Singer-songwriter Ariana Brophy and Luke shared deep conversations about life and song-writing and a mutual love for film photography. We can't wait for Ariana to share her sweet vocals and meditative guitar-work this Thursday, Oct. 4 at Do You Love Your Song? (Tickets are still available!)
We caught up with Ariana to learn more about her friendship with Luke and what's inspired her to play Do You Love Your Song?
How did you meet Luke?
I met Luke first through the internet, when he reached out to ask if I would open for North of Here’s “Make Hay While The Sun Shines” release show at the Mercury Room. I later got to know Luke through the shows and festivals that we both attended, but I think we really became close the summer of 2016. We were both asked to be a part of Canmore Folk Fest through the School of Song, and thought it might be fun to collaborate on a song that we could perform together at the festival. Before the festival, Luke brought up that he tends to be behind the camera and not often in many photos, and he offered to take photos of me in exchange for some photos of him, to which I agreed wholeheartedly. We spent a lot of that weekend hanging out with one another, the rest of North of Here, and some of the other artists at the festival, but I came away from that weekend feeling like Luke and I had become close friends. What's a favourite memory you have of Luke?
I have two. Just over two years ago, while helping my dad move, I fell and badly hurt one of my knees, taking me out of commission. We only had that day to complete the move, and I called Luke on a whim, thinking he might be able to help for an hour or so. Not only did he drop everything he was working on, but he did several loads with my sisters and Dad, and stuck around to the very end, helping my dad carry me to the car at the end of the night. It was so quintessentially “Luke” of him, to so wholeheartedly and selflessly give himself to a task.
The second was January of 2017, and I had flown back to Edmonton from Montreal for the holidays. I only had a few days in town, and wanted very much to spend some time with my friend. We took our camera’s, Luke’s parent’s van, and some Remedy takeaway, and drove about an hour west of the city to a small summer village where I have many fond memories of growing up. We wandered up and down icy roads and onto the beach, and then out onto the ice. Between laughter and photos, Luke kept asking about how sure I was that the ice was safe to stand on. It wasn’t until I large truck drove by, the ice beneath it giving off a resounding CRACK, that I gave in to his requests that we head back towards the shore. We even visited a special place from when I was growing up, before the cold became too much and we had to clamber back into the van for the drive back. The sun was going down as we drove back into Edmonton, singing harmonies around the voices of our favourite artists. It was the best day. Why did you decide to play at Do You Love Your Song?
There wasn’t really much of a decision behind it, it just made sense. Luke loved music, creating music, and sharing music with others, so helping that to continue is my way of sharing some of that love.
Luke Jansen loved music. Music was his way of reaching out to the world; music was the world’s way of reaching back. As we approach the first anniversary of his passing on October 6, we want to breathe life into the things he loved in the best way we know how: a night of live music with some of Luke’s favourite artists from Edmonton and beyond. Buy your tickets for Do You Love Your Song? today.