San Fernando-born Christian-Folk, singer/songwriter Candace Coker has surprised her local and international fans with a Valentine’s Day release of her latest single, Hemorrhage.
This release precedes her full-length studio album, Bare and Bones, which is scheduled for a digital release on the artist’s birthday today on all popular streaming channels. Coker has been songwriting since the age of 10 before beginning her professional career in 2018 after winning the Anza Live Community Showcase in Vancouver, Canada.
Since then, Coker has released nine singles and performed at many venues in Canada. She has collaborated with award-winning Canadian composer Daryl Bennett on works for TV and film, including co-writing and performing What is Man for the Bisping Documentary; Go, the title track for the I Am Paul Walker Documentary; and several other Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) projects and short films.
She has also contributed as a vocalist on Episodes 1 and 2 of the CW Series, The Murders and was a finalist in the Folk Singer/Songwriter category of the 2020 International Songwriting Competition.
She was also part of the all-female showcase Femcore 2022 Tour in Trinidad. Over the last five years, Coker has built a large audience with over 20,000 listeners on Spotify.
Coker’s 10-track studio album, Bare Bones, explores the beauty and wrestling involved in being a vulnerable (bare) human (bones). This 10-track studio album is a collaboration between Coker and Nashville-based producer and artist, Lori Chaffer.
The album recording began in May 2021 and was completed on July 22, 2022, with all of the vocals and some instrumentation being recorded by the artist at her home in San Fernando. These recordings were then sent to her Nashville producer who built additional instrumentation around it.
The album features local pianist Kirsten Gibson and American violinist Alisa Bieck, with album photography being done by local photographer Tegwen Ivy Rajnauth.
Since completion, Coker has released five songs off of the full album, captivating Spotify listeners in over 130 countries. She has also since been signed to an Independent Label, Old Bear Records, who now provides her with support for the digital distribution of her album. When asked about her Valentine’s Day release, Coker said: “Hemorrhage is one of my favourites off of the record. It is a sweet and vulnerable reflection on the journey of a loving relationship through time. We’re all such flawed humans and sometimes love can feel really challenging and messy. I wrote this song originally in 2015 while processing some of my own fears of love and marriage with God.
“I wrote this as an act of faith almost, as an ode to my future person and a promise that I’m willing to push through the fears and power struggles that often mark early relationships because I have hope for what could be on the other side of that perseverance: intimacy, synergy, acceptance and love that lasts.
“I really wanted to surprise fans with this one because anytime I’ve performed this song live, it’s become an instant fan-favourite. Sonically, this song reminds me of the music I’ve grown up listening to on 97.1. I hope this Valentine’s Day release becomes a favourite for anyone who hears it.”
Listeners are encouraged to enjoy the release on their favourite streaming platform, including Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube.
Coker’s full album will be released worldwide today (February 17, 2023)