Craig Cardiff

While he may call Arnprior, Ontario home, The Company House feels like it may well indeed be Cardiff’s home away from home. His interactions with fans (and a certain blogger) feel downright hospitable, as if he had invited his audience directly into his living room; and for all intents and purposes, he essentially accomplished this, thanks to his warm lush vocals. You also have to love when you enter the venue, and the headliner (in this case the only act) greets you at the door, it adds this truly personal touch to the night’s festivities.

That initial greeting was warm and inviting, very much echoing what I had heard in his work prior to this evening. My experience with Cardiff’s work didn’t extend much beyond my research in preparation for his most recent visit to Halifax, I entered the venue with pretty close to a blank slate. A blank slate such as this is a rare thing with a voracious musical appetite, and an artist with an extensive catalogue such as Cardiff’s. There were no preconceptions or expectations as I walked into The Company House, all I knew was that one of the guys at the “box office” looked a lot like Craig Cardiff.

I arrived at Company House to catch the 7pm set and from the opening chord, Cardiff was warm and inviting. The venue was packed solid, and I was graciously offered a stool, from where I watched as the crowd milled about in eager anticipation. That warmth translated very well when he pointed out said blogger sitting at the back of the room and cheekily offered me an opportunity to live blog the performance from the stage (an offer I sheepishly declined, as my cover was blown). A couple in the crowd was playfully grilled later in the evening about their dating history and future plans, which led to Cardiff improvising a song on the spot about said couple.

It speaks volumes that during each and every song, the audience was held in rapt suspension with their focus placed firmly on stage. There aren’t many shows that I’ve been to and experienced this level of attention and silence, there is usually someone attempting to hold a conversation regardless of what’s happening around them, but that was not the case here. The closest thing to an interruption was from over-zealous fan Eric, who took great pleasure in requesting “Lenny Bruce Leroy” and then completely derailed the performance with his overpowering sing-along. Cardiff handed over lead duties to Eric only to have the mic relinquished after the excited fan encountered some lyrical amnesia when the spotlight was shone his way. Then Eric was invited onstage to physically interpret the lyrics to “Recovering”, which was played to great comedic (albeit clueless) effect.

All in all, this was a night where I was stoked to be able to get out of my own way and catch Cardiff’s early set of his latest Halifax visit. His brand of folky singer songwriter was a joy to behold, and will be one of those shows that will stick with me for months to come. While this may have been my first show, it definitely won’t be the last. I’ll be making it a point to catch his next show in town.

You can find Craig’s upcoming tour dates at http://www.craigcardiff.com/tour-dates/ - Trev, Halifax Bloggers

The top of a boathouse in the Muskokas, a boat on Lake Nipissing, livings rooms, camps and backyards – not exactly where you’d expect to see a concert, but for Craig Cardiff fans, it’s exactly where they listen to him play.

“I feel like it’s a mistake for us as artists to rely on structures like festivals or theatres or bars when what we really want is to have a big group of people singing,” Cardiff says about his unconventional shows.

“The most important thing for me is to be connecting with people who are excited about listening and being part of the music. I take any space that’s available.”

Cardiff’s most recent album, “Floods and Fires” has been nominated for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year: Solo and he is one of the few JUNO nominees not signed to a label. “It’s also the only homemade album,” Cardiff adds.

He built a studio in his home in Arnprior, just outside of Ottawa, and invited Ben Leggett, his producer and engineer to move in with him.

“It was about trying to find the simplest way to make things happen that still felt sustainable,” says Cardiff. “It was super unconventional and it was perfect!”

Instead of heading into the studio for a two-week blitz, Cardiff and Leggett worked on the album for 18 months, integrating recording into the rhythm of their everyday lives. “When I’m at home with my daughter, I want to have that be focused time (with her), so we worked when she was at school, or after she had gone to bed.”

This immersive project also permitted Cardiff and Leggett to intensify their collaborative process. “There was time for reflection,” Cardiff says. “The bad ideas had time to sift to the bottom, so the really good ideas kept coming to the top.”

Not only did they have time to refine their songwriting process, they also learned how to build a recording space and how to record instruments in remote locations so they could bring the tracks back into the studio and integrate them into the album.

The longer timeframe also made for the songs to morph and change.

“Lyrically, I feel like the songs became simpler,” Cardiff reflects. “All the words that didn’t help fell away and I could find the idea I was really trying to connect with.”

The album is far more upbeat than the often slow-paced sad songs in his previous albums – a conscious choice by Cardiff. “There were a lot of changes personally,” he says. “Floods and fires can be terrible things that destroy or drown, or they can be positive, like how forest fires clean and make everything new and let other things grow. For me, it was about choosing to be happy.”

“It feels good to have made the sort of a recording that people are dancing around to,” he says.

Yet the album was almost much smaller in scope. When they were running low on funds, Cardiff and Leggett were dreaming up a string section, but knew it was out of their budget. “And then someone would reach out and offer their cello playing,” he says. “And that just kept happening. There was an organ part, but we wanted to record a real pipe organ, not just a sample.”

And after a post on Facebook, they had three different organ offers in Ottawa within a day.

Cardiff is incredibly proud of his newest album and honoured to be recognized with fellow nominees Bruce Cockburn, Dave Gunning, David Francey and Lindi Ortega.

“You can have this idea, but it’s your responsibility as an artist to be available when the ideas come,” Cardiff says about the creative process. “You have to be patient with the ideas as you’re walking them to the ball, before you present them on the dance floor.

“You just have to be patient. And you have to create the time.” - Lindsay Zier-Vogel, CTV.ca

On the nights of Oct. 25 and 26, Craig Cardiff brought his dreamy voice to the Company House to promote his new album, Floods and Fires.

His voice conjures up smoke-filled dimly lit rooms. It makes you want to crawl into an overstuffed chair and be lulled to sleep. He accompanies that cozy voice with vocal and guitar looping.

Cardiff has been touring his newest album for nearly a year now, but says he is still excited to connect with new listeners. He was nominated for a Juno and a Canadian Folk Music Award this year.

In addition to his voice and guitar, he brings a notebook to his shows. He passes it around while he plays so listeners can record their feelings. The book tours along with Cardiff; he says it takes on a life of its own in the same way songs travel.

Connecting with audiences across the country made Cardiff realize, “we’re all broken, and we’re all pretending and it’s okay,” he says.

Cardiff is no stranger to the Company House. He says playing there is “always a spectacle. It’s always something I never could have planned—it’s too perfect.”

Audiences in Halifax are appreciative and committed to live music, he says. Cardiff says a community that supports artists translates into a warm reception for people coming from away to play.

Cardiff puts everything into his show. He says when playing music, you should “make it feel like it’s your last time performing, so you have to give it your best and enjoy it.”

When he sells a CD, Cardiff gives the buyer an extra copy to give to a friend. “A million-dollar marketing campaign can never compete with your best friend giving you a mix tape of their favourite song,” he says.

It drives him crazy when people complain they can’t make a living as a musician. He spends his spare time on tours giving workshops at schools. He likes meeting kids. He remembers how he used be:

“Awkward and geeky and loving music so much that it broke my ribs because it filled my chest so much.”

Cardiff also thinks it’s important for kids to know they can make a living doing what they love, like he does.

In 2008 Cardiff had songs he to record but was stuck waiting for a producer. He needed an ungodly sum of money and thought if he didn’t have it, he couldn’t record.

But, he says, “the songs needed to get out. They deserved to get out.”

His solution was to record his 2008 album, Mistletoe, on Octopod, an iPad application. Cardiff says limitations should push artists to find a way around them.

“Don’t die with your music in you, and your songs in you. Get it out.”

Music is what Cardiff does. He couldn’t do anything else. - Elise Palmer, Dalhousie Gazette

Independent, Ottawa-based singer-songwriter Craig Cardiff has spent the past 15 years building a grassroots following in Canada that recently has started to pay real dividends, from Top 10-worthy SoundScan sales to a Juno nomination. On his latest release, a double album, Love Is Louder (Than All This Noise) Parts 1 & 2, Cardiff takes the next logical step forward, recording with a full band for the first time — with glorious results — while rendering most of those same songs in the achingly spare acoustic style for which he's best known.

Had you wanted to do a half-acoustic/half-electric double album for some time?
No. It came from working with Ben [Leggett], who produced the last album Floods & Fires. He pulled in Andre Wahl, who had mixed a bunch of my other stuff. Basically, they really pushed the idea of, "You're not allowed to make another record like the ones you've made." It felt like there were different arrangement paths for all the songs we went through and they were all interesting. The compromise, or the idea was to not pigeonhole a song but to give it two faces. It's almost like covering yourself in a way. Some of the cover songs I get most excited about are the ones I don't know are covers. Like, I don't recognize the original. Ben and Andre really pushed me. They said, "We'll bring a band in and track everything live off the floor." It was completely out of my comfort zone. There were moments when it was amazing. I haven't had the experience of playing in bands, so I had a glimpse of what only five people playing together and locked in could make happen.

It is a great band. I'm a fan of James Robertson, he's such a incredible guitar player.
And such a gentleman. In the recording process, politely putting in ideas without ego. All of them, he and Sly Juhas and Paul Mathew and Mike Evin, they just rounded it out.

Were these two completely different sessions?
Yeah, absolutely.

Was there a significant time span in between?
Ben and I did pre-production with some of the guys for maybe two-and-a-half months, just tracking stuff. Then we did the full band sessions at Chalet Studios over four days, before we took a break for a week and half, while Ben and Andre did mixes. Then we headed to The Schoolhouse in Ravenscliffe, outside of Huntsville, to do the acoustic sessions and final vocals for the band stuff. It was crazy. I don't know the entire story of the place, but Andre had worked with Hawksley Workman there and it had either been Hawksley's house or a studio he'd set up. It's the most acoustically perfect room. The first day Andre and I started working, we looked at each other and said there's got to be something wrong. Maybe we've been working on these songs so long that we've lost all perspective because it just sounded so good. You'd think that's the opposite of what you'd get from a one-room schoolhouse. But anyways, there was a slaughterhouse two miles away, and after these sessions that were super intense and amazing sounding, we'd be sitting outside the schoolhouse having a coffee and we'd hear cows moaning. And at night you'd hear wolves. It was a very curious, magical place to finish the album.

Along with the juxtaposition of sounds on the album, there's the idea of "the head versus the heart" that comes up frequently in the lyrics. Did a lot of the songs spring from that idea?
A lot of them connect with that. Looking back on all the songs I feel they all started with getting this note from an audience member. I've been passing around books just to have people write down little true things, and this one person had written about having a terrible year and about taking her own life and wanting to take her own life in the past. Just hard stuff. It was one of those things where, because it's anonymous, you have no idea who or what, or even if it's true, but at the end of the night I wrote a note back to them and just posted it online. A bunch of other people responded to it and I feel like that idea carried over — as hard as it is to stay one more day, just don't make any big decisions tonight. Wait until tomorrow morning. That kept coming up, the same thing as head versus heart, being so inside of our head that it's all thinking and no feeling.

What about a song like "John Wilson"? Was that a story you came up with?
No, there's a fellow named John Wilson who had organized this really sweet surprise concert for this woman that he wanted me to play. I was at a point then where I was trying to intentionally craft a cynical love song, but the universe said, nope, you're not allowed. Here's what you're supposed to write about, this really sweet couple. Then other parts got woven in, like this buddy of mine who hitchhikes everywhere. He's often said, try to avoid getting dropped off between Winnipeg and Thunder Bay; it's just a tough place to get picked up. And anytime I've done long bus trips, there's always this sad prison dude hanging out at the back by the bathroom. Everybody's carrying all of these stories on the bus.

You've certainly gotten to know the entire country, and a lot of its people, well for over the past 15 years. You've gone over and above what most artists do to build an audience. Was there a point when you realized it was actually working for you?
I'm happy doing it and I feel grateful that I can pay bills and support stuff doing it. I think that was the point you're asking about, it was when I realized I was doing more stuff that I liked than I didn't like. People are still coming out to shows, and when that stops, I'll find something else to do and still play, but there's not a big plan. I'm just trying to focus on writing things that I find interesting and collaborate with people who are challenging and not comfortable with just saying yes to things. It was funny to be intimidated while making this album; to come into the sessions and think, these guys are amazing players, I'd better remember my capo position. If there's anything I want to get better at, it's to push myself musically by creating those situations with other artists.

I remember being shocked one week seeing Floods & Fires in the SoundScan Top 10.
Yeah, I was shocked too. It was probably barely holding on to the lower rungs, but I was happy to be on the list.

What do you think makes people so devoted to you?
I feel like there's a lot of space for them in the show and in the process, whether it's booking the shows or funding the albums. My experience has been that this model works. I can come to Alberta, knowing only a handful of people, and we can somehow agree to work together. People want to reach out. It was an interesting experience doing that ten years ago because there just weren't venues that were interested. It was like you were waiting for permission from them to come play. I was going to the wrong places. I remember getting a neutral or even derisive view of it from other artists, like, that's not real touring. But if there's 50 people, or whatever, who are open to organizing something, you should go play there. Just because it's not at venue X in Toronto or venue Y in Calgary, who cares? It's about where the people are. That's something I struggle with, because you catch yourself saying should I be doing something differently? People often still say, you should be touring this way, but that just doesn't work for me.

Your approach has seemed to be ahead of the curve in terms of how folk music has come back into prominence over the last few years. Have there been any offers presented to you to do bigger things, and if so, how do you handle that?
I have friends and acquaintances who work at labels now, and they're really cool people. But I'm making art and running a small business that's working. I don't know if it needs to be anything bigger. All of my problems are really good ones right now, and I feel like there's all these songs I have to write. Recording is actually a little frustrating because the songs often seem so old, but that's the reason we have producers, to not sneak in newbie songs and finish what's been committed to. - Jason Schneider, Exclaim!

For two years, I’ve spoken with Craig Cardiff on the phone; through emails and other various means of social media. I’ve scanned through his Facebook photo albums, and appreciated our long-distance, virtual relationship. His younger sister, Liz, and I even went to school together in Waterloo. I felt, essentially, that I knew Craig. With sites such as Facebook making these relationships attainable, it’s hard to imagine that you may not actually know a person.

While Craig is about as open as his Book of Truths (a travelling notebook he encourages audiences to jot thoughts in during his shows), he revealed his true personality during the one-on-one, in-person interview we shared last week at Kitchener’s Little Bean Coffee Bar. Knowing the Little Bean is a space with friendly staff, and a room that’s taken up as more of a lounge (with its bean bag chairs, round tables and inviting atmosphere), I encouraged Craig to come down for lunch and we would discuss who he was behind the song writing.

During our loose conversation about music, life, the weather and performing in the region, Craig and I dined on chili and sandwiches before we settled into our interview on the park benches outside of the coffee bar.

What struck me first about Craig was his openness. He has a certain readiness to make conversation about his life and his career (both personal and professional), peppered with just the right amount of cussing to make you feel at ease. When I attempted to introduce him to the venue owner, he was quick to say he was just a guy; not a guy with a guitar, or a song writer, but simply just a guy. “It feels pretentious,” he explains later. “You could have introduced me as the King of Spain. But at the end of the day, I’m just a guy.”

The fact remains that Craig is not just a guy, or a guy with a guitar for that matter. He’s a father, a teacher, a brother, and a song writer who has scaled the mountain of touring over his career. His repertoire includes sixteen albums released, and most recently a nod at the 2012 Junos (Floods and Fires was nominated for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo). As the interview chugs along, Craig is both philosophical and down-to-earth. He speaks as frankly about eating Beaver Tails in his home of Ottawa with his daughter, Rowan, as he does about being interviewed at CBC.

Craig’s music is a conglomerate of roots, folk and a splash of rock. What I’ve found to be the essential key in his songs is versatility between the tracks. It’s Craig’s soft demure in vocals that tells the story; the melody that keeps you hooked. When you finish listening to a track or one of his albums as a whole, listeners realize that they and Craig speak the same language. It’s that truth that keeps Craig’s fans hungry for his next release.

Our interview sways between the industry and keeping an eye on Craig’s car, which he is using to cart around equipment after performing the night before in Toronto. During one question, Craig looks up suddenly at a group of teenage boys who do not break into his car, but have no hesitation about spitting four feet away from it. “I don’t getting spitting,” Craig says and I couldn’t agree more. The conversation quickly moves to skoal, and chewing tobacco. “Your readers might find this part more interesting,” he chuckles.

We go on to talk about touring. “I’ve been lucky to see most cities,” Craig reveals, telling me that he’s performed in nearly all of our major cities in Canada save for the Northwest Territories and the Yukon (a journey he hopes to take later this year). He also confesses that he’s not yet been to Newfoundland, but that this part of the East coast should be able to find its way to schedule sometime in 2012. “Newfoundland is like the sticking point,” he says, “but I have fans that are requesting a show. For me, I have to entertain getting a hundred people into a show. It’s more about bums and ears in seats. If people buy enough advanced tickets to pay for my air fare, then everything else is just gravy.”

From Halifax, to Vancouver, Craig has released one album after another telling me that some albums are recorded live from the show and then edited in a way of fundraising for the next album. “People will ask me, ‘well, which album should I buy?’ I’ll tell them to pick up Songs for Lucy (released 2010) which essentially funded Floods and Fires,” he says adding that the ethic behind putting out albums quickly is not unheard of, and he has no issue with the method. “I’m not opposed to creating a ‘live off the floor’ over the course of the weekend.”

However, Floods and Fires would be a new wave of recording for Craig as he explains spending over a year and half putting the album together in his home. “It’s not unlike something you would do, Care,” he tells me. “There’s something to be said about knowing when to put a project down, and then picking it up again later. You begin reworking some of the lyrics that don’t match the core idea that goes with the song, and that can also include the melodies or any other part.” Floods and Fires would strike Juno attention, as Craig was recognized alongside Bruce Cockburn for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo. “The Junos are a splash in the face for people to remind them that music is important,” he says. “Some people may get offended and think of the Junos as a dog and pony show, but if that’s how you feel then don’t watch it. At the end of the day, it says that music is important.”

Joining him for parts of his Juno adventure was Craig’s five-year-old daughter, Rowan, who was with Dad to meet the Mayor of Ottawa and later invited to join him during a CBC radio interview. “I wanted her to see what I do,” Craig smiles. “When we were in the CBC interview she was fascinated by the sounds she could make while wearing the headphones. I thought the sound engineer might actually kick us out,” he laughs. (The CBC interview will be posted online, soon.)

Beyond the interviews and the recognition, Craig is a song writer who is fascinated by stories. His Book of Truths offer tidbits of human experiences that Craig intends to recreate as an audio documentary. Sometimes Craig will even find himself influenced by the themes he reads as they eventually find their way to his lyrics. “People sometimes think that telling the truth is like telling a secret,” Craig says. “The (Book of Truths) was an idea to connect with the audience. I play all of these rooms, and I can never meet everyone who attends the show. That’s where it started, people began reading what other’s had written and it snowballed.”

We’ve now been sitting on the bench for close to an hour, when Craig’s sisters arrive to remind him that he’s late. I had been asking Craig whether he thought it were surreal to come home to Waterloo and find his face on posters, flagged as ‘Juno nominated’. “I think I’ll let my sisters take this,” he laughs.

“It’s neat,” Liz Cardiff agrees, her sister, Susan, nodding beside her. “I once took a photo of Craig in Florida with his legs buried, and made a caption that said, ‘Craig’s new album: Buried Alive, coming soon!’ but I didn’t tack the ‘lol’ on it so people believed it were real.”

“I had a lot of people ask me about that record,” Craig retorts jokingly annoyed.

“We don’t fight,” Liz and Susan reassure me, laughing.

Craig smiles and sighs, “Family.”

Wrapping up the interview, I thanked Craig for his time, and he gets ready to head out for some house concerts his planning to play before returning back to Ottawa. Later, I scan Facebook to see if I can find Liz’s photo, but I’m distracted by the numerous people who write on his wall to thank him for his live music. One woman takes a photo of herself and the Book of Truths where she’s written a note to a friend, thanking her for introducing her to his music.

I smile. I remember that earlier in my interview with Craig, he revealed what advice he has offered to children in his musical workshops: If you’re going to listen to Nickleback, perhaps you should also listen to some Craig Cardiff.

Well put, friend.

Craigcardiff.com - Care Humphries, Velvet Rope Magazine

I love going into gigs blind and coming away with a richer than assumed experience. Although you may not be hearing your favorite songs and sharing in those sweet moments alongside fans familiar with the material, there is still something kind of neat about suspending expectation and just allowing a new experience to wash over you.

Having been introduced to Ottawa, Ontario’s Craig Cardiff by a friend just weeks prior I had only so much to go on, however after viewing a few live clips online I was sold. And so my partner and i made our way down to Vancouver’s mighty Railway club with open hearts and minds, not having any idea of just how heart and mind filling this night would be.

Craig hit the stage at around 9pm and after a bit of setup he was plugged in and ready to go, the faithful fans seated on the floor directly in front of the stage and filling up the rest of the room. You could tell within the first few notes and words that Craig let out that he wasn’t just any bearded kind-hearted man playing folk music, and maybe it was my mood that night or maybe it was because I was sharing this experience with the woman I love, but my eyes immediately misted over and that familiar tingle in the spine assured me that there was no other place on earth I’d have rather been.

Now, I’m not going to pretend to know much in the way of songs that were played, being a relative newcomer. The man is armed with around 14 albums worth of material with his first, Judy Garland (You’re Never Home) being released in 1997. To go through this monster canon of tunes in the hopes of kick starting my sketchy memory would be an exhausting affair and I’d probably fumble the ball anyway. What I can tell you is that as a performer he is very giving, engaging with his fans as though they were old friends, often playing out of the ordinary venues such as the living rooms of peoples houses, and making set lists more personal by asking fans what they’d like to hear and building upon that. I can also tell you that his gentle voice and strumming skills are sometimes mixed and looped via a collection of effects pedals at his feet, making his easy on the ears folk tunes a little more edgy and modern. With a sound reminding me at times of Joe Purdy, both in lyric and feeling, Cardiff led the way through his years as an artist with an understated warm confidence that blanketed the audience in a silenced reverie. This truly felt less like a formal show and more like a gathering of friends and strangers in some giant living room, Cardiff playing host with his stories made musical.

Looking around the room at the happy softened faces of people lounging wherever they could, my lady by my side happily knitting away, strangers and lovers alike united in this most lovely of evenings, It didn’t seem like it could get any more perfect than this. Until it did. Somewhere near the end of Cardiff’s set he mentioned a fan requesting a particular song, at which point he had said fan come up on stage with his girlfriend for a slow dance. It was quite the romantic little number and I turned to my lady, saying “This is totally a marriage proposal tune.” Then, as if magic dude reached into his pocket, got down on bended knee and popped the big question. It was almost too perfect and I’m not quite sure if what went down fully registered with everyone in the audience at first, but there you have it, a final layer of icing on an already delicious cake.

And yes, she said yes.

I get the impression that these kinds of things just seem to happen at Craig Cardiff shows. Maybe not necessarily marriage proposals but it seems the kind of music and atmosphere that invites a certain comfort of being. The music Cardiff plays is gutsy stuff straight from the heart and with cleverly strung together lyrics that tell of personal tales we can all relate to, in a way that is fresh and engaging. His presence is friendly and you can tell that he enjoys the connections he forges with his audience, onstage and off.

I came away from this show with a sense of high praise and thanksgiving, yearning for more live musical experiences that bring me closer to myself and the people around me. The sharing of art and the muse should look more like that more often, and in this entertainment industry world of gig, forget, and move on to the next town, we definitely need a few more good souls like Craig Cardiff to bring us together. - Nathan Pike, All Whats Rock

http://thecadre.ca/tag/craig-cardiff/

Juno-nominated Craig Cardiff is on campus today offering workshops as well as hosting a live show tonight at The Wave. The workshops will be held in MacMillan Hall from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Stop by for some help with songwriting, as well as marketing tips, and maybe a few stories.
The Cadre caught up with the folk singer to speak about his upcoming double-album, his Book of Truths, as well as playing in alternate venues.
Cadre: Love is Louder (Than All This Noise) is coming out as a double-album on November 19th. What inspired you to do this?
Cardiff: “When I first started working with producers Ben Leggett and Andre Wahl, they said, ‘we don’t want to make another record like you’ve made before.’ And that’s why you hire producers; to push you creatively. I got a little nervous because I was like what do you mean, these are the albums that I like to make. So what came out of it was I brought them my basket of songs, and they helped sift through it and made recommendations, and, in the end, the three of us picked out songs that would be best delivered in a full live band setting. I’ve never played that loud or that hard, and it was very exciting. The second album is more focused on the acoustic of my different songs, with cello, clarinet and violin arrangements supporting it.”
Cadre: Looking at your discography, I noticed that you have quite a few releases. How do you keep your music fresh?
Cardiff: “I feel like the reality is that everybody is trying to paint that one perfect picture or write that one perfect poem or write one perfect song. I think that every time I try to write something it’s attempting that, to untie that knot, to find the perfect in whatever it is we’re trying to do. So I think if you’re stringent, and you’re open to push yourself creatively, I don’t think that you necessarily ever get it right. There’s always something that could be done better, and that’s how you keep it fresh, always keeping that as your focus artistically, and pushing yourself.”
Cadre: As a songwriter, do you have a writing process?
Cardiff: “I like creating under pressure, where most feel comfortable crafting a song and piecing it out in private, and then presenting it after lots and lots of edits. I often just bang something off within a few hours, and try to slip it in. I find that, for me, that pressure pushes me to where good stuff will happen. I can think of half of the songs on this album and half of the songs on the previous album, Flood and Fires, that’s where they were born. They would not have been written, but for me standing up in front of crowded but friendly rooms taking a risk and just saying here’s something and I’m not sure exactly how it’s going to go, but we’re going to try it.”
Cadre: You turned to Indiegogo for funding this album. How was that experience?
Cardiff: “Oh, it’s been amazing; we were able to raise just over $11,000, which certainly helps a lot when you’re funding recording the album off credit. It was a much better feeling knowing that people have voted for the music with their money even before it was made.”
Cadre: I read that you like to keep connected with your fans, and one of the ways you do that is through your Book of Truths. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
Cardiff: “The Book of Truths idea started two and a half years ago at a show where a couple just came up to me and they had talked to me about how their first date had been at a show back when they were in University, and they had brought their child with them. They were kind of like here we are today. It was really sweet and I had a notebook that I used that night for the set list and I gave it to them with a pen. I told them it was a sweet story, and I don’t want to forget it so could you please write it down. They finished and they were about to hand the book back to me, and I told them to give it to the other people and tell them what the idea is. So that’s when it started and I’m guessing right now, I feel like there’s just under 100 books. I think the function of a performer is to take a room and turn it into a group, and to take strangers and bring them together.”
Cadre: You are also open to playing at alternate venues, and it is said that you have played in over 500 living rooms. How did this come about?
Cardiff: “I just got so tired trying to work with most bars. I just wasn’t profitable for them so it just became this idea of moving to places where people were excited to hear music. It’s not a new idea, house concerts, it’s been happening forever and always, but I think what has been lost and it’s exciting to see it come back is there was a while where people were seen as “professional musicians” that would only play in “proper venues.” In my opinion, if there’s 5 people or more who are excited to hear me and you can make it work, then go play your best show for them. Get over yourself and whatever it is that makes a venue proper, because it’s about the audience and connecting with them.”
Make sure you stop by one of the workshops today with Craig. They are free and you can come and go as you please. Also, if you would like to learn more about Craig or listen to some of his music check out his website here.

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Have you ever wanted to learn how to write a song? Maybe you want to ask a musician what it takes to be famous, or maybe you are looking for something fun to do this Friday. Well look no further.
This Friday, November 1st 2013, Craig Cardiff will be in town. For those who haven’t heard of Craig Cardiff, he is a singer-songwriter based in Ontario. Cardiff will be here all day Friday to run singer songwriter workshops from 10-4 in McMillan Hall. Cardiff has extensive experience with song writing, preforming, recording, and touring. These workshops are informal and drop ins are welcome during that time period. Skill level does not matter because the workshops are all about getting better. Later in the evening, at 8 pm, Cardiff will be moving into The Wave to give a performance.
Craig’s music is somewhat edgy folk, beautiful, and melancholic, and will keep your body swaying all night long. Craig’s Facebook page describes his music as “one song breaks your heart, and the next one puts it back together.” Cardiff’s music is very inviting and makes you feel like you’re the only one in the room. Cardiff likes to keep his audience involved in his concert throughout the night, which makes the audience feel like they are a part of the show.
If you’re looking for more information on the event, look for an interview with Cardiff to be posted tomorrow morning and check out the Facebook page. - Sierra Roberts, Jennifer Brenton [The Cadre (UPEI)]

My summers are filled with live music and a big part of that are festivals. One of the first festivals of the season in Ottawa is Westfest, which is a great festival in the community of Westboro that has much more than music to offer but I mainly go for the music. Not only does WestFest get interesting acts each year, but they somehow keep it free as well.

This year, I only made it to the Saturday night shows. I caught local talent Craig Cardiff, who was great and appeared to have quite a few fans in the crowd who were more than willing to sing along and they obviously already knew the lyrics too.

The headline act was the amazing Sarah Harmer. I’ve been a fan since the first Weeping Tile album. She is an incredibly talented songwriter and great singer, too. I have not seen her live since her 2011 performance at the Bronson Centre. I’m not surprised, but she did not seem rusty at all. She sounded just as fantastic as I remembered her and she gave us a very full set.

It was a great time. Thanks Craig, Sarah, and WestFest! - Darren Boucher, The Revue

There is a warm and inviting feeling to the end of the world.

In Craig Cardiff’s Floods and Fires, the seemingly apocalyptic crises life throws at our solemn narrator are met with a measure of hope and the promise of shelter to wait out the storm.

“I feel like every song has an element of opening up and waking up to it,” explains the 36-year-old veteran singer-songwriter.

“I like the twist that there's this Biblical, terrible idea we all have of floods and fires, but I think of how fire is sometimes the most beneficial thing for certain systems – to get wiped out and grow back again,” he says.

The result is a soothing swell of harmonies that never overwhelm the taut emotion carried through Cardiff’s soft, whispery voice.

To say he has a loyal following would be an understatement. Floods and Fires, Cardiff’s Juno-nominated sixteenth album, was funded entirely through donations and pre-purchases. And as he tours through Alberta, making a stop Aug. 10 at the Ironwood, he will divide his performances between traditional venues and fan-hosted parties.

The opportunity to cosy up to the crowd is a welcome one, and he’s found people are more than happy to be involved.

“It's one thing to get on stage and play through your set,” he says.

“It’s almost anonymous, when you're so disconnected by the height of the stage – the audience is hidden by the lights. But when there's 50 people crammed into each other in a house, it's very intimate.”

Finding truths

Even with this comfortable, close environment, Cardiff sought to open up a conversation. He recalls a show in Peterborough, Ont., a locale he's played often in his 10-year-plus career. There he spoke with a couple and their young daughter, who shared his show was one of the first concerts they attended together. Realizing he'd been touring through communities for so long, he wanted to know more about the folks he was spending so much time with.

This prompted Cardiff to circulate a notebook he dubbed the Book of Truths.

"The idea was just to pass around a book and jump trough all the trivial stuff, the polite drivel, and ask people to share something that's true," he says of the anonymous notes.

"Something that wouldn't come up in conversation, (treat it) as if we were good friends. It felt unfair that I was the only one getting to say anything."

The messages scrawled into the book have run the gamut from tales of pain and loss to people holding on to love they can't share yet for another soul.

"Some of the stuff that's come back, you realize how all of us are equally perfect and equally broken and the only difference is some of us hide it better."

But others are perplexed at the prospect, asking what he means by truth. He says they often pass the book along saying they have no secrets to reveal.

Cardiff finds this curious, explaining to him, truth is "anything that you can say and unequivocally can't be taken from you, or when you say it and it gets out of you, you feel better and stand up taller.”

Bridging the gap

This attitude might help explain how his song writing, though personal, is never alienating.

Cardiff maintains that bridging the gap and connecting directly with those who follow the art should be the hallmark of any successful musician.

Often, he's hailed as revolutionary for his approach to circulating music and booking gigs, a term he finds embarrassing. As an independent artist, he's found that reaching out and being willing to ask for help is a key strategy to grow his fanbase.

"It's running a good small business you're proud of," he says. "I happen to be singing songs, someone else might be an accountant or a farmer and finding ways to make it work."

His good-natured voice grows gruff, seemingly half annoyed and half bemused.

"My response to complainers, gently, ... is don't worry about the people who have you and Jennifer Lopez and Justin Bieber and every other piece of music that they never listen to on their hard drive.

"Focus on the 500 or 1,000 people that are supporting it. Make them important and connect with them."

Rather than fighting a losing battle against piracy, musicians should be helping people make the connection between the sale of music and how artists make a living, he says.

"I think the biggest thing is removing this need for permission or waiting for a record label or a venue to call.

"It's your fault if you're successful, it's your fault if you fail. It's very liberating to approach your art and how you make a living like that."

He recalls a conversation during a recent show, where a fan told him he'd been burning Cardiff's songs onto mix CDs for friends and that he'd turned each one into a fan.

"I said, 'you know what I appreciate you doing that.'

"There's no $100,000 marketing campaign that could ever beat an endorsement of your best friend sending you what they're listening to."

Albertans are no exception with a handful opening their homes for private shows as Cardiff tours the province.

Calgarians will have the chance to see Cardiff, his harmonica and guitar on Friday, Aug. 10, at the Ironwood.

For more information about Cardiff's tour check out craigcardiff.com. - Ellen Keeble, The Calgary Sun

Category: Roots & Traditional Album of the Year, Solo

The album: Floods and Fires

The competition: Bruce Cockburn’s Small Source of Comfort; Dave Gunning’s A Tribute to John Allan Cameron; David Francey’s Late Edition; Lindi Ortega’s Little Red Boots

Check him out: Watch a video of Craig Cardiff’s song Wait, Maybe Love at ottawacitizen.com/junos

Singer-songwriter Craig Cardiff releases at least one new album practically every year, whether it’s a document of a live show, a collection of cover songs or a few tunes recorded on his iPod.

But for his Juno-nominated 16th endeavour, Floods and Fires, he wanted to try a different approach.

“A lot of my albums have been done off the cuff. This time, the intention was to make the time,” says the 35-year-old from his Arnprior-area farmhouse, which also served as a recording studio for the year-and-a-half recording process.

“I wanted to be challenged. I love and I’m proud of the albums that are quirky and interesting, but I wanted to work on an album that I didn’t ever pause at the end and go, ‘It would have been nice to try out flugel horn,’ ” he says.

Horns, strings, programming and a host of guest performers, including a high-school choir, are all part of the fun on Floods and Fires, Cardiff’s ambitious new album. No more mumbling from the introspective artist with the cult following; perhaps for the first time, his songs are presented with the polish and confidence of a seasoned artist.

From the majestic loops of The Very Last Night of the End of the World to the feel-good caress of Safe Here, the cello-enhanced lullaby Gate and a sprinkling of starting-over songs, it’s a gorgeous album that seems to find a balance between heartbreak and joy. Listening to Cardiff’s gentle, expressive voice, you can imagine that Paul Simon is whispering in one ear and Van Morrison in the other.

On the technical side, helping to achieve the rich sound was producer/engineer Ben Leggett, who rejigged the home studio, co-wrote some of the material and even moved into Cardiff’s house to get the job done.

“I warned him there would be a lot of scope creep with this album because I had an idea how big I wanted it to be, and I wanted to spend a lot of time,” says Cardiff. “I didn’t want to set parameters ... I wanted to feel confident that the songs are fully realized.”

Cardiff was also going through a separation, and learning how to juggle his touring schedule with shared custody of his daughter, Rowan, now four years old. But instead of writing a bitter breakup album, he chose to focus on the positive.

“(The songs) are all reminders of all the joy, the perfectness of little things we forget about. It’s very happy and upbeat, and big sounding,” he says. “In terms of the theme, the idea of floods and fires, it’s the biblical idea of terribleness, and the idea that those things can also give you good things, in terms of cleaning out or resettling things.

“The other piece I keep finding in all the songs, is just the idea of choosing to be happy, and choosing not to be afraid. So yeah, it is a definite statement.”

Cardiff moved to the Ottawa area from Waterloo when he was in his 20s. He lived in Wakefield for a few years before buying the old farmhouse in Eastern Ontario, partly because it’s close to main highways. An independent musician who performs solo and tours a lot, Cardiff is often held up as an example of a trailblazer in the changing landscape of the music industry. He doesn’t see it that way.

“I feel like it’s all just having simpler business models for stuff,” he says. “I feel uncomfortable with the idea of trail blazing when all it is is applying the same principles as if you’re an accountant, plumber or any other self-employed person.

“Everything is working right now to make a living. I get to release music that I’m excited about, and I’m paying the bills and able to choose things for myself, which is a luxury. I feel very lucky for that.”

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
- Lynn Saxberg, The Ottawa Citizen

I maneuvered through the Reverb/Kathedral/Holy Joe's maze with enough time to catch the last few songs of solo acoustic artist Scott Acomba as he played to the pin-drop quiet crowd. The sound quality was excellent, but I think you could have had a black-out and still heard everything perfectly. The appreciative silence was maintained intoCraig Cardiff's set, and thank cheese for that because Cardiff launched into a song that layered vocals with the help of a microphone plugged into a delay pedal.

The effect was stunning and an excellent idea for a solo acoustic song, especially considering that Cardiff's endearing, plaintive, and powerful voice is intoxicating to hear. After the applause died down Craig invited the rhythmic talents of Paul Mathew (bass) and Ryan Granville Martin (drums) onto the stage for "Albion Hotel" and the trio performed a tight, multi-textured, and dynamically arranged set of songs from Cardiff's three CDs.

The best part about Cardiff's show is the transition he makes from slightly shy and apologetic during the between-song banter to the confident and accomplished singer-songwriter during the songs. Not only is it an engaging and genuine stage presence, but it helps draw the audience into the songs and really feel like they're part of the show. Cardiff is a powerfully good songwriter, and it always feels like he's revealing an intimate part of himself just for you because you're extra special.

- IndieVoice.com / Greg Morrie

WHO'S IT FOR altfolk - Craig Cardiff
RECOMMENDATION

In his more than five years playing music and producing albums, Craig Cardiff has enjoyed a strong and growing audience among live music enthusiasts throughout Ontario. He has enraptured university crowds and his performance at CMW this year certainly opened up the possibility for more from this gifted singer-songwriter.

Cardiff's storytelling is captivating and included is a link to a story he told in Montreal at Club Zone. His witty banter rounds out a great live performance.

Judy Garland ... you're never home captures a lot of the wonderful little melodies that Craig concocted from his years of music listening and touring.

Judy Garland isn't his newest album, but one of his finest. Unlike Cardiff's latest release, Happy, it's backed up by a full band, giving it a richer and deep interpretation of his acoustic sound.

The backup vocals compliment the mellow and reflective tone of the album and don't distract from his trademark scratchy bar voice.

Cardiff continues to produce a sounds that reflects a whole host of influences. Judy Garland brings together his random but imaginative lyrics with the musical styles of so many of his talented friends.


- Emergent Music - Toronto, ON

http://www.ottawaxpress.ca/music/artist.aspx?iIDGroupe=3478&iIDSpectacle=10623&iIDRepresentation=0

Rating of our members : (2 members)


Physical Experience

Introduced to the musical abilities of Craig Cardiff more than two years ago, I am hooked forever. This is an addiction worse than heroin... In the two years (and some) that I have known Craig, I have yet to miss a live show in Ottawa or surrounding area.

To go to a show where the audience is hushed by the shadowed ambience created by the performing artist leaves one in a state of awe. This is how every show begins. Music will not commence until all conversations cease, rather Craig quietly strums his acoustic guitar, drawing in ears set by set. After a few words of gratitude for attending, and for those fortunate enough to open for him, the experience begins...

Oblivious to characterized 'norms' of stage presence, Craig unveils his magical fingers caressing the guitar like that of an old lover; his voice permeates your skin and seeps deep within your veins until you feel the music throughout your entire being. Regardless of one's state of mind (or lack there of) while attending the performance, Craig has the inevitable ability to reach out and heal the soul. Each note, chord, and tune speak directly to your soul offering soothing warmth and comfort.

Aside from recovering all lost souls, his lyrics deal with everything from love to renting apartments to recent news stories. The ever-clever man and his guitar are an answer to prayers in a world filled with depressing music and media-happy artists. F*ck Celine Dion, the Tragically Hip, Alanis Morrissette, and the Barenaked Ladies - it is Craig Cardiff, from Waterloo ON that makes me damn proud to be Canadian, and a music guru on top of it all...

Remember his name - you'll soon seek him for the rest of your days.


Megan Marshall

December 11, 2004



Great Singer-Songwritter

Craig Cardiff is a name to remember. He is a great artist that plays a very personal show that is very enjoyable! His music is soothing for the soul. Sort of like John Mayer meet Teitur meet Jack Johnson, and then some. He has some really great songs, with lyrics discussing different topics; from being romantic to funny stories, its all there in a nice little package called Craig Cardiff!! His music is perfect to make one feel warm at heart or even to simply relax too.


Emilie DeBlois-McElrea

October 6, 2005 -

Craig Cardiff plays Bombshelter ? again
Arda Ocal - Imprint staff
Danielle Raymond - Special to Imprint




craigcardiff.com

Be part of some history during Craig Cardiff?s Bombshelter performance January 14.


Craig Cardiff, one of UW's most celebrated musicians, makes his bi-annual trip to the Bomber tonight.

But this time, Cardiff is coming with a purpose ? he is gearing up to record his next full-length album at our favourite campus bar.

Aptly called "Bombshelter," the CD will be a live album recorded directly from Friday's Bomber concert, and will be released for national distribution in March.

Cardiff himself is a nationally touring act, but can truly claim that he never loses touch with his fans at a grassroots level ? something he accomplishes by offering "living room concerts" to inquiring fans.

"Making music is a collaborative experience between the performer and the listener," says Cardiff. Cardiff welcomes the opportunity to present his music in a variety of venues such as churches, theatres, cafes and festival stages; however, he advocates that a living room show provides a more intimate experience. "Disco shanked the singer/songwriter in the ?70s, and the ?80s forced it into hibernation. The past 10 years have seen singer/song writer genre come into its own, bypassing the music machine and connecting directly with audiences."

Cardiff's commitment to his music is mirrored in his approach to touring and recording during the past eight years. Live recordings, self-produced albums that range in sound experimentation and collaboration comprise his six releases as well as contributions to charity compilation albums such as Warrior Nation, available as part of the MapleMusic/Universal Records catalogue.

After the Bombshelter show, a busy touring schedule awaits Craig Cardiff, with extensive touring in western and eastern Canada, as well as performance dates in New York, Boston and throughout the New England states.

Opening for and accompanying Craig Cardiff at the January 14 Bombshelter performance is Les Cooper. Les has spent the last several years of his life accompanying some of the best artists that Canada has to offer including Holly McNarland, Chantal Kreviaziuk, Andy Stochansky and Craig Cardiff. This will be a rare opportunity to catch this amazing artist performing his own material.


Also joining the gig are musicians Joel Stouffer (on drums and Rhodes piano), Paul Mathew (double bass) with special guests Craig Norris (on accordion) and Catherine Cardiff (Craig's sister), who will be playing piano.

Recording of the album will begin at 6 p.m. and will also serve as a teaser for the live concert which will occur after the recording is completed. Tickets are $9 at Feds, $12 for non-students and $12 at the door. For more info on Craig Cardiff, visit www.craigcardiff.com. - Danielle Raymond - Special to Imprint

Arts: Heading for the Bombshelter: Troubadour Craig Cardiff performs at the U of O
Written by Chris Whipp, Fulcrum Contributor


photo by bonnie findlay

U of O alumnus Craig Cardiff is moving up the charts with Maple Music.

Heading for the Bombshelter
Troubadour Craig Cardiff performs at the U of O

AS AN INDEPENDENT artist who has gone without the support of a record label, U of O alumnus Craig Cardiff knows the value of his fans.

"You could have been watching Internet porn or 50 channels of cable TV, but you chose to be here. Thank you," Cardiff states to his audience as he begins his set in Alumni Auditorium on October 20.

While not yet a household name, Cardiff has been performing small shows at university campuses across the country to help promote his music and sell the occasional CD, including his most recent, Bombshelter Living Room.

"It was actually recorded live at the University of Waterloo," he explains, mentioning that the title refers to the campus pub, the Bombshelter, where it was recorded.

For Cardiff, the live format works to his advantage, capturing the spontaneity that makes his performances so appealing. His sets are filled with anecdotes, many about incidents from previous performances.

"Anything you tell me tonight, I will talk about at future shows," Cardiff warns the audience before venturing into one of his many stories, while plucking chords on his acoustic to help fill the silence that has befallen his audience.

He then blends his story seamlessly into his next song, leading concert-goers to believe that it could have been rehearsed from the beginning.

"Sometimes I will write songs prior to shows; often I will be seized to make something up."

Admitting to not being a very technical guitar player, Cardiff has had to find ways to make himself stand out in the vast sea of singer/songwriters.

"I started looping while playing live about four or five years ago," referring to his unusual style of recording segments of a song and playing them back while he performs another part over top.

"It was actually started by Robert Fripp back in the 1970s and it has taken me some time to perfect the technique so that I can do it live," he said.

Several members of the audience

were puzzled when they suddenly heard four distinct voices that seemed to originate from only one man during the opening song. They became even more confused when Cardiff put down his guitar in favour of a cardboard box to play a beat over top of his recorded guitar.

Cardiff drew his audience in, filling the room with his soft voice and heartfelt lyrics, keeping them entranced for the entirety of the 45-minute set that seemed all too short.

Between songs, he told stories and interacted with the audience, even picking on one couple by bringing them down to the stage and having them slow dance to one of his ballads. Shying away from a final applause from the appreciative crowd, Cardiff ended the show the way it had started; by finishing his opening song and asking everyone to just disperse in the same manner they had entered an hour earlier. He then quietly left the stage, leaving a loop playing on repeat as the disco ball spun overhead.

The audience was also treated to the sweet voice of opening act Anique Granger, a singer/songwriter from Montreal. Granger’s bilingual set warmed the crowd and even featured an appearance by Cardiff, playing a cardboard box as a drum, on two songs. Even more impressive was that the pair had only met a few hours earlier at sound check, showing that their musicianship should not be underestimated. - Written by Chris Whipp, Fulcrum Contributor

Craig Cardiff plays to pub during post election gathering

Ahh, good old democracy. Campaigning came to a close last week and voting days had begun, leaving the fate of the UWSA candidates in the hands of their fellow students. Rock the Vote at the pub encourages students to participate in the election process, and also remedies election-induced stress amongst voters and candidates alike.


Craig Cardiff, a Quebec-born singer/songwriter, was nestled comfortably in the back seating area of the pub on Wednesday night. His mellow, relaxed performance matched the cozy atmosphere created by the staff at the pub: Candles dotted the tables surrounding the stage, creating an intimate mood amongst the crowd. Following the opening act by University of Windsor student Christian Masotti of the group Biggs Philosophies, Cardiff took the stage as the audience gathered around the tables, cut off from the background noise of the rest of the pub.


His display of raw talent was evident, as his performance on the acoustic guitar and his vocal abilities reflected both academic training and a passion for his music. He had the crowd rolling in laughter at several points: He recounted his performance at a bar which cordially provided its patrons with a syringe disposal box at its front door. He also encouraged audience members not to sit behind a pole so that they “Don’t have a neck problem. For life.”


The audience was taught the chorus to one of his songs before it was played, enabling them to sing along during Craig’s performance. CJAM radio was also covering the event and its news director Ryan Solomon enjoyed Cardiff’s performance, noting both his “Good voice and a dry wit.”


Dry wit is right. At one point, he randomly began to mutter “dirty talk” under his voice during the middle of the song. The audience fully appreciated his ability to make a connection with Windsor’s relaxed environment.


Second-year Communications major Jesse Breslin was surprised with the pub’s coffee house-style atmosphere, but appreciated the performance: “It was a really peaceful atmosphere, and it created a romantic mood. It was really laid back, and a good time. I hope they do it again, because this was much more classy than the typically loud music of the pub nights.”


Cardiff enjoyed his first visit to Windsor, which he refers to as the “Precipice of Detroit.” He describes his own music as “lyrical, and surreal poetry,” having vowed to get away from the typical baby, baby music that fails to convey real emotion or tell a story.


Like other artists, he was influenced by almost every genre of music while growing up, and played both the clarinet and the piano as a kid. Craig’s biggest influence is Elvis Costello, and he has a passion for both Jazz and Classical music although he admits that “any music that you can crank up and that can fill a house with sound is amazing.”


His newest album entitled Fistful of Flowers features requests from his fans. As for future plans, Craig has tour dates lined up for the next year around the U.S. Truly a down-to-earth, sincere guy, Craig’s visit was appreciated by all who were in attendance. To visit his site, which includes a blog thanking Windsor for hosting him on Wednesday March 22. For more information visit http://www.craigcardiff.com


Jessica Shultz
Lance Writer -

The Dears / Craig Cardiff
(Babylon; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)
06.13.03

by Wolfman

First of all, I’d like to start this review by pointing out a very interesting fact that I learned while I was enjoying The Dears’ performance. First, Ottawa sucks for their lack of support of independent music. I am ashamed that Ozzy can fill up an entire hockey arena and The Dears, one of indie rock’s premier performers, only get an attendance of about 200, if that. It clearly explains why I have to travel to Montreal or Toronto to enjoy a decent live show. Most artists will presumably forget to even consider Ottawa on their road trip. So for all of you who enjoy indie music and live in a small town, even though Ottawa is not a small town, continue to support your favourite artists by attending their shows. They will reap more benefits that way as well.

Opener Craig Cardiff was on his game. He enveloped the audience quickly with his surreal lyrics and approachable façade, keeping them interested with his alt-folk, acoustic ballads. Most fans were eagerly awaiting the arrival of The Dears but kept the ale flowing during Cardiff’s quiet and personal set. Five albums under his belt, he continues to turn heads by opening for renowned artists like Gord Downie, Blue Rodeo, and this evening, The Dears. His performance kept the evening young and honest, chugging through several acoustic favourites as well as a beautiful rendition of Cindy Lauper’s “Time After Time”. Performing solo shed a beautiful, introspective look at Cardiff as a strong and polished singer-songwriter.

The Dears took the stage with emotional rage, exploding into the set with a loud, chaotic and impressive instrumental song quickly showing the audience a taste of their broad musical approach. Singer and guitarist Murray A. Lightburn was quick to show us his two performing sides. First, he graced us an unappealing glance that made the audience grateful that he placed Valerie Joidon-Keaton and Natalia Yanchak, two attractive and eye-pleasing keyboardists of the band, on either side of him. Though Lightburn was difficult to look at, he quickly showed us where his true beauty lied when he took the microphone and began to sing each song with extreme passion and conviction. He delivered an impressive performance, keeping the audience fixed on his every word.

The Dears performed most of the songs on their mildly acclaimed 2003 release No Cities Left. One listen to the album could give you a clear image and perception of their live performance. From the scorching “Never Destroy Us” to the radio-friendly “Lost in the Plot," The Dears clearly portrayed their love for music, attentive to every note played by each member of the band. And although the stage was extremely small for six performers, they were charismatic and ambitious, trading instruments in the middle of songs and including a variety of instruments, from flute to mega horn, to create a distorted and attention-grabbing musical show.

There were several great moments during The Dears’ performance. A strong and appealing rendition of their best song “Heathrow or Deathrow” was extremely compelling. “Summer of Protest” was shockingly truthful as Lightburn muttered in his mega horn while every member of the band joined in, passionately fading the song by chanting “revolution!” repeatedly with raw and exquisite emotion. As the last “revolution” was chanted, I was left with a sense of desire to hear The Dears again and again. Unfortunately, the show was over, but their emotional approach to music was still with me and will continue to be with me for days to come.

Passion for music is what The Dears thrive on. Unfortunately, most people will pay an enormous amount of money to see some bumbling fool drool on himself and curse his microphone because he hasn’t been able to piss straight in years while you watch with boredom and melancholy. The Dears will make you feel their music, showing you every emotion you can conjure up during their show. Meaningful and stunning music is very hard to find in the mainstream nowadays, so head to your local indie music venue and feel what music should feel like. Support thought-provoking and talented artists that make music to say something, not sell you something. Thank you to The Dears for loving music.


Photo taken from: http://www.thedears.org -

Singer gives new meaning to the term 'home theatre'

By Ashley Fagan


OTTAWA — An acoustic guitar riff rises above the dull murmur of conversation. Random sentences float aimlessly around the room, almost drowning out the rhythmic guitar beat. What seem like countless voices bounce off the walls, until the volume of the music builds, and the white noise subsides.

The scene, reminiscent of any crowded bar, is a living room scattered with bodies. The fortunate ones have a spot on a couch or a chair. Others are standing or sitting cross-legged on the hard floor. All eyes are fixed on the source of the music.

Illuminated only by candlelight, 27-year-old singer-songwriter Craig Cardiff sits in the corner hunched over his guitar. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a few layers of grey shirts, he leans into a microphone and gently asks, “Can I get another beer over here?”

His sock-clad foot darts quickly from its resting place and hits a pedal that controls a looping machine that he uses to double-track his voice and layer the sound until it reaches a disorderly roar.

“It’s chaotic,” he says later. “It’s meant to illustrate the experience of being a performer and dealing with crowd noise. You can either shout your way through it, which usually gets you poor results, or you can tease your way through it with instruments and the power of music.”

It’s a technique Cardiff usually finds himself practising at his shows, whether it’s in a bar, a campus pub or a living room.

“In a place where people start off not listening, it’s very difficult to try to capture the words,” he says. “So, sometimes, if you can just mirror what often happens. Then they will sort of rise above it and not participate in it.”

Performing in living rooms is not unusual for Cardiff. For the past three years, he has been challenging the boundaries of performance by taking his music into people’s homes. By playing in unconventional venues and incorporating the looping technique and storytelling into his shows, he says, he tries to create a unique performance.

As a teenager in Waterloo, Ont., Cardiff began volunteering with a woman who organized performances in churches. Trying to expand on that theme, he took his career into the homes of his fans and began playing music and telling stories in an intimate environment.

When you hire Cardiff to play in your home, you become his booking agent for a night. You and Cardiff work together to reach an agreement on the number of expected guests and the price of tickets. Advertising for a living room show relies on word-of-mouth and personal endorsements.

“There is a difference between choosing something because of an advertisement or because a friend told you,” Cardiff says. “One holds a bit more weight, and you’ll be a bit more open to it. In many ways, it’s easier to me as a performer. There is less of a challenge or an obstacle to win the crowd over.”

But even in a living room filled with an audience of 40, Cardiff still works hard to charm his audience. He tells stories about how he finds inspiration for his lyrics, and often draws laughter from the crowd.

In the dull glow of candlelight,Cardiff's relationship with his audience is more like conversation among friends than performance.

“People are always amazed that it is so weird to have access, to not make it such a separation between the performer and the audience,” he says. “Performers exist only with the audience. They can’t exist without one another. It’s almost like a permission to perform.”

As he begins to feel the crowd grow more comfortable with the lines between performer and audience blurred, Cardiff begins to tell stories.

He talks about being a teenager and getting caught with a girl in the backseat of a car. It receives smiles of familiarity and nods of recognition from the audience. A stray voice yells out, needling a friend with an inside joke about a similar experience.

Breaking from his train of thought, Cardiff stops his story and directs his attention to the audience.

“What’s your story?” he asks. “Has that happened to you?” Throughout his performances, and especially with living room shows, Cardiff promotes this sense of sharing.

“When I’m telling stories, I’m like, ‘Does anybody have a story about this?’ And there’s always someone who is like, ‘Oh my God. Your story was not even half as good as mine.’ And they share it, and that’s really great. At these types of shows, where they are more intimate, it becomes more common.”

The emphasis on storytelling drifts not only through Cardiff’s comedic tales, but also through his lyrics. His performance isn’t just the music, but the entire experience with elements of music and spoken word.

“I want it to be a narrative, connected with a number of songs,” he says. “I think the storytelling is a huge part of what I’m doing now, and I think it gives people a pause. There is a contention sometimes, created by songs that the humour offsets.

“I’m very far away from being a wonderful and articulate storyteller, but it’s something that I definitely admire in performers. And it’s something that I’d like to bring in and improve upon for my own art in performances.”

Cardiff doesn’t just play living rooms. He’s working on his seventh CD, a collection of songs with an accompanying booklet of stories and lyrics. The music will be softer and less lyrically driven than his other six CDs, he says. He says he wants to highlight his writing.

Cardiff splits his time between touring the country and performing near his home in Wakefield, Que., across the Ottawa River from the nation’s capital.

Cardiff often works with other artists, including his three sisters, and he says he’s open to incorporating songs, styles and instruments of others.

In an upcoming performance at the University of Waterloo, Cardiff and fellow singer-songwriter Les Cooper will team up to record a live show, which they plan to release on CD next year.

“I think as far as Craig and I collaborating in any way, with me playing on his music, it’s like an esthetic with him,” says Cooper, who has played with Cardiff for a number of years. “He likes space in his music, and have things have an emotional quality to really put the lyrics across and create an atmosphere.

“When we get on stage, we’re going to have this conversation musically. We discuss the mood we want to create. I think that’s the job when people play together, to understand where the other person is coming from.”

Cooper gives Cardiff credit for performing in living rooms.

“I admire him for doing it. People think that when you get on a stage with lights and sound system and up in front of an audience that it’s hard, that it’s nerve racking. I think that’s the easy part.”

It is the intimacy and sense of a music community that Cardiff tries to capture. It is the feeling you can only get at home.

“I would much rather spend my time in a person’s house, where they are sharing food and drinks and new people get to meet each other,” Cardiff says. “It just makes a better story,”

“You have to think about what kind of story you want to tell, and I think that’s a better story.” -

Picture this: Orientation Week at Lakehead University, 1999. A young man is in charge of playing music between orientation sessions. His one and only job is to press play on the ancient 1963 Phillips cassette deck in the Upper Lecture Theatre so students don’t fall asleep during their first day of university. Unfortunately, one very important item is missing from the picture. There is no cassette in the player. Desperately, he asks everyone in the theatre for a cassette. But this is 1999 and no one listens to cassettes anymore. Suddenly, just as the first speaker finishes, a beautiful stranger comes to the man with a mixed tape and saves the day.

As the event draws to a close, the stranger is gone so the man brings the music home for a closer listen. The opening song about the relationship of a grandmother and grandson is so beautiful it makes him cry. He rewinds and replays it all night. He becomes obsessed to learn any information about the song, but there’s no writing on the tape and the girl is nowhere to be found.

Weeks later, as he sings the song at a Lake Tamblyn camp fire, a friend asks in amazement how on earth he knew of this virtual unknown singer from Waterloo named Craig Cardiff and his song “Grandma”.

They find a work number for Mr. Cardiff and ask him to perform a concert at The Outpost so they could share his music with the entire Lakehead community. After months of planning and promotion, 300 students attend the first ever Craig Cardiff concert at The Outpost. Not bad for a “virtual unknown”.

Ever since, he’s been coming to Lakehead every year and the tradition continues for the seventh year this upcoming weekend at The Study.

Cardiff is currently on a cross-Canada tour in support of his eighth album, Fistful of Flowers, a collection of cover songs from some of his favourite artists such as Smashing Pumpkins, Fleetwood Mac, R.E.M., Peter Gabriel, and Joni Mitchell. Surely, Craig’s signature “loop pedal” will raise eyebrows as he seemingly sings lead vocals and harmonies and plays rhythm and lead guitar all at the same time. It’s worth the price of admission itself.

Craig Cardiff will be playing two solo shows at The Study Coffee House Saturday, March 11 and Sunday, March 12. Local LU talent will open the shows. As a thank you to fans who have supported him over the years and to entice new fans, Craig has reduced ticket prices to $5 advance. Seating is limited at The Study and entry costs more at the door, so get a ticket early. To hear some of Craig’s music, go to www.craigcardiff.com. Also, the LUSU Multicultural Centre will be giving out free Craig Cardiff demo CDs on campus all week.

Thanks to everyone for your ears. -

He was back and he romanced as usual. It was the epitome of an intimate and literally candle-lit evening as Craig Cardiff deliv-ered his sweet voice to the small crowd at the SUB cafeteria on Friday, March 31. The tacky candles in the shape of a larger woman deco-rated the SUB tables during the show, bought personally by Cardiff at Dollarama for the evening."What I liked about them is that they beautify the female form with proper curves. They don't go the direction of Pamela Anderson. They're like, you know, you're beautiful just the way you are," he said in a face-tious and thought-provoking manner.The night opened with Amy and Natasha Hartery of Rendi-tion Ammunition, who wooed the crowd with vocals and saxo-phone before Cardiff turned us all to mush. "He's got a very emotional, hypnotic style in some ways," commented Allen Heerema. "It's also great to see him get worked up in his music, the expressions on his face."He was accompanied this time by bassist Paul Cressman, who describes Cardiff's style as "a kiss on the lips and a punch in the stomach."With bittersweet lyrics expressing a yearning and appreciation for love in all its forms, Cardiff is ultimately an utterance of personal liberation and a denial of social confor-mity.Lyrics like "dance like no one is watchin'" and the small intimate venues he tends to create are antithetical to larger shows held in major stadiums, where more mainstream bands play."I think what I do works better for small venues," said Cardiff. "I've opened for some bigger shows and it's hard to bring big crowds to a level of intimacy, unless you agree to it. It's an agreement between the performer or artist and the audience.""I would say that what I do generally works better in smaller groups, sort of like the Hutterites. The Hutterites work better in small groups...it's a theory of human behavior," he continued.The Hutterites are a Marx-ist and Christian sect who have learned that social cohesion is best maintained in small groups, and that non-coop-erators can be humiliated into better behavior.That's not to say he wouldn't like to hear a song or two on the radio. But it's a reason-able comparison to say that in many ways Cardiff's style at once refl ects and embodies the small community spirit of X: intensely proud to be who we are and to be in a place where students from diverse economic and social back-grounds can learn, live and love together without social status erecting a brick wall between us.The mellow, pensive and moving sounds of Cardiff are part of a deeper reaction to the 21stcentury ­ a response to alienation, to superfi cial appearances and to everything else that post-modern society can do to the individual. VP Activities Amanda Milne thanked Cardiff for coming out for the second time this year and lauded him as one of her favourite artists to work with. "It's so nice that you work so hard and care so much about your music ... and really providing that scene for students and people in general," said Milne.His performance was impres-sive as usual, albeit short and only about an hour long.The evening was also part of an attempt to advertise the changes brought to CFXU's increase from 5 to 50 watts. Cardiff has also come out with a new album of covers, Fist-ful of Flowers, featuring tunes by Joni Mitchell, Annie Lennox, Billy Corgan and others. For more info and to purchase his new and older CDs, visit www.craigcardiff.com -

Craig Cardiff's 15-plus year career has been a textbook study in how to do everything right in building a grassroots audience. Working completely independently, the Ottawa-based singer-songwriter has crisscrossed the nation countless times, playing everywhere from living rooms to theatres, converting diehard followers every step of the way with a heart-on-sleeve approach that now seems eerily prescient in this Age of Mumford. Cardiff's last album, Floods & Fires, was a major breakthrough, earning a Juno nomination and even landing in the SoundScan Top 10 for a week.

That momentum is palpable on Love Is Louder, a two-disc set that pairs Cardiff with a full band for the first time on one half, while maintaining his troubadour identity on the other. From rousing sing-along opener "Head vs Heart," it's a wonder why it's taken Cardiff this long to expand his sound. Then again, the assembled players, led by guitarist James Robertson, are the perfect match for Cardiff's wide dynamic range, pushing him to new heights but knowing when to allow the fragile qualities of Cardiff's best performances here shine through, as on "Recovering."

That Nick Drake-esque side of Cardiff is given plenty of space on Love Is Louder's second disc, where many of the same songs are presented again with largely piano and string backing. In some ways, it's too much of a good thing, but Cardiff can't be faulted for going the extra mile for his audience. It's what's gotten him to this point, and is sure to carry him further with this effort that puts him solidly in the upper echelon of Canadian folk artists. (self-released, www.craigcardiff.com)

Had you wanted to do a half-acoustic/half-electric double album for some time?
No, it came from producers Ben [Leggett] and Andre [Wahl]. Their position was, "You're not allowed to make another record like the ones you've made." The idea became not pigeonholing a song but giving it two faces. It's almost like covering yourself in a way.

What's made your audience so devoted to you?
I feel like there's a lot of space for them in the show and in the process, whether it's booking the shows or funding the albums. People want to reach out. It was interesting doing that ten years ago because there just weren't venues that were interested. But if there are 50 people open to organizing something, you should go play there. (Independent) - Jason Schneider, Exclaim!