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The Candy Palmater Show

Singer Christa Couture finds relief in writing about romantic heartache

A new home, a new leg, and a new album. It's all part of moving forward from the tragedy of the past: from her teenage battle with cancer to the loss of her two sons.
CBC Radio ·
Christa is embracing all the new things in her life, because she sees it as the only way to move forward when you've worked through so much tragedy. (Courtesy of Christa Couture)
The Candy Palmater Show15:55Singer-songwriter Christa Couture finds relief in writing about romantic heartache

For the last few years, singer Christa Couture has really taken the saying "out with the old, in with the new" to heart.

Christa's latest album, Long Time Leaving, tells the story of a broken heart. But heartache is kind of a light topic for the Edmonton-born singer. 

Long Time Leaving was written amidst a divorce. Christa told Candy that she felt like the songs about heartbreak were easier to write than some of her previous work, because it felt normal to be writing about break-up, a feeling familiar to most people.

"Some of the experiences I'd had in the past years and certainly the losses I've been writing about on my past albums were the kind of even bigger, deeper, harder heartache that felt very isolating," Christa explained.

The singer's first album tells the story of Christa's childhood struggle with cancer and losing one of her legs. The second and third albums were written after the sudden deaths of Christa's two sons. Life kept throwing challenges Christa's way: The singer recently had to undergo serious throat surgery.

Christa visited Candy in the CBC Toronto studio to talk about her new "Saturday morning"-feel album, Long Time Leaving.

Despite everything that has happened in Christa's life, she chooses to live life through acceptance. 

"I don't think there's any reason for any of the heartache that happens to us," Christa explained. "I think I am an optimist despite all the tragedy I have experienced."

This is part of the reason why Christa wanted to make more of a "Saturday morning" energizing album, as opposed to the self-described "glass of wine, candle, Kleenex" kind of music she has written in the past. 

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