Cape Breton musician Elyse Aeryn set for hometown comeback after devastating accident

Cape Breton musician Elyse Aeryn is making a comeback after a devastating accident.

Cape Breton rocker Elyse Aeryn is preparing to return to the stage in February, six months after suffering a serious motorcycle collision near her home.

“I’ve been picking up my guitar daily,” Aeryn said in an interview with CTV Atlantic’s Katie Kelly. “Even if it’s just for a few minutes…just to find that confidence again.”

Aeryn said after the crash, she wasn’t sure what her next chapter would look like – or if she would be able to perform the way she once did.

“I knew whatever it was, I would come back from it,” said Aeryn. “But I did have some fears, like, I hope I can still sing the way I used to sing.”

The injuries were extensive. Aeryn said she broke her left arm and right ankle, suffered a jaw fracture and multiple facial fractures, and sustained a concussion. She underwent multiple surgeries, including the insertion of a titanium rod in her upper arm and screws in her ankle. She also had facial reconstruction work and her jaw wired shut for several weeks.

As she recovered, support poured in from across the Maritimes and beyond. A GoFundMe raised thousands of dollars.

“It was a little overwhelming,” said Aeryn. “And it was really reassuring that… I can get through this, and I should fight through this because people care.”

Aeryn is gearing up for her first performance since the collision. The show lines up with a major milestone: her upcoming album, Everybody Loves You.

Aeryn said the album is set for release Feb. 26, followed by a hometown show two days later at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre in Cape Breton.

“I can’t help but to be a tiny bit nervous because it’ll be my first time on stage since August,” said Aeryn, ‘But I am mostly excited because this show is going to be with my closest people, people who have been there from the very beginning.”