TO MEET · 12/17/2012
Luke and Jasmine of Sideshow Sign Co.
We didn’t have to spend too much time in Nashville to notice the tight-knit community of artisans and creatives. While in town, we spent time with a handful of Nashville characters in their local businesses—Barista Parlor, Third Man Records, Sideshow Sign Co., Parlour and Juke, and Imogene + Willie—to get to know the people behind the burgeoning Nashville brands.
The last stop of our day was at the Sideshow Sign Co. workspace, where our very own WP sign for the Imogene + Willie showroom was crafted.
A few people had described Luke to us, and more often than not, they mentioned that he’s incredibly tall, Australian and hilarious.
They were spot on, but forgot to include that he, and his wife Jasmine, are incredibly talented and welcoming—he continually offered us biscotti while rewiring lighting, moving things, carrying large objects, and trying out our frames. And also, it’s more so that he’s unintentionally funny. Try saying biscotti with an Australian accent, then imagine that coming from a guy who is 6’7.”
The company officially launched this past March, and their business has taken off like wildfire, with orders for their custom-designed, handmade signs coming in from places like Greece, Paris and Dubai. Jasmine, who was working at a restaurant and food truck previously, made Sideshow her full-time job just a few months after the launch. The timing couldn’t have been better—she wasn’t looking forward to spending her summer in the sweltering truck.
Each owner of a new piece of work from Sideshow receives something that, intentionally, looks incredibly old. Luke takes painstaking care to create signs that look rusted, worn in and properly beat up.
We especially loved hearing the story behind our own piece hanging in Imogene + Willie. “That’s my axe in there,” Luke said, rolling up his shirt sleeve. “And now I’ve got one here!”
The sign within the shop has an axe fixed vertically behind the shelving, and with the loss of his favorite axe to that piece of work, Luke went out and got a tattoo of it to replace it.
We eventually gave in and shared a couple of pieces of biscotti with Luke, which reminds us that we’ll need to ask Jasmine for her mom’s recipe.
The bus has left Nashville, but if you’re in town, you can check out our frames in our showroom at Imogene + Willie!
Photos by Collin Hughes