Craig Greenberg, born and raised in New York and currently residing in Queens, has always been steeped in the East Coast songwriting scene. After honing his musical chops living abroad in Chile and Spain in the early 2000’s, his career kicked off in earnest in 2007 with the release of his debut EP The World and Back, which was followed by 2010’s EP Spinning in Time and his debut full-length album in 2015, The Grand Loss & Legacy, which all garnered high praise for his transcendent songwriting and effortlessly uplifting musical chops. Says Jambands: “…combining the pop sensibilities of Billy Joel with the lyrical smarts of Randy Newman…offering up tracks’ worth of haven’t-I-heard-that-before moments that manage to feel both fresh and familiar.” Though he’s made his mark as a lauded performer of his own material, Greenberg has been a sought-after collaborator with notable artists such as Jackson Browne, Chris Barron (Spin Doctors), Jane Wiedlin (The Go-Go’s), Michelle Shocked and many others.
Today Glide is excited to premiere Greenberg’s evocative new “Oh Caroline,” which will be released digitally on July 17 ahead of his upcoming full-length album, Phantom Life that is due this fall. Set to a backdrop of New York City as the metropolis deals with the COVID-19 pandemic, the song finds Greenberg tackling the struggles and insecurities that can overwhelm creative people. Through his infectious, piano-driven folk-pop that is brimming with flourishes of sparse guitar and a cascading piano line all set to a steady beat, he conveys the emotion as he sings lyrics that were inspired by the true story of a close friend and gifted singer. The song feels especially powerful in a time when basically every creative person is forced to withdraw from the very things that keep them both stimulated and employed. Many people are struggling, and Greenberg taps into the stressful angst while also offering a glimmer of optimism. In addition to piano, Greenberg plays organ, slide guitar, and provides backing vocals. Rounding out the track are Don Kennedy Albert on bass and Hiroyuki Matsuura on drums. Greenberg has enlisted fellow songwriter Dave Doobinin to create a very expressive video portraying the friend’s narrative through the more conceptual performance of two dancers.
Says Greenberg: “’Oh Caroline’ is based on a very talented singer friend of mine who was avoiding pursuing her dream– in part due to family obligation, and in part because she had endured some bad experiences in the music industry. I’ve found that the most talented people I know are also often the most sensitive, and the most prone to being thrown off their course.”
On the video he notes: “I gave Dave some direction for what I wanted–a woman inside, in the dark, insecure, and then finding herself, and dancing in the light – and then he ran with it, and took it in a more abstract artistic direction. He decided having two women, and adding me in (I wasn’t originally going to be in the video) would make it more universal. The pandemic influenced it too, in that we wanted to capture some of the isolation we are all feeling these days…the idea being we’re all kind of like ‘Caroline’ right now.”
WATCH:
“Oh Caroline” is due out July 17th. PRE-SAVE
