Athlone musicians reunite for CoLab band adventure
A group of friends who played in Athlone rock bands in years gone by have now reunited for a new musical adventure; one in which they are creating original songs for the sheer love of it.
CoLab is the name of the new band formed by Eddie Carroll, Terry Powell, Stephen Westgarth and Darren Curtin.
The four locals have spent 30 years creating music together in various guises, including as members of the band Murv, which made waves on the music scene locally in the 90s and early 2000s.
CoLab has so far released three original songs, and each one has been accompanied by a video on YouTube.
The band's latest song is Saturday, a catchy and upbeat rock tune which features guest vocals from David 'Dobsy' O'Brien of the Athlone band Renegades of Funk.
Speaking to the Westmeath Independent, Eddie Carroll explained how CoLab came together.
"Through the years we've played music with each other and played in different bands like Screaming Stone and Murv.
"We all took a break from it for a while, and then we kind of came back and decided, 'You know what? We'll give this a go again, play together, and do it purely for enjoyment'.
"None of us would turn down rock stardom, but it's not the goal. In our younger years there was a drive and a fight to get out there and try to make a name for yourself.
"Now it's a case of doing it for ourselves, almost as a reward for ourselves, to go and do it, and come out with something good. Luckily enough the songs have been getting great feedback, which really adds to it."
Each of the three CoLab songs to date - Fear, Time and Saturday - has its own distinctive sound and theme.
As the band's name indicates, collaboration among the four members, and with others, is central to its music-making process.
"The name is one thing we decided right from the get-go. This is not one person writing a song. Somebody comes with an idea, it goes out on the table, and everybody blends in and chips in.
"You can come out with the most random suggestion. If it works then let's do it, and if it doesn't everyone agrees to move on.
"It's a wonderful project to be part of. In all the years we've played together we've never felt so free and open in writing."
While they each contribute to creating the new material, Eddie plays drums, Terry Powell is on vocals and guitar, Stephen Westgarth is on bass and vocals, and Darren Curtin plays the keys and engineers the tracks.
Eddie, Terry and Stephen are from Athlone, and the band records with Darren in Moate.
Another collaborator with the band is Darren's daughter, Mya, who contributed a superb lead vocal to the song, Time.
"She's an incredible singer with an amazing voice," said Eddie.
The videos made for the band's three songs to date have each used Artificial intelligence (AI) to distinctive effect.
Eddie said the video for Saturday, with 'Dobsy' O'Brien, took this "a step further" because the band was filmed playing the song and the footage was then processed additionally through the use of AI.
Looking ahead, CoLab will be releasing its fourth song in the coming months and it's hoped some live performances will follow in time.
"Later this year, I'd say there will be some sort of live appearance," said Eddie. "It mightn't be a full CoLab gig, but there certainly will be live appearances happening."
Most importantly, he said the band was greatly enjoying working together again.
"I started playing music when I was 13, and this is the most enjoyable project I've been a part of in all my years playing music," he said. "The great thing about getting together is that we know each other so long. There's no bullshit.
"You're not afraid of what the other person might think or say. We're not trying to be rock stars, we're trying to have fun and enjoy it. We meet up twice a week, if we can, and it's a great vibe," he said.
* CoLab's three songs to date can be heard on YouTube, and on streaming services such as Spotify and iTunes. You can also keep up to date with the band (@colabformusic) on its Facebook and Instagram pages.