An unexpected email last August delivered a dream opportunity for Edmonton-based artist Matthew Cardinal. His label, Arts & Crafts, had received an urgent request: would the multi-instrumentalist and composer allow the global phenomenon Stranger Things to use a track from his music catalogue?
A Surprise Call from the Upside Down
Cardinal, known for his work with the band nêhiyawak and his 2020 solo album Asterisms, was initially shocked. "I was kind of shocked," Cardinal admitted from his apartment in Old Strathcona. "It was a big surprise. I was like, 'What?'" After confirming the request was genuine through his label, his response was an immediate and enthusiastic yes.
The song in question was "May 25th," an ambient piece originally created on the floor of his apartment with minimal gear. Cardinal isn't certain how the show's music supervisors discovered his work, as he doesn't employ a sync agent to pitch his music. It's likely the connection was made directly through Arts & Crafts, which also represents his band.
The Big Reveal on Screen
When the long-awaited fifth season of Stranger Things finally premiered on November 26, Cardinal prepared for a special viewing session. He ordered pizza and started the show, listening intently for his composition. "Every time a cue would begin, I would be like, 'Is this it?'" he recalled.
His patience was rewarded. The song appears in a poignant scene roughly 30 minutes into the first episode, featuring characters Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and Hopper (David Harbour). Flanked by Diana Ross's "Upside Down" and the iconic Kate Bush track "Running Up That Hill," Cardinal's "May 25th" underscores a tender moment between the two leads. "It felt like almost half of the song was played, so that was pretty wild," he said.
So focused was he on hearing his music, Cardinal missed the details of the scene entirely. "I had to go back and re-watch because I did not take anything in from the scene," he laughed. "My brain was going 100 miles an hour and I didn't even know that the characters kissed."
Thrilling Exposure for a Busy Creator
For Cardinal, the placement is a significant and thrilling breakthrough. "Hearing my song in such a massively popular show has been so cool," he shared. "I don't know if it'll lead anywhere, but knowing that my music has been heard by millions of people has been really thrilling."
The exposure comes as Cardinal balances a multitude of creative projects. He continues his collaborative work Wayfinding with nêhiyawak bandmate Marek Tyler and maintains a busy schedule in film composition. Recent projects include documentaries like Wilfred Buck's Star Stories and The Good Canadian. Upcoming work includes the film Smudge the Blades with director Cody Lightning and a local horror short titled Nemesis.
Somewhere amidst this flurry of activity, Cardinal plans to focus on creating a follow-up to Asterisms and digitizing archives of his ambient recordings. The Stranger Things feature is a welcome highlight in the career of a versatile Edmonton artist, proving that sometimes, the most extraordinary opportunities arrive quietly in your inbox.
