Watch: Lori Lynne Johnson’s “Courage”

Take a listen to Canadian singer and songwriter Lori Lynne Johnson’s “Courage” from her debut EP, Heartache & Healing, and what stands out is her spirit and hope, and they both come back to being a caregiver.

“At my core, that’s who I am,” Johnson said. “I have taken care of people all my life. That has always been a big part of my identity.”

Before singing, Johnson was a critical-care nurse and health-care professional, and the heart of “Courage” is very personal, as she remembers a close friend’s battle with cancer.

The passionate country-pop artist is new to performing, but she has a knack for expressing herself, with a distinct style that’s rich and warm.

Although, even Johnson wasn’t sure at first if she could create her own music, until she realized, “‘Holy crap! I can write a song,” Johnson said. “I couldn’t believe it. But once I opened up to the idea that I could do it, then I just kept having things pop into my head.”

“Almost all of them came out of the blue like that,” she said, “almost like stream of consciousness. I wrote them all in about eight weeks. Throughout the whole process, people kept telling me that this was not normal.” 

Once people started relating to the music she was making, “That changed everything,” she said. “When I realized there was something in the songs that made people feel something, it changed the whole idea of why I was doing this. Up until then, I had it in the back of my head that I would do this and have it and be proud of it, but probably go back to medicine, go back to helping people. “

“I realized that I was not leaving behind my old life. I was just changing the methods I use. Now I still get to accomplish what I’ve always wanted, but in a way that allows me to use the passion that has been in the background of my life all this time.” 

Heartache & Healing is available now.

Watch the lyric video for Lori Lynne Johnson’s “Courage” below, then listen to more of her music on Spotify, find out more about her on her website, and follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.