Craig Robertson Admits: I Never Know What’s On Your Mind

The Ontario singer-songwriter channels R.E.M. for this romantic confessional.

Craig Robertson ponders love and misunderstanding in his peaceful new single and video I Never Know What’s On Your Mind — showcasing today on Tinnitist.

Taken from his latest album Running The Other Way and reminiscent of classic R.E.M., I Never Know What’s On Your Mind is one of the record’s standout tracks, probing the depths of interpersonal relationships with bittersweet lyrics complemented by a haunting arrangement that reflects the album’s stellar production.

I Never Know What’s On Your Mind is one of those songs where I channeled my love and influence of R.E.M.,” Robertson acknowledges. “I was kind of blown away by how it turned out at the hands of James McKenty, who mixed the album at In Record Time Studios. We were going for earthy vibes for the record, and he suggested we ‘expand the sonic scape’ on this one. He nailed it. It’s one of the highlights on this album for me.”

For the visuals, Craig teamed up once again with Sean Ryan, one of Canada’s leading video directors, who leaned into the song’s mood with autumnal scenes shot in Toronto’s High Park. Weaving in and out of sunbursts, along with shadows and light, it’s one of Sean’s finest efforts to date.

Running The Other Way features 10 songs that explore complex personal territory, set against the backdrop of Canada’s vast landscape. The album was recorded at Robertson’s home studio in Cambridge, with the aid of his longtime bassist Jeff Dunk, multi-instrumentalist James McKie (formerly of Jerry Leger’s Situation), guitarists Andrew Barker and Ken Yoshioka, with Constantina Stehlik adding backing vocals. Running The Other Way’s finely crafted sound was augmented further through horn parts arranged by Sabatino Vacca (conductor of the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra), with the final mix done by trusted collaborator McKenty (Blue Rodeo, Cuff The Duke, Matthew Barber).

Having the luxury of working on his own timetable allowed Robertson to explore every possible artistic angle on Running The Other Way, narrowing down the track list from multiple versions of close to 30 songs he had on hand. “I feel like I’ve hit a stride I haven’t hit before,” he says. “I released two albums during the pandemic and that helped me hone my creative process, my writing, and how to put it all together at my studio. This album sounds more like me than any other project I’ve done. The one thing I have really developed is my singing in the studio; this album’s vocals are the best I’ve laid down in recording sessions.”

Photo by Crystal Harvey-Robertson.

As a staunch R.E.M. fan, Robertson’s musical vision for Running The Other Way may be described as his Out Of Time / Automatic For The People era, where incorporating acoustic instruments in an alternative rock context is the predominant theme. He also says that reading Rick Rubin’s book The Creative Act: A Way Of Being proved to be a big inspiration as well.

“I referred to that book constantly during the course of making this album,” Robertson says. “I love his outlook of feeling what’s right, using your gut and going all the way to the wall to see what works, what doesn’t and what will be lasting. I wasn’t afraid to record and rerecord tracks and tempos and rewrite lyrics, until it felt right. I still refer to the book from time to time as a reminder that the creative process is neverending for me.”

Watch the video for I Never Know What’s On Your Mind above, check out Running The Other Way below, and catch up with Craig Robertson on his website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.