Lavigne opens up about Lyme disease battle

Avril Lavigne never thought she’d be on Christian radio.

But the former pop-punk princess found herself there last October, when her uplifting anthem “Head Above Water” became an unexpected crossover hit on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart, peaking at No. 2.

“I loved that,” Lavigne said. “But I’m not surprised because that’s where I got my start and how it all began. I grew up in a small town (in Ontario, Canada) singing in church, so it made me very happy. And needless to say, it made my parents very happy, too.”

Although her strict Catholic upbringing eventually soured her on attending church (“They were really long services, and I was always so hungry,” she said jokingly), Lavigne said she still has her “own personal relationship with God ... I do have faith.”

Her spirituality has only deepened in the past few years, following a lifethreatening battle with Lyme disease. The illness, which she contracted from a tick, causes extreme fatigue and joint pain and left the singer bedridden for months.

She recalls one particular night during that time — lying in bed with her mom, feeling weak and convinced she was dying — that she was inspired to write “Head Above Water,” which is also the title of her new album. The album, her first since 2013, came out Friday.

“Music has been more healing than ever for me,” Lavigne said. “I was at a point where I wasn’t sure whether I’d be working or even doing music again, and then I started writing songs from my bedroom. ‘Head Above Water’ and ‘Warrior’ were the first two songs that I wrote, and then they just kept coming. It was cool for me to see because it showed me that music is such a big part of who I am without even thinking about it or trying to make a record.”