…Getting married and having kids are not a hindrance to pursuing a career. I always believed in the idea of “both and.” My family has been a slingshot to my success rather than a barrier. For instance, when my boys were younger, we put them to bed by eight o’clock. That meant I had four hours from eight till midnight to get any musical work done. Then I’d wake up, do my day job, come home, be the family man for a few hours, and then get back to work every night between eight and midnight. My family showed me where the boundaries were, and instead of stopping me from doing what I wanted to do, they helped propel me forward…
I had the pleasure of talking with Jordan St. Cyr. Jordan is a Canadian Christian musician and songwriter, has been making waves in the music industry with his heartfelt lyrics and resonant melodies. The Juno Award-winning artist’s journey from a small town in Manitoba to the vibrant music scene of Nashville, Tennessee, is a testament to his dedication, faith, and the power of music to heal and inspire.
Born and raised in Niverville, Manitoba, Jordan St. Cyr discovered his passion for music early on. His father’s double cassette player filled their home with the sounds of Billy Joel, the Doobie Brothers, and the Eagles, sparking a young Jordan’s interest in songwriting. By his late teens, St. Cyr had transitioned from a sports enthusiast to a budding musician, driven by a newfound love for the guitar and a desire to express himself through music. His journey took a definitive turn during a school production of “The Wizard of Oz,” where the presence of an acoustic guitar ignited a competitive spirit that saw him lock himself in his room for hours, honing his craft.
St. Cyr’s early musical endeavors included serving with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) and performing in church. These experiences solidified his commitment to music and set him on a path that would eventually lead to Nashville, the heart of the American music industry. Despite the initial challenges and a few missteps, St. Cyr’s persistence and genuine passion for inspirational music helped him find his true voice.
In 2022, St. Cyr released his self-titled debut album with Seattle-based label BEC Recordings. The album featured chart-topping singles “Fires” and “Weary Traveler,” both of which resonated deeply with listeners. “Fires,” a song about finding hope in the darkest moments, became a radio hit, while “Weary Traveler,” written during the COVID-19 pandemic, climbed to the №1 spot on several charts, including Christian Airplay and Adult Contemporary.
The success of his debut album was a turning point for St. Cyr, earning him a Juno Award for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year in 2023. He also garnered two GMA Dove Award nominations and swept the 2022 GMA Canada Covenant Awards with six wins, including Artist of the Year and Album of the Year. His accolades continued in 2023 with five more Covenant Awards, solidifying his status as one of Canada’s most celebrated Christian artists.
St. Cyr’s music is deeply personal, often drawing from his own life experiences. His latest album, “My Foundation,” released on June 14, 2023, reflects a particularly challenging period centered around his youngest daughter Emery’s health. Emery was born in November 2018 with Sturge-Weber Syndrome, a rare condition that led to regular seizures. The family’s move to Nashville allowed them to access specialized care at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, and Emery has been seizure-free for over a year. This journey of faith and resilience is at the heart of “My Foundation,” an album that St. Cyr describes as a testament to his family’s reliance on faith as their foundation.
St. Cyr’s ability to connect with his audience is evident not just in his music but also in his live performances. He has shared the stage with notable artists like Anne Wilson and Jeremy Camp, and his upcoming “My Foundation Tour” promises to bring his inspiring messages to fans across the U.S. and Canada. Through his songs, St. Cyr aims to provide comfort and hope, encouraging listeners to find strength in their faith and the support of their communities.
Beyond his musical achievements, St. Cyr is a devoted husband to Heather and father to four children: Aidan, Liam, Willa, and Emery. His family’s unwavering support has been instrumental in his success, and he credits his parents for instilling in him a deep love for people and a belief in the goodness of God. This foundation of faith and family continues to guide him as he navigates his career and personal life.
Looking ahead, St. Cyr remains committed to creating music that serves and inspires. His experiences have taught him the importance of patience, surrounding oneself with the right people, and staying true to one’s message. As he continues to write and perform, he hopes to inspire a movement of love and kindness, encouraging others to treat people the way they want to be treated.
Jordan St. Cyr’s journey is a powerful reminder of the impact that faith, resilience, and a dedication to one’s craft can have. His music not only entertains but also uplifts, offering a beacon of hope in challenging times. As he continues to share his story through song, St. Cyr’s influence is sure to grow, touching the hearts of many around the world.
Jordan, it’s an honor to meet you. Before we dive in deep, our readers would love to learn about your personal origin story. Can you tell us about your childhood and how you grew up?
Yeah, I grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada until I was about five years old. My earliest memories of music are lying in the living room with my dad’s double cassette player. I was playing all his old cassettes like Billy Joel, the Doobie Brothers, and the Eagles. These bands influenced my dad’s songwriting and seeped into my life. That was my inception story — when I wanted these songs for myself. That’s when music first started moving me.
Fast forward to my later teens, around 15 or 16 years old. We were doing a “Wizard of Oz” play at school. I was a huge sports guy until then, but all the girls were auditioning, so I thought, “Maybe I should audition too.” During rehearsals, my buddy brought his acoustic guitar. I picked it up and thought, “Playing guitar is cool. This might get some attention too.” I started learning how to play, and the competitive spirit from sports transferred over. I’d lock myself in my room for hours every night to learn how to play and sing.
I started playing in church. We grew up in a very small town, so if you had an interest in music, you were the guy. I was part of the team there, and that put me on the trajectory I’m on today. My dad is a songwriter and singer, and both my brothers are amazing musicians who write their own songs. That’s the origin story of what got me going. Fast forward to today, we’re here living in Nashville, Tennessee, and we’re so grateful for this life and career.
Amazing story. So, you probably have so many fascinating stories from all the places you’ve worked in and toured. Can you share with our readers one or two of your favorite memories from your professional life?
Man, you know what? I live to write songs that really serve people well and inspire them to be kind, good people who serve our world well. There was this one time I was playing at an event center that also did a lot of plays. The crowd was in front of me, but there was a wood shop in the back where they built the sets for the plays. Little did I know, someone was working back there while I was singing my last song, “Weary Traveler.”
The song is kind of an ode to all of us walking through the pandemic, stating that we weren’t meant to walk alone and we need each other to get through this. I thought I was speaking to the people in front of me. After the show, the guy working in the wood shop came up to me and said, “Man, thank you so much for that reminder. I’ve been suicidal and gone through so many hard things in my life. The pandemic hit, and it was just a brutal time. Thank you for that song.”
It’s moments like that which stand out and remind me why I do what I do. Fame or money are just tools; they aren’t what we pursue. When we pursue people in that way, we all win. Those stories fuel me to keep going.
It’s an amazing story. I appreciate you sharing that. It’s been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Do you have a story about a humorous mistake you made when you were first starting and the lesson you learned from it?
Oh, man, there are so many. OK, so when I started coming to Nashville, I was kind of in the country scene, learning how to write songs. I got a meeting with a big label, a major publishing company, under the guise that I wanted to write country music. At that point in my career, I had made the switch to wanting to write inspirational music. I wanted to write songs of hope and encouragement.
Country music wasn’t how I grew up, so it wouldn’t have been honest or genuine for me. So, I met with one of the biggest publishers in Nashville for what I do. He brings me in, and I start showing him some of my songs, which were not country. He was expecting a country writer, maybe even a country artist. That was the quickest meeting I’ve ever had in my life.
In Nashville, they often say it’s easy to get the first meeting, but it’s harder to get the second. Needless to say, I didn’t get the second meeting. I walked out of that meeting not really putting the pieces together until maybe a year or two later. I realized they were looking for a country artist, and I came in completely ignorant of that.
I think that’s part of the process. You have to grow up in public, especially when you’re pursuing a career in the arts. You have to put your work out there, and you’re going to get it wrong sometimes. If you put people first and keep your ego and pride in check, you’ll be alright.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Do you have a story about somebody who made a long-lasting impact on your professional career?
I think every level or step that I’ve achieved in my career, there’s a face that comes to mind. I’ll stick with the obvious for time’s sake. My parents were always champions of my dream. I grew up in a very conservative part of the world where the main options were to be a farmer or a construction worker, or maybe head off to college. None of those things inspired me. I just wanted to write songs, play music, and do my thing.
My parents grew up in Winnipeg in the city, and when I was five or six, we moved to a very small town. They had the mindset that even though they might not know how to build a business or an industry in a creative field, they always believed in me. My parents have been my champions since I was a kid. Now that we’re seeing success and these wins, it all goes back to them for what they instilled in me — the belief in myself and the faith they had in me.
Additionally, my parents have a deep love for people, and I think that has taken me a long way in my career.
You’ve done so many great things and released so many great albums. Can you share with our readers what you’re working on now and what you hope to release in the future?
Yeah, I just released a brand new album called *My Foundation* on June 14th. It has 11 new songs. This album was inspired by two main things: my 20-plus years working in construction and my faith. Working in construction, I often cursed the job, but it provided for my family and taught me how to build a solid foundation that can weather any storm, both externally and internally.
This album also shares my belief in something greater out there — a sense of goodness and hope beyond this life. It’s a core belief that I hope leaves a big impact on the world.
Along with the album release, I’m doing a bunch of dates throughout the U.S. and a few in Canada this year. This October, I’m embarking on my very first headline tour called the My Foundation Tour. We’ll have a couple of dates in Canada, but primarily it will be in the U.S. I’m really excited for that.
So, if you could take all of your music, all of the lyrics, and put them into a bucket, what would be the overall message we take from that?
Yeah, man, honestly, the majority of my recent songs have been inspired by a hard season we walked through with my little girl. I have four kids, and my youngest daughter was born five years ago with a very rare brain condition called Sturge-Weber syndrome. This condition means an overgrowth of blood vessels on the left side of her face and head, causing epilepsy, seizure activity, and high risks of stroke and blood clotting. She also has weakness on the right side of her body.
The first few years of her life were very stressful. There was so much we didn’t know, and I felt helpless and desperate. But through it all, the love my parents showed me and the faith they instilled in me — that God is good — kept me going. I know not everyone shares that belief, but it’s my personal conviction. I see so much good everywhere, and it has to come from somewhere.
If I were to sum up all that I’ve written in the last four or five years, it would be about allowing the hard stuff to lead you to the good stuff. Not letting the hard stuff define you. I’m not a victim to it; rather, it has taught me so much. The gift in those seasons far outweighs the negative. My little girl is doing so well now — she’s been seizure-free for a year and a half and graduated preschool this year. These are things worth celebrating, and I hope that shines through my music.
Okay, this is our signature question. You’re blessed with a lot of success now. Looking back to when you first started, share five things you know now that you wish someone had told you when you first started.
Five things.
1. Be patient. Good things come to those who wait. Truly believing that is important.
2. Lean your ladder against the right building. When you start climbing, make sure you’re aligning yourself with the right people who are doing what you want to do.
3. Surround yourself with the right people. You’re going to be sharpened by people, whether they’re the right people or the wrong people. Surround yourself with people you want to be like. That’s vitally important.
4. Figure out what you want to say and allow that to take the rest of your life. Many times, artists are asked, “What is your message? What do you want to say?” It’s important to figure that out in the short term, but if we’re honest, we’re never going to reach our full potential. It will take a lifetime to figure out that message and the impact we want to leave on the world.
5. Getting married and having kids are not a hindrance to pursuing a career. I always believed in the idea of “both and.” My family has been a slingshot to my success rather than a barrier. For instance, when my boys were younger, we put them to bed by eight o’clock. That meant I had four hours from eight till midnight to get any musical work done. Then I’d wake up, do my day job, come home, be the family man for a few hours, and then get back to work every night between eight and midnight. My family showed me where the boundaries were, and instead of stopping me from doing what I wanted to do, they helped propel me forward.
Jordan, because of your great work and the platform that you’ve built, you’re a person of enormous influence. If you could spread an idea or inspire a movement that would bring the most good to the most people, what would that be?
Man, you got to love your neighbor as yourself. It truly is the thing. We’re in a very self-serving society, and I think we always have been because we’re human. I’m preaching to myself right now — I am so selfish, and I need a kick in the butt every now and then. But if we treat people the way we want to be treated, it’s going to change the world. I truly believe that. So honestly, that’s the message I want to bring forth, and I’m going to do it for all my days.
Amazing, Jordan. How can our readers buy tickets to your tour? How can they purchase your music and support you in any way possible?
Yeah, obviously, follow me on socials — Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, all the things. You’ll be apprised of everything on those platforms. Or if you still do websites, you can go to jordanstcyr.com. The tour info is on there, the new album is on there, and all those things. You can even get yourself a t-shirt.
Jordan, it’s an honor to meet you. I wish you continued success and blessings. I hope your daughter continues to have an amazing recovery, a complete recovery. You seem like an amazing father, and they’re lucky to have you.
Man, thank you. Likewise, dude.
Thank you so much for your time.
Music Stars Making A Social Impact: Why & How Jordan St. Cyr Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.