‘I'm ready to fly': N.S. musician Alana Yorke returns to the stage 6 months after brain surgery
Halifax-based artist Alana Yorke is preparing to return to the stage after a life-changing experience.
The singer-songwriter, producer, and mother suffered a stroke in 2022, despite having no prior health issues.
'I lost my arm,' Yorke said in an interview with CTV Atlantic's Katie Kelly. 'I really couldn't tell where it was. I couldn't tie my shoes. It was wild.'
Yorke recovered and, in 2024, released her second album 'Destroyer.'
Though recorded before the stroke, the album's themes took on new weight.
'It's sort of that destructive feminine force of creativity where everything gets broken apart,' she said. 'That's very powerful. And then where does that leave us? That's a level on which I call it Destroyer. It's a positive thing.'
Alana Yorke
Halifax-based artist Alana Yorke is pictured in the hospital. (Source: Alana Yorke)
But, just as she prepared to return to live performance, Yorke began experiencing strange symptoms.
'We did one show, which was incredible. But that night, I started to have health problems.'
After consulting her neurosurgeon, she was diagnosed with a condition known as cavernous malformation – a tangle of malformed blood vessels in her brain. Six months ago, she underwent open brain surgery.
'There were so many possible outcomes,' she said. 'What if I can't move? What if I don't live?'
But again, she came through.
'I feel amazing,' Yorke said.
Now, she's returning to the stage once more, performing Friday night as part of the Live at the Round Barn concert series for Bell Fibe TV.
Taking place in Old Barns, N.S., the shows will intertwine 'live performances with intimate glimpses into featured artist lives,' Beau Blois, owner of the Round Barn and producer of the series, said in a news release.
'I feel like I'm ready to fly,' said Yorke. 'And I just think we should celebrate life together.'
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