Craig Cardiff’s website describes him as “100% Fan Powered” and it might just be true. It might also be true to say that the Canadian folk musician should be more famous than he is.
Gordon Lightfoot once called him “a songwriter who needs to be heard.” View Magazine has noted that while Cardiff has a dedicated fan base, he is “more a secret than a household name, despite his songs revealing the craft of one of the best in the business.”
Cardiff grew up in Ontario, performing at pubs, open mic events and coffeehouses while he studied at The University of Waterloo. In the decades since then, he has become a prolific songwriter with 21 albums to his credit. He’s opened for Blue Rodeo, Kathleen Edwards, Rose Cousins, and 54-40, just to name a few Canadian greats.
Despite these accomplishments, Cardiff remains low-key, and very connected to his fan base. He still plays a lot of house concerts and small venues, saying, “I appreciate the chance to play. At the end of the day, and the reason people show up at shows, is because at some point we were thoroughly impacted by music. It was like church without God, and we knew there was something special in it.”
He doesn’t distinguish between the performer, the crew, and the listener. “Whether it’s the sound technician who opens the venue, the person who runs a radio station, or the person who gets up on stage with a guitar, that’s our common thing. We might disagree on everything else, but that’s our starting point. If everyone is doing their best, then something good is bound to happen.”
One audience participation element makes every Craig Cardiff show unique. For years, he has passed around a notebook during his concerts, asking people to share something truthful in it. It might be a story, a confession, a hope for the future. He calls it The Book of Truths, and it gives people a chance to communicate something they might be afraid to say out loud. It also allows Cardiff to connect with his audience. He has said, “It’s kind of an extension of what the show is.”
His newest record, All This Time Running, includes lots of guitar and banjo, but it’s Cardiff’s distinctive, mellow voice that makes it memorable. As he prepares for concerts in Didsbury and Calgary, he’s looking forward to being in Alberta again. He says he’ll keep playing for audiences in his own way. “I don’t actively market to radio or online. I just try to reach out to fans.”
Craig Cardiff plays in Didsbury on April 25 and Calgary on May 3 and 4. Find info and see new shows added here.
“All This Time Running” is the title track from Cardiff’s latest studio album.
