Story by Bridgette McAuliffe, Staff writer
Photo courtesy of Lukas Graham’s Twitter
Love can be found everywhere; we see it in movies, TV shows and even in our small town of Murray.
The music video for Lukas Graham’s new song “Love Someone” showcases the various types of love we see and experience, and over half of the video was shot right here in Murray.
Cinematographer Will Sampson, who worked on the project, actually grew up in Murray.
“We were trying to encounter real people out in the world and I told [the director] a little bit about Murray and he kind of latched on to that idea,” Sampson said.
The team gathered shots from all around Murray, including Central Park, Rudy’s Restaurant, Dairy Queen, St. John’s Episcopal Church and the shoe tree on Murray State’s campus.
“I didn’t mention the shoe tree initially,” Sampson said. “I thought it would be too specific and that people outside of Murray wouldn’t understand what it means. But we were right beside it and had time to kill so I told a bit of the lore behind it, and they were like ‘oh, we have to go!’”
The director decided to make the shoe tree the opening shot of the music video and for those who know about the tradition of the shoe tree, it makes sense.
Two Murray State students were featured in the video, jumping into a lake. The video also featured Murray State alumni and a young Murray native with her horse. Sampson said that the director loved the first-time child actress so much that he cast her in another music video that filmed in Nashville.
He said the vision of the video was to showcase the different types of love that anyone can experience. The shoe tree represents a love that lasts. There are shots around Murray and other locations of young couples representing love. There is a shot in the video of a woman visiting a grave to represent grieving love. This woman was actually a friend of Sampson’s from high school.
“I was in high school when her brother passed away and it was so nice for Christy to invite us there and share that moment with us,” Sampson said.
He makes his way back to Murray at least every Christmas but said it was great being able to combine visiting home and working.
“I loved being able to show off my hometown not to just the people I work with, but to everyone who watched the video,” Sampson said.
The music video featured a scene of a woman praying in a church, which was shot at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Rev. Matthew Bradley, priest at St. John’s, said he’s known Sampson for about 10 years.
“When he would come home for Christmas break, we’d get together with his buddies from high school and shoot some pool at Nick’s,” Bradley said. “And we kept in touch after he graduated. He actually had the opportunity to shoot something in Rome during Holy Week, and called from the Vatican.”
Bradley said one of the great things about his job is getting to see where so many of his parishioners end up.
“It’s been so cool to see Will develop in his craft and see everything he’s been getting engaged in,” Bradley said.
Taylor Herndon, junior from Madisonville, Kentucky, saw the music video when it was shared on Facebook.
“I like seeing all the happy couples,” Herndon said. “Seeing that love can last a long time if you just love someone.”