Craig Cardiff details the special kind of unabashed bliss that accompanies summer romance with his latest single and video Emm & May — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
With images of hands held on the beach, soft kisses and the kind of infatuation that gives you “a sweet weakness in the knees,” Emm & May is a rambunctious, enveloping folk refrain about a budding love — as observed through the eyes of someone who loves to share a good story.
The song — the second to arrive ahead of the award-worthy Canadian folk singer-songwriter’s forthcoming album All This Time Running — is instantly in keeping with Cardiff’s signature style of songwriting. For almost a decade, the Arnprior, Ont., artist has passed around a notebook titled Book of Truths during shows, encouraging the audience to write and share something — a story, a confession, a hope or a secret — they might be too afraid to say out loud. In response, Cardiff — dubbed by Gordon Lightfoot as a “songwriter who needs to be heard” — often finds himself responding by writing songs that offer glimmers of hope.
The video for Emm & May features songwriter and actor Lane Webber and is directed by Jennifer Besworth. Cardiff is notably absent from the clip, a decision the songwriter says was obvious. “The song might be from my brain, but I wanted to capture it from a completely different perspective,” he shares. “The song isn’t about me, it’s about this beautiful, sweet, short love story, so it was important for me to let them — the actors and the director — tell it.”
Cardiff is a certified gold-selling artist for his single Dirty Old Town, as well as a Juno and Canadian Folk Music Awards nominee. He has played with and opened for artists such as Justin Nozuka, Glen Phillips, Lucy Kaplansky, Dan Bern, Natalia Zukerman, Andy Stochansky, Sarah Harmer, Kathleen Edwards, Blue Rodeo, Gordon Downie, Hawksley Workman, Sarah Slean, Skydiggers, 54•40, and more, helmed a growing list of workshops and talks at schools, camps, festivals, and churches throughout North America and Hong Kong. All This Time Running will be his 19th album.
Watch Emm & May above, hear more from Craig Cardiff below, and keep up with him on his website, Facebook and Instagram.
