She was born into a musical family; her father, who was a photographer, was an amateur violinist and her mother was a teacher at a Russian conservatoire.

She began learning classical piano when she was six years old but later became interested in rock, punk and hip-hop.

When Regina was nine, her family left the Soviet Union for political and religious reasons. They travelled to Italy and Austria, before settling down in The Bronx, New York. They eventually moved to Fair Lawn, New Jersey, where Regina finished the last few years of high school.

So far, she has made four albums: 11:11 (2001); Songs (2002); Soviet Kitsch (2004) and Begin To Hope (2006). She has also made a compilation album: Mary Ann Meets the Gravediggers and Other Short Stories (2006).