Jonathan Paull Gertler Premieres His Latest Single, “Quarantined”

On his new album Unfinished Business, Jonathan Paull Gertler is in a reflective and introspective state of mind. That’s perhaps most apparent on his new single “Quarantined.” It’s the second single from the new album, ahead of its October 30th release via Rock Ridge Music. The title of the song offers a clear hint regarding its subject matter. It, along with the rest of the album, reflects a sensibility of loss, yet optimism, which was common during the worst parts of the COVID pandemic.

Gertler tackles the topic from an interesting perspective. Growing up in New York City and now based in Boston, he has seen life from many different angles. He has worked extensively in the life sciences and was an inner-city trauma and vascular surgeon. These life experiences have helped shape his worldview, but despite his unique experience, he presents it all in a welcoming and relatable fashion.

Elaborating on the inspirations behind “Quarantined,” Gertler shares with us:

“I was biking on a mountain biking trail during the pandemic and ran into a close friend. Masked, of course. Even outside. Our hospitals were packed and overwhelmed (which I used as a title for another song on this album), no vaccines or treatments except bogus suggestions by people who should have known better, and it was all worrisome beyond words. I had already lost friends and acquaintances. We were all trying hard to stay balanced, responsible, and deal with a frightening lack of knowledge.

“And that’s the first verse in a nutshell. ‘I am here, reaching ’cross our empty space, touching our love behind your covered face.’ It’s a love song – as love reaches across boundaries to comfort, support, uplift and protect. To not rise to the responsibility with solidarity and empathy, to make it worse by reneging on those responsibilities to our loved ones and our society, would have been yet another loss from an external threat. And it is a side effect that indeed has happened, as I think some of us have forgotten what went on and what had to go on.

“Paul Ebersol and I reduced the original golpe flamenco guitar tap into a bit of a Van Morrison funk beat. Paul, as always, heard something new to bring to the table. And I love the slide.”

Ebersol is, of course, the Grammy-winning producer who Gertler worked with on Unfinished Business. Featuring nine new tracks, the album is deeply rooted in love, passion, resilience, and empathy. Some of that is surely rooted in his personal and professional background. Those themes have been common throughout Gertler’s lengthy recording career. His music feels relatable and welcoming, and his life experiences have helped make him a good communicator.

The record focuses on the struggles of the human condition, made more complicated by external factors. But it’s not like we aren’t up to the task of overcoming these struggles. Gertler views humanity as a group that has evolved over thousands of years to combat and endure hardship. He views his album as a journey through trying times and the emergence from them. Life is fragile, featuring loss and adversity. But it says a lot about our character in how we navigate those hard times and how we emerge from them. This is an interesting record from an interesting artist who has spent a lifetime gaining insights from others, which have enabled him to learn more about himself. Gertler is hopeful that listeners may also learn something more about themselves.

Jonathan Paull Gertler “Quarantined” single artwork