At 34, singer and songwriter Christy Bruneau was told by her producer that she had to choose between having a music career and having children. “Why would I have to choose that?” Bruneau asked. Bruneau, who married La Jolla native Drew Littlemore in 2004, wanted to have a child and be a musician. Female musicians don’t have to choose, said Bruneau, who is now 39 and the mother of a 4 1/2-year-old son named Julian. Bruneau took five years off from performing and recording music to spend time with her family, but she never stopped writing music and lyrics. “The balance is day to day,” said Bruneau of how she finds her rhythm to maintain both family and work now that she is back on the scene recording and playing at local venues. She wakes up early most days to write music and is more particular about when she performs compared to the freer manner in which she once coordinated her performances prior to having a child. “It’s the opposite of most song writers,” Bruneau said. She does set aside work-only time, taking the opportunity to drive from La Jolla to Los Angeles, spend time with friends and write music. The advances in technology in the last five years have allowed her to play with and explore her music more, Bruneau said. She also noted that there are more venues for local artists to play compared to five years ago. “There’s a lot more opportunity for live music,” Bruneau said. She describes her music as Americana, folk-rock, similar to the sound of the Dixie Chicks with some Natalie Merchant mixed in. Bruneau plays the guitar and sings. Her new CD, “Somewhere in the Middle,” is a compilation of songs written over the last 10 years. Bruneau lived in Ocean Beach in the late 1990s, when Java Joe’s, a popular music venue for up-and-coming talent, was still located there before it moved to Hillcrest. “I would walk down and play the singer-songwriter shows,” Bruneau said. The upcoming June 19 release party for Bruneau’s new CD will take place at Java Joe’s, located at 3834 Fifth Ave. The party is open to the public and will begin at 8:30 p.m. There will be a $6 cover charge. Bruneau will perform songs from her CD alongside mandolin player Mike Hayter. The new CD is available at Warwick’s.
