Craig Cavanagh returns with new EP

Liverpool-based singer-songwriter Craig Cavanagh‘s music has always been closely tied to honesty, memory and storytelling. Inspired as a child by Mariah Carey, he first began expressing himself through poetry before finding songwriting as a natural progression. Taking cues from artists including George Michael, Erasure and Queen, he developed a style based in emotional writing, eventually releasing his debut EP Green Eyed Soul independently in 2013 and performing to thousands at Liverpool Pride that same year.

Then came a long silence but after stepping away from releasing music, Craig returned to the musical landscape in 2023 with a Tommy MC remix of “Bring You Back to Life.” The track received UK radio airplay and was played at O Beach Ibiza, but it would ultimately serve as the beginning of something much more personal. Now, more than a decade after his debut, Craig Cavanagh returns with 13 Summers Later, a new EP that looks back across the years and confronts everything that’s happened since Green Eyed Soul.

The title itself carries the context of that passage of time; thirteen years have separated his debut from this new chapter and by not attempting to ignore the distance, he turns it into the material. 13 Summers Later is a record about what happens between releases, between versions of yourself and between the person you were and the person you eventually become.

Driving the project is Craig’s continuing desire to create honest music that reminds listeners they’re never alone in what they feel. The EP moves across pop, reggae, dancehall and soul, incorporating live instrumentation while keeping its emotional centre firmly focused on love, loss and the process of finding yourself again. Personal growth and grief become the starting points for songs that aim for something relatable, transforming individual experiences into feelings that others can recognise in themselves.

Recorded in Liverpool with producer Lucy McQuillan and co-producer Mikey Fell, 13 Summers Later also reflects a songwriting process that begins somewhere far removed from instruments. Craig doesn’t play an instrument, so each song starts as melodies in his head before being brought into the studio and shaped through production.

The emotional journey is mapped out by opening track “Autumn XIII–XVI Interlude” which confronts the illness and death of his father from cancer in 2016. Its most intimate moment comes at the end, when a genuine voicemail message left by his father becomes part of the recording, forming a powerful connection between past and present, allowing a real voice from Craig’s memories to sit inside the music he’s making now.

“Soulmate” forms with woozy instrumental textures and smooth vocalisations before slipping into a dreamy pop scene as Craig’s alluring voice glides above the soft arrangement. Gentle rhythmic pulse builds up the energy as the track gathers a mellow groove, resulting in a stunning alternative pop outing. “Love2Hateya” rolls with the laid back bounce of warm bass lines and tapped percussion as bright sax leads from Jonny Crane glide alongside Craig’s slick vocal performance.

The closing track “Outside In” thematically stages an internal battle between three versions of the same person, transforming inner conflict into a musical confrontation. Yet its destination is not despair and the song builds unexpectedly towards a gospel-inspired, spiritual finale, creating a sense of hope and healing that brings the EP’s emotional journey to a powerful conclusion. Thirteen summers after Green Eyed Soul, Craig Cavanagh has turned the intervening years into a record about grief, growth, love, rediscovery and ultimately, the possibility of finding light after loss.

Commenting on his return, he shares, “Coming back after thirteen years was daunting. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve created. If there’s one thing I hope people take away from 13 Summers Later, it’s that creativity never dies. Dreams don’t have an expiry date, and sometimes the best chapters take thirteen summers to write.”

Listen to 13 Summers Later below