Cardiff State began in 2005 in a worn-down apartment in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, when Jaron and Katherine Kamin first started writing and performing together under the name Say It With a Smile. A move to Champaign, Illinois in 2008 opened the door to the Midwest scene, with regional shows and appearances including Cincinnati’s MidPoint Music Festival.
The duo later spent more than a decade in Nashville, where the project evolved and eventually took on the name Cardiff State, a nod to both their beginnings and the marriage that started in the small coastal town they once called home. After returning to San Diego, Cardiff State released their State Line EP in September 2025. "The EP traces themes of love, loss, change, and growth," says the band. "What once felt like a far-away place in name is now home again, as the band reconnects with the community where it all began."