Caardia is a Canadian sister duo featuring singer/songwriters Annie and Celia Siriopoulos. After becoming FACTOR Artist Development Grant Recipients in 2019 and named one of CBC Searchlight’s Top 10 Teens to watch in 2020, this talented duo is excited about taking the next step in their career in 2021. They were also selected to showcase in Canadian Music Week in 2021. They have honed in on developing their distinct style, integrating into the alternative-pop genre. Caardia is now writing their own music and lyrics inspired by their personal stories. Featuring emotional vocals echoing their lives, they are reinventing themselves and focusing on more mature themes. Their new single, “Over You,” is a song about growth and overcoming the past - a theme we can all relate to having happened in our own lives.
The natural chemistry they have has expanded beyond writing music and into on-air broadcasting by starting their own radio show called “The Caardia Show” on Agape Greek Radio. Caardia’s love of harmonizing with one another, coupled with their deep sister bond, enables them to be in sync when creating. Telepathic communication happens between them while singing; they can listen and respond to each other. Their songs are about living life, accepting challenges, working through the pain, and coming out on the other side.
Annie does the majority of the songwriting and plays the ukulele. Celia, who is two years older, plays the piano and adds the finishing touches to their melodies. They complement each others’ vocal range, and their deep sisterly bond reverberates throughout all their performances.
Due to the age restrictions some organizers place on performance venues, it has been difficult to find places to perform. This problem made Annie and Celia want to come up with a solution. In 2018, they became one of the founders of Youth Jam TO (Toronto’s annual youth music festival) sponsored by the City of Toronto. This festival has made a difference for many young music lovers and performers.
The sisters’ first EP, “The Deep End,” was produced together and co-written with Ryan Guay and some by Adam Tune. Their 2019 single, “Walking Away”, was made with JUNO/ CCMA award-winning music producer Chris Perry. Their new EP includes the singles “Over You,” “Cherry Soda,” and “Complete,” produced by multi-platinum music producer Roy Hamilton III at The Singer’s Company.
Caardia is the Canadian alternative-pop sister duo made up of singer/songwriters Annie and Celia Siriopoulos. The duo became recipients of the FACTOR Artist Development Grant in 2019 and was named one of CBC Searchlight’s Top 10 Teens to watch in 2020. They were also selected to showcase in Canadian Music Week 2021. These creative empaths’ music reflects life in a genuine, realistic, and recognizable way – designed for soulful listening and thought. After seeing a need for reliable information for youth, they began a radio show called “The Caardia Show” on Agape Greek Radio. Their first EP, “The Deep End,” was produced together and co-written with Ryan Guay and some by Adam Tune. Their 2019 single, “Walking Away”, was made with JUNO/CCMA award-winning music producer Chris Perry. Caardia’s new EP includes the singles “Over You,” “Cherry Soda,” and “Complete,” produced by multi-platinum music producer Roy Hamilton III at The Singer’s Company.
Thank you for taking this interview! How has the New Year been for you so far as an artist?
Thanks for having us! So far, we have been working very hard on finishing up our second EP that is coming out later this year. We have also performed some really fun shows at the Supermarket, Lindsmore and the Wintersong Music Festival. We are really focusing on our songwriting and already have tons of material for our future projects. Overall, it has been pretty busy but we are loving every second of it!
Can you tell us how you've transformed from the beginning to now as an artist?
We have a lot more confidence in ourselves and our abilities as artists. Especially the break during the pandemic gave us a push to strengthen our songwriting skills. Over the past eight years, we have transformed from two sisters that just sang covers to original musicians who write music that resonates with us and our listeners.
How did you come up with your latest project?
Our latest project is our EP that is coming out later this year! We are just putting the finishing touches on it and can’t be happier with the outcome. We started working on the first song “Over You” as a single with a new producer Roy Hamilton III and then shortly after realized that our visions aligned and we could make an EP that we are proud of. Each song has the “Caardia sound” that we have been looking to find that makes us unique, blending harmonies with indie and some rock sounds. They are each based on a part of our life that are very personal to us and that we think resonates with our listeners.
Where are you from originally?
We were born and raised in Markham, Ontario.
Where do you live now?
Annie is currently still living in Markham while Celia is in Toronto at the University of Toronto for school.
Do you think where you live impacts how your music is made?
We do not feel limited to specific music because of where we live and put a lot of effort into diversifying what we listen to. Although our friends and the people we surround ourselves with have some influence on what we listen to, we strive to discover new music and different sounds that we can incorporate into our own music from around the world.
What was the inspiration to make music your career?
Ever since we were young, it has always been a dream of ours and never felt like a question. It was always was we saw as our path and therefore just fell into it naturally. Especially since we are sisters, that has made the ability to pursue this career easier an in a way that we can share our opinions and music preferences freely.
How do you want to shape your career?
As of now, as long as our music is reaching people who resonate with it and it can provide a sense of understanding to them, that is all that matters. We hope that after this EP is released, our music reaches people on a global scale and we can get back to performing these new songs that we have been waiting to share for so long in person.
Do you work on a tight timeline always or do you go with the flow when it comes to your music?
For our songwriting, it is more of a ‘go with the flow’ approach because you cannot control when inspiration hits, but when we are in the studio and making more technical changes, we like to stict to a punctual timeline to keep the momentum and keep inspiration fresh.
How did your latest title of your music come to be?
The title of our latest song “Over You” can from an experience one of us had with getting over someone that they couldn’t have. It is an emotional ballad that talks about the emotions that go through someone’s mind when they try to forget about someone and what that healing process looks like.
Is it hard to let go of the music when it is done?
When it’s done, it is very difficult to leave it as it is and not look for imperfections. As artists, it is very critical to find the right time to stop because once a song is overdone and too much tweaking is added, it loses the true nature and primary vision of the project.
Do you feel an emotional attachment to your music?
Every single song we write comes from a vulnerable place. It is very difficult to explain the type of attachment that we get with our music as it is something truly from the heart and something so personal that words alone cannot express.
How would you describe your music in one word to someone who hasn't listened to it yet?
Relatable
Where do they go to listen NOW?
They can check us out on all streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Here are the links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7qOTwWTkeWhypSnEQSekzp?si=fSl7c3wNT4a8NCG6iwCVKg Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/caardia/1267337894
What has been the best fan reaction to your music?
Whenever we perform, we are always so grateful for the positive reactions we get, especially towards our harmonies. It really validates all of the work we are putting in and shows that people are receiving our music the way that we intended.
Is there anything exciting coming up for you?
As mentioned previously, our new EP is coming out very very soon! Make sure to keep an eye out for it and we can’t wait to hear what you think :)
Are you performing the song anywhere LIVE?
At all our live performances, audience members can get an exclusive sneak peak into the songs on our upcoming EP!
Give us all your socials and links so fans can link up with you!
Instagram: @caardiaofficial https://www.instagram.com/caardiaofficial/
Facebook: @Caardia https://www.facebook.com/Caardia/
YouTube: Caardia https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA439w_sxYmg3Ngcr5HYmYA
Website: https://www.caardia.com/
TikTok: @caardiaofficial https://www.tiktok.com/@caardiaofficial?lang=en
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7qOTwWTkeWhypSnEQSekzp?si=fSl7c3wNT4a8NCG6iwCVKg Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/caardia/1267337894