Benjamin Trillado releases a vulnerable interpretation of ‘Worth’ with dancer and filmmaker Jacob Edmonds
“Trillado’s songwriting is as profound as the delivery.” – Girl Underground Music
Independent Single Of The Week – The New Thing Eastside Radio 89.7fm
The music of Benjamin Trillado is composed of richness and is full of vulnerability, and new single ‘Worth’ is no different revealing an empowering search for self-love and acceptance as a queer person through lyrics. The track’s restrained production allows space for Benjamin’s ethereal voice to weave through delicate guitar work and tug directly at the heartstrings.
Following the release of his successful debut single ‘Glue’, Benjamin’s music has already reached a global audience, ‘Glue’ attaining over 450,000 streams on Spotify, which was followed up with second single ‘First Kiss’ leading to Benjamin playing shows in Melbourne and Sydney during 2019. Teaming up with sound engineer Jono Steer (Angie McMahon), and Grammy-nominated mastering engineer Joe Carra, ‘Worth’ is his most honest track yet, an empowering search for self-love and acceptance as a queer person.
After discovering Jacob Edmonds, one of the most sought after dance filmmakers on the rise on Instagram, Benjamin Trillado knew Jacob was the perfect fit to interpret and perform in the ‘Worth’ video. “I discovered some of Jacob’s work through Instagram and instantly fell in love with his dancing and cinematography. I let Jacob pretty much have free reign in regards to the aesthetics of the video and his performance. I trusted him and wanted his interpretation from one artist to another. He moves in a way that really captures the meaning and emotion of this song. I’m so stoked with how it turned out.”
Accepting the challenge to film, direct, perform in, and edit the ‘Worth’ video, Jacob Edmonds has not disappointed in delivering this stunning visual accompaniment to Benjamin Trillado’s personal and musical journey.
“As a performer and a filmmaker, it was my job to hear the song and translate that not only into movement but also into visuals. I tried a few different approaches but it became evident that I really needed to strip it back to allow the song to speak for itself. This meant no fancy location or lighting, just a body in space. As a dancer, I felt it needed to be a spot I was comfortable being in but also personal. The less projected the more the lyrics stuck out and the marriage between the song and visuals found new meanings. It’s projects like these I’m most scared to collaborate on. Just me and the camera, no crew, no one telling me about how much energy to give or where in frame I need to be moving around. It’s personal and it’s terrifying because it shows my deepest insecurities. This, however, was exactly the reason I wanted to do it. For me, this song is about accepting that we are amazing as we are and overcoming the challenges we place upon ourselves daily.” – Jacob Edmonds – Director, Editor, Performer, Filmographer
Raised in a Filipino household where karaoke was family religion, Benjamin was constantly surrounded by music. At the age of 12, he wiped off the dust from his father’s guitar and spent the majority of his childhood writing songs in his bedroom. He continued to study music into his tertiary years and was mentored by singer/songwriter Ainslie Wills and Killing Heidi’s Jesse Hooper, which has led to him releasing and performing his songs locally and now globally online.
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
‘WORTH’ VIRTUAL HOME TOUR DATES
Stream from 8pm AEST
via Benjamin’s Instagram: @benjamintrillado
Friday 17 July – Benjamin’s Bedroom – 8pm AEST
with Special Guest TBC
Friday 24 July – Benjamin’s Bathroom – 8pm AEST
with Special Guest Miller
Friday 31 July – Benjamin’s Kitchen – 8pm AEST
with Special Guest Huck Hastings
Saturday 30 July – Real Songwriters Of Melbourne Live
Stream from 8pm AEST via Instagram: @rsomelbourne
Video Credits
Filmed/Directed/Edited/
Music by: Benjamin Trillado
‘Worth’ is out now via Ditto
Spotify / iTunes / Apple Music / Bandcamp
