From a childhood exposure to music from around the world to an exploration into meditation and healing frequencies as an adult, singer-songwriter Ron English has created a fun concoction of quirky pop music with an underlying lyrical darkness. Under the moniker of Jagwar Twin, his exploration of the light and the dark represents a deeper understanding of both his past and how he views the present. His catchy pop is a fun listen, but there’s something deeper to dig into. 

The LA-based Roy English truly thrives in the polarity of life. He had an upbringing in an evangelical Christian household, but also grew up loving rap artists like Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac. His bouncy and whimsical pop is entertaining, but also holds a mirror to societal issues and exposes his inner feelings. The contrasting ideas and experiences are like a spiritual exploration for a musician that has always been interested in both internal emotions and influences from the world around him. 

“Everything I do is an exploration of polarity. It’s an exploration of light and dark- and the light within dark,” explains English. For his recent single “Bad Feeling (Oompa Loompa)”, bouncy tuba and accordion melodies with German and Russian influence create a whimsical surface as he sings “‘cause the truth is a lie that nobody can tell.” The tune was devised before English had even heard of the Wonka movie, but with over 43 million streams on Spotify, there’s a lot of ears tuning in to his hybrid of playful instrumentation and earnest lyricism. 

“It’s a really deep song disguised as something really stupid,” he remarks. His Jagwar Twin persona is about “exploring the twin aspect of everything,” and even the seemingly carefree Slavic instrumentation of “Bad Feeling” has an emotional resonance for him personally since it taps into his family’s cultural heritage. 

His mother had an eclectic taste in music and exposed him to a wide array of world music such as Celtic, African, and Romanian sounds. There was also Joni Mitchell, top 40 radio, and sessions of sneaking in tracks from rap that he wasn’t allowed to listen to. This vast library of inspiration is directly reflected in Jagwar Twin’s blend of sleek modern beats, use of unique instruments, and retrospective lyrics. 

Lately, his Slavic roots have served as an important inspiration to continue on his path of open-mindedness. “I’ve just been on this wave of exploring my ancestry,” he says. The way  this wave started was indeed spiritual. During a profound moment several years ago, he was meditating during a hike at the top of a hill, and felt that his ancestors were telling him to explore his roots. A lot of his recent work has incorporated Slavic music, and the connection to spirituality has been an integral connection to his personal identity.

“I think everything is spiritual,” English explains. “I think music is an amazing spiritual journey to go on whether you’re listening to it, enjoying it at a concert, or making it. I think music is a mirror.” 

Along his spiritual journey he learned more about frequencies and now even tunes his music to the lesser-used frequency of 444 Hz in hopes of spreading a more positive listening experience that extends to physical and emotional well-being. “I want my music to be a healing frequency, and I wanted it to be 444 to raise up into the higher realms… most music is tuned to 440 Hz, and that doesn’t do good things in your body and your aura,” he says. 

In the world of Jagwar Twin, music isn’t just to casually enjoy. It’s also here to heal.