakout success
Zernay has played and recorded with many Southern California bands, such as Big Violin (their music was featured on The Real WorldThe Real World
The Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the...
), Ten Pound Troy, The Syrups, and Red Delicious.
In 2001, she joined hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band Halfcocked
Halfcocked
Halfcocked was an American hard rock band. Influenced by 1970s hard rock and punk rock, along with 1980s glam metal, they started out in Boston in 1997 and signed with independent label Curve of the Earth Records...
(on the Dreamworks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
imprint Megatronic Records) during their final tour.
She also performed with hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
/rock band Jam Balaya, appearing on two episodes of Half & Half
Half & Half
Half & Half is an American sitcom that aired on UPN from September 23, 2002, to May 15, 2006. The show focuses on the lives of two paternal half-sisters in their twenties who were estranged throughout their childhood, and are finally developing a close relationship...
in 2005.
She was featured as the front-cover Bass Quarterly interview for the issue of January/February 2011,
and was chosen number 3 of the top 10
bassists to watch in 2010.
Méchant
Circa late 2002, Zernay formed her own band, MéchantMéchant
Méchant, also known as MECHANT or Mechant, is a Los Angeles-based alternative rock/power pop band fronted by lead singer Regina Zernay. Former bassist for rock bands Halfcocked and Jam Balaya, Zernay formed the band in late 2002/early 2003 to showcase her own material.Zernay is the primary...
(French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
meaning "wicked"). She was the primary songwriter and original bassist for the band. One of their early tracks, "Sweet", was included in the short film Outta Moves in 2005. With the help of several musician friends, she began recording a second CD in 2005, Fate and The Arsenal. The band remained active until 2007.
Cowboy Mouth
From 2007 to 2010, Zernay performed with Cowboy MouthCowboy Mouth
Cowboy Mouth is a rock band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Their name usually means "One with a loud and raucous voice". The nucleus of the band formed in the 1990s, and they have become a powerhouse live act whose performances have been likened to "a religious experience."Some of their most...
,
playing more than 200 shows annually,
including a two week USO
United Service Organizations
The United Service Organizations Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military, with programs in 160 centers worldwide. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense , and has provided support and...
tour in Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
During her time with them, Cowboy Mouth released the live concert DVD The Name of the Band is Cowboy Mouth
The Name of the Band is Cowboy Mouth
The Name of the Band Is Cowboy Mouth is a live concert by the band Cowboy Mouth released on DVD on November 20, 2007. It is the first DVD, and second video of the band, the first being 1996's 'Alive' on VHS. In addition, they appear in a scene in the 1995 movie Underneath...
and the full-length CD Fearless. They were also featured as a cartoon in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
,
and performed on Live with Regis and Kelly
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
twice.
Scarlet Fever
Beginning in June 2010, she toured with Cee Lo Green and the all-female backing band named Scarlet FeverScarlet Fever (band)
Scarlet Fever is an all-female backing band touring with Cee Lo Green. Originally formed for promotional tour events, popularity of the "Fuck You" single and The Lady Killer album led to multiple television appearances reaching an audience of millions in Europe and North America...
on promotional tours for "What Part of Forever" (from the The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (soundtrack)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is the soundtrack album to the film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. It is the third soundtrack in the film's chronology, and was released on June 8, 2010. The soundtrack was once again co-produced by Alexandra Patsavas, the music supervisor for the previous two films...
soundtrack) and The Lady Killer
The Lady Killer (album)
The Lady Killer is the third studio album by American recording artist Cee Lo Green, released November 5, 2010, on Elektra Records. Production for the album was handled by Salaam Remi, Element, The Smeezingtons, Fraser T...
album.
They performed for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...
,
BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
,
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
,
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
,
and many other venues. Core band members include Sharon Aguilar
Sharon Aguilar
Sharon Aguilar is an American instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. She plays lead guitar and violin with Scarlet Fever, the all-female backing band touring with Cee Lo Green.- Biography :Sharon Aguilar was born in Panama,...
(lead guitar, violin), Brittany Brooks (drums), and Theresa Flaminio
Theresa Flaminio
Theresa Flaminio is an American instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. Best known for performing with Scarlet Fever, the all-female backing band for Cee Lo Green. She also tours with Imagine Dragons, and performs with her own group, Khronic....
(keyboards, background vocals).