Canadian-born recording artist Jordan St. Cyr is a bit of a newcomer to the United States. He relocated to the states less than a year ago but has been in the music business in both countries for more than 20 years.
Most Christian music fans are familiar with his 2020 single Fire. And this year, he finds himself nominated for Best New Artist and Short Form Video at the 53rd annual Dove Awards.
Ahead of the awards ceremony, St. Cyr sat down for an interview with CBN News’s Studio 5 to share his music journey.
“You know, I started music in my youth group. I came from a very small town of about 1,200 people. Worship was just this language I felt God gave me as a young person to just get it out,” the singer said.
“Did the singer-songwriter thing. Had a six-year stint playing in bars and clubs with my rock band, then kind of shifted into more of like a folk Americana. We did a couple of albums like that, and this whole time I was a worship leader,” St. Cyr recalled. “You know, so we’d play like one in the morning sets at the bar and again, just trying to be who God called me to be in that scenario, and then go lead worship and be at the church at 7 in the morning.”
“I knew in that season, while it wasn’t like this, you know, successful season, it was the grind. But it was the grind for my spirit, my soul of God revealing these are my people, wherever you are. These are my people all looking for me,” he continued.
St. Cyr’s voice is distinct. It rolls off his passionate lyrics with a raspy, rock drive.
“Yeah, it always naturally comes. It’s always been forced. It’s always been a little rough around the edges. And that’s just our roots,” he said. “Like my dad was a songwriter and singer growing up, and this folk-rock thing is just kind of at the core of our family.”
The singer is excited about being nominated for his first Dove Award.
“As a nominee. Yes. Pretty wild. You know, a couple of years ago, we weren’t even on the radar. And to just be, you know, have a seat at the table is pretty honoring. It’s pretty humbling. And we’re going to be here celebrating our peers,” St. Cyr said.
He is also nominated for short-form video of the year for the song Weary Traveler. It’s a song inspired by scripture and his wife.
“The song was written at the height of the pandemic. We didn’t know it was the height. But it was like we had just kind of reached that peak. And again, what’s it like? Where do we land as believers?,” St. Cyr asked. “Where do we, you know, Jesus, His heart for us is available 24/7, and the song was inspired by, you know, Jesus saying, come to me all you who are weary, and burdens and I will give you rest.”
“I think that was our little time out that God gave us for the pandemic'” he said. God is like, ‘Hey guys, just remember, I’m right here. Come to me.’ And it was a moment that we couldn’t deny.”
“So, for me, as an individual, being on the road, my wife at home with our four kids, our youngest with a chronic illness, it was my wife that really was the inspiration for me,” the singer noted. “She was the weary traveler. I think a lot of mothers feel that way. The weight of this world just hits them differently.”
“So, we actually traveled to Alaska to shoot this video. And we had these amazing actors, a father, and his adopted son in real life play the characters and the symbolism there, you know, climbing these mountains in Alaska. The weather was so cold. But I think it really conveyed the heart of the song,” St. Cyr recalled.
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He has also released a music video for his single No Matter What.
“You know, this song, you know, we started with fires. We walked through this season with our little girl. Then Weary Traveler. We again encountered the next chapter. Just me being on the road with my family. This overarching pandemic we’re walking through, no matter what, is a song where we kind of land on what are we going to tell our hearts despite our circumstances,” St. Cyr told Studio 5.
“So as believers, as a married couple, as parents of four kids, we’re going to lead our hearts with the truth that no matter what comes our way, even when we don’t feel like I see God moving or I feel like the world, you know, looks like it’s just heading in such a worse direction,” he shared.
“I’m going to stand on this truth that God is faithful and that His faithfulness, His goodness, His mercy is just as good today as it was yesterday,” St. Cyr said. “So, I can trust in that. I can trust in that. I stand on that truth that no matter what, God, you are faithful.”
You can watch the 53rd Annual GMA Dove Awards airing at 8:00 pm, Friday, Oct. 21 on TBN and the TBN app. There will be several performances from artists including Annie Wilson, Maverick City Music, and TobyMac.
The remainder of this article is available in its entirety at CBN
