In the seventeenth episode of season four, I am joined by Alana Yorke to overthink about strength with a stroke. 

We dive into: 

• Music before, during, and after stroke

• How stroke impacted mental wellness

• Finding humour and joy in tough situations

Alana Yorke’s Destroyer is an art-pop stunner that represents both a creative triumph and a personal transformation. From its genesis, the album was anchored in the idea of a solitary descent to face the self and come back wholly changed. The universe of Destroyer is an otherworld where snapshots of Yorke’s psychic landscape are fanned out against a layered musical backdrop coloured by a 21-piece string orchestra, the ultraviolet cool of ’80’s synth-pop, the austere grace and rhythmic cadences of minimalist contemporary composers and the whole-hearted reverberation of anthems that call forth echoes from the unconscious, somewhere between the tidal forces of Kate Bush and Philip Glass. Toward the end of the multi-year effort of making the album, Yorke survived a hemorrhagic stroke which led to unparalleled experiences of existence, and an extraordinary recovery. Now as she rises above the surface, Destroyer has become an offering from the depths, transforming emotions from her singular experience into a gift of universal resonance.

Alana Yorke: http://www.alanayorke.com
Heart & Stroke: https://www.heartandstroke.ca