A New York City musician released a new music video for his latest single that tackles the concept of where we get our information from and should we believe it.
Jason Trachtenburg has been around the block a few times in the New York City music scene. He got the full experience in the late 80s when he moved to New York City and pursued music, hoping to be the next Cliff Richard.
“I wasn’t the most social, so learning to play guitar was the logical thing to do in the 80s,” said Trachtenburg. “I went back in time and took on influences that weren’t as popular at the time, especially in the 80s. I ignored what was going on in pop mainstream and took influences that I think needed to be taken in and used those as influences.”
After spending a few years in New York, Trachtenburg made his way to Seattle in the 90s due to being “schooled” in New York.
“I didn’t have my act together enough. At the time, New York was still pretty out there, there were a lot of radical and edgy artists living here,” recalled Trachtenburg. “I got the real experience of performance life. I left New York for Seattle in the 90s because I was getting school left and right by other performers at open mics.”
During his time in Seattle, Trachtenburg started the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, which was made up of himself, his wife Tina and their daughter Rachel. They took the music scene by storm while Tratchenburg also ran a dog-walking business on the side. The band appeared together on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” in 2003, just after Trachtenburg and his family moved back to New York City in 2002.
“The band ultimately ran its course, and I thought I’d just go back to my original goal to perfect songwriting and performance,” said Trachtenburg. “I wanted to soak up as much as I can.”
When he’s not writing and performing music, you can find Trachtenburg caring for New Yorker’s pets and working in the 4th Street Food Co-op. Recently, Tratchenburg dropped a music video for his latest song “People Keep Telling Me Why.” The video, directed by New York City’s Dylan Mars Greenberg, was shot entirely in Brooklyn over the course of a few days.
“Dylan Mars Greenberg is a directorial genius. I wrote the song pretty quickly,” said Trachtenburg. “This is the third video we’ve done together. She takes on so much stuff, I made her job easier and called the shots this time. I work well with others, if I get known for one thing, I want to be that I’m the easiest most fun to work with.”
Trachtenburg says that on the surface the song and video is this bouncy, fun song, but they both contain subliminal messages that point towards themes that have emerged while New York City was under lockdown due to the pandemic.
“If you listen a little closer and watch the video, you’re gonna get them anyway. There are messages about everyone trying to explain their version of what’s going on with lockdown,” said Trachtenburg. “Everyone has their own opinion and where they get their information, and people keep telling me that’s the way it is, but where did you get your info from? It’s a new dialogue that came from lockdown a year and a half ago.”
At the end of the day, Trachtenburg’s song is about honoring everyone’s opinion, but you don’t necessarily have to listen to it.
“The whole point is to honor everyone’s information. If you believe in what you believe in, that’s valid. But everyone is telling you why to believe it,” said Trachtenburg. “No one version is right over the other. This very overwhelming dialogue has taken over.”
Trachtenburg hopes that listeners enjoy the song and video, even if the messaging doesn’t sink in right away.
“I hope that they take away what a fun catchy chorus and upbeat humorous video,” said Trachtenburg. “If they get any of the other stuff is not a concern.”
Keep up with Tractenburg and his music by following him on Instagram @jasontrachtenburg.
