When you need some country music for the soul, just press play to Roger Dale’s debut EP Phases and Stages. The North Carolina native gives the perfect blend of soulful country through meaningful lyrics to fill your heart up with hope. Roger brings a sound that is honest and true to who he is. I talked with him about how the six impactful songs came to be after years spent as a civil rights attorney in Washington, D.C.
His life experience combined with a passion for music is evident in each line he sings. Roger first discovered his love for music in church as a young boy. Years of music performance in band and musical theater fueled his dream of being a country music artist more. While Roger never lost his music dreams, he decided to take a pause to focus on academics and went to law school. He instantly gravitated to civil rights after learning about it.
After many years as a civil rights attorney, he wasn’t completely fulfilled. With music dreams still stirring on the inside, Roger decided to get a vocal coach and start writing songs which came to be the sounds of Phases and Stages. The EP takes listeners on a journey of loving one another and how those experiences can shape us. “Phases and Stages as a whole is a wild, but beautiful, roller coaster ride through stories of all that love entails and how it builds us as people,” says Roger.
His musical inspirations are Carrie Underwood’s meaningful lyrics and Chris Stapleton’s soulful sound. When it comes to carving out a sound that is uniquely him Roger says, “I don’t just want to be a random voice, but I want to have an impact. I not only want to be an advocate for civil rights… but to bring awareness to it. With lyrics, we not only have a moment, but also can have a lasting impact.”
Roger’s background in civil rights along with Native American Lumbee roots, brings a unique perspective and sense of unity to his songs that resonate on a broader level. “It doesn’t feel like work to me, music is truly my passion. Law is my purpose, to help people… My professional life inspired where I am now with my creative life,” shares Roger.
The single release of “One World One Love” gives Roger’s first hand experience when events unfolded at the United States Capital on January 6 this year. As his mother was concerned for her safety while watching the government crumble, Roger decided to journal how he was feeling – hopeless and powerless seeing what was happening. When people listen to the single he hopes they feel a need to look beyond their differences. “It’s ok to be different and have a dialog with someone that doesn’t have the same views you have. Life is about learning and opening your mind. That’s what this song is about,” says Roger.
“We should be one world, one love. One dream of rising above. United not divided and delighted in the land of the free. I believe in unity. One world, one love.”
– Roger Dale
He hopes listeners feel hopeful and a sense of love when they listen to the EP. Roger writes from a real place and each song has a story that relates to love somehow. “One of my mantras has always been faith over fear. Fear has never intimidated me. I bring that same mindset to my music. A lot of people want to give up when it gets hard, but that’s when we need to dig deeper,” says Roger, “You have to have work behind that faith. When you feel compelled to speak out, do it and do not feel ashamed of it because you are doing it for the greater good… I cannot sit back and be quiet; it eats at my soul. So if you feel it, express it and it will work out if you have faith.”
Go stream and download Phases and Stages now, connect with Roger at rogerdaleofficial.com and on social media –
INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | SPOTIFY | YOUTUBE
Photo Credit to Roger Dale Facebook Photos
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