Valentine’s Day may have come and gone, but the energy we bring to our loved ones should always remain constant. And now that the flowers have faded and the chocolates are eaten, the need for personal connection and communication with those closest to us is greater than ever.
Cautious Clay serves up the reminder as the Cleveland-born singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist born Joshua Karpeh unveiled “No Champagne” this past Friday (February 14, yeah) via Concord Records, a glowing affirmation of love’s quiet and consistent intensity.
“With ‘No Champagne’ I was really trying to set an image around defining the difference between expectation versus reality,” Clay says. Being in a space with someone that you care about and understanding what they want out of a relationship versus what you want out of a relationship and getting to the heart of that.”
He adds: “When we’re at our worst, how are we translating with that person in a room? When there’s no champagne, when there’s no real reason to celebrate — how are you actually connecting to me? How are we actually connecting to each other? I think that’s the heart of it thematically.”
The track was produced by Clay and Valley Girl (RAYE, Caroline Polachek, Allie X), and its intimate essence is delivered to the screen via a golden-hued visual directed by Travys Owen. “In terms of the setting,” Clay says, “I wanted it to feel like the morning, kind of warm and bright even though the subject matter might not be — I really like that juxtaposition.”
Wake up with “No Champagne” below.