Meet Trafton | Artist, Songwriter, Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Trafton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Trafton, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
One of the important lessons I’m learning as I build my career is to pursue self-knowledge. This may be especially crucial for those doing artistic work, but I think it goes for everyone who hopes to lead a fulfilling life and wants their work to be a part of that. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to conceptualize my art and career through the eyes of others, the expectations of the industry, my speculations of the desires of people who don’t even know me. What I’m coming to realize is that in order to build the life and career that I want, I need to do so from a place of self recognition, understanding, and acceptance. What is exciting to me? What is realistic for me? What is the best way for me to contribute to the world given my life experience, skills and proclivities? In pursuing self-knowledge, you put yourself on a path of inspiration towards your best ideas, and you learn how you work best to bring them to life.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
My art is an extension of myself and a tool for discovering the world and my self. It’s always been this way, as a kid and teenager purely out of necessity. I’m proud of my current dedication to that truth and depth in my writing and production, and if there’s one thing that sets me apart as an artist in all this noise, it’s probably that. But as I grow up and out, I’m also really excited about being able to create in ways that aren’t always so intense and urgent. I feel more freedom in what I can do now than I used to – when I experiment with my own music, and in work that isn’t for the Trafton project at all. This includes composing music for things like podcast and film, doing vocal production for other artists, and demoing and pitching out a bunch of pop songs I’ve got in the vault that I don’t really want to release myself. These are some of the things I’m thinking about and pursuing right now that I’m energized by. In terms of overcoming challenges, I feel like I’m doing a lot of that right now! I’m aware that ultimately all that stands in between me and my goals is myself, but I also believe that all the things holding you back are there to protect you. So I think a lot of the personal work I’m doing right now is to reconcile that push and pull, and that reflects in the art.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Ooh! My favorite thing to do when friends visit is honestly just explore my neighborhood, Greenpoint, which I love so much. I’ll take them to Bakeri, my favorite cafe, or the Saturday farmer’s market at McCarren Park. I love to walk or bike with people up Franklin St – so many beautiful shops and apothecaries and stationary stores and tea houses to visit. It’s by the water looking across to Manhattan. I rock climb and hangout a lot at Vital, so maybe a couple hours of working out and playing around there. Some light thrifting at Beacon’s Closet or Stella Dallas, if we’re up for the walk to Williamsburg. An evening stroll through McGolrick Park. (Clearly I love to walk around all day). And dinner at Nura, the best restaurant in Brooklyn. If I want to show off a little, I’ll take ‘em to Westlight, a rooftop bar overlooking the river and Manhattan. For music-minded friends, there are of course so many iconic venues to see a show at. A few of my favorites these days are Pete’s Candy Bar, Williamsburg Music Hall and National Sawdust.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family comes to mind first. My parents are the ones who encouraged me early on by getting me into piano lessons and letting me play and write and sing for hours everyday after school. Together they built a very successful small business, so I grew up hearing that constant discussion and witnessing their perseverance and hard work day in, day out. These days my dad loves to talk about the business side of things, so he’s a mentor as I’m figuring out how to build mine. And my sister is probably my biggest fan, which I’m so grateful for. She knows how much goes into my work and I always get excited to show her a new song I’m working on and see her reaction.

Another source of support and inspiration for me right now is Rick Rubin, particularly his new book “The Creative Act: A Way of Being,” which I’m halfway through and reading super slowly and intentionally. It’s just so distilled. A lot of what he talks about I’ve found myself already knowing or suspecting, but lacking the proper language for. It’s astounding and reassuring to find something in yourself so well articulated by someone else. Thank you, Rick!!

I would also be incomplete as an artist without my connection to nature. I grew up among the forests, rivers, and mountains of New Hampshire and Maine. My love and awe of the natural world informs the music I make at every level of consciousness. That’s especially clear to me now, living in New York, where I feel a strange disconnect between people and the Earth. It makes me appreciate so much where I came from, and leads me to color my music with these feelings and places even more. I guess this isn’t really a shout-out in the conventional sense, but in a way it’s the biggest one of all.

Website: https://linktr.ee/traftonmusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traftonmusic/?hl=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCufL8cTGCZAQ53iwE5xlkEQ

Image Credits
The photo in front of the metallic door is by Carissa Diaz. The black and white photo + the orange, abstract one are by Noah Yager.