On Friday, April 10, local recording artist Jordan St. Cyr will release the first single of his newest EP. The title of the song is “Fires,” and the rest of the six-track EP will be coming out on May 15.
These latest songs were all recorded in Nashville in 2019 and centre around the hardships Jordan and his wife Heather have faced in recent years. The family has four children under the age of ten, and their 17-month-old daughter Emery is struggling from a rare medical diagnosis.
“The day after our youngest daughter Emery was born, she had an MRI that revealed a rare brain condition,” says St. Cyr. “What we were told next changed our future forever: the left side of her brain is dying.”
The condition is a neurological disorder called Sturge-Weber Syndrome. A major feature of the syndrome is a large red or pink birthmark, most often on the face, which indicates the enlargement of blood vessels near the surface of the skin.
In her first year, Emery had multiple seizures resulting in trips to the emergency room. After trial and error, the doctors found a medication, taken twice a day, that now helps to control the symptoms. Still, every month the family takes her for numerous doctor appointments to monitor the progression of the disease.
While facing this uncertainty, music has been an outlet for St. Cyr.
“‘Fires’ is a song that has become an anthem in our house,” he says. “It has helped us heal and is giving us a new perspective on pain and suffering.”
This EP will be Jordan’s fourth album. Last year, he started making waves in the Christian music scene when he took home five GMA Covenant Awards. This led to him booking more shows, both in Canada and in the United States.
However, plans for his upcoming shows have been disrupted just like everyone else’s plans, due to the pandemic.
“A handful of events were cancelled in March and April, along with all my spring tour dates in May and June,” he says. “There were 25 in total.”
Meanwhile, he says that the family’s time in isolation has only given the newest single more meaning.
“Globally, we’ve been confronted with this very harsh reality. This song is a profession of faith, believing that God has not forsaken us even in this pandemic. He is walking us through this ‘fire’ that we may come out the other side stronger.”
Earlier this month, Jordan seized on the opportunities offered by technology and tried his first-ever Facebook Live performance—live from his living room. He says more social media content is expected in the days ahead.
“I’ve got conversations happening the day of the release with my Fires co-writers, Micah Kuiper and Krissy Nordhoff,” he adds.
Amidst the uncertainty of his daughter’s illness, and the pandemic in general, St. Cyr encourages others who are struggling right now. “My wife and I have had to surrender what the future looks like for our family and live very presently, one day at a time.”
