“There’s a war we’re fighting, and it’s breaking all our hearts.”
Nathan Carter has teamed up with some other prominent Irish musicians to record a special song in reaction to the Coronavirus crisis.
Entitled #StayAtHomeStayAlive, the track serves as both a reminder and an appeal to the general public about the small but vital part that they can play in combatting Covid-19.
The song, which was published on Facebook and YouTube, was co-written by Nathan and his manager John Farry. With the music and lyrics in place, the pair then brought the help of musicians Johnny Logan, Brian Kennedy, Chloe Agnew, Tommy Fleming and Sean Keane to record the final version.
Nathan Carter said that the idea for the project came from a spiritual source.
“The idea for this track actually came after reading an article from Father Brian D’Arcy, where he mentioned that someone should really write a song for this time. I was sitting at home with plenty of time on my hands and I thought, I could do that!
“With the help of my manager and co-writer John Farry, we put the lyrics together pretty quickly. The key thing we wanted to get across was how important it is to stay at home to keep ourselves and those we love safe.
“Once we got the words and music down, I mentioned it to a few friends in the industry and the offers to get involved came flooding in. We really are all in this together and to have such an eclectic mix of talent on there is incredible. I’m honoured to be named alongside them and can’t thank Brian, Johnny, Chloe, Tommy and Sean enough for giving their time and talent so freely to this project.”
For Nathan, practising social distancing over the past few weeks has meant a rare break from a busy tour schedule. He hopes to get back on stage soon, but says that right now his focus is on spreading the ‘stay safe’ message.
“Like everyone else, we miss gigs, concerts and parties, meeting up with friends and family but right now, we have to sacrifice those things. If we all do it, we can get everyone back to music and dancing so much quicker.”
The video for #StayAtHomeStayAlive features the musicians in their own homes, as well as images and messages from some of the frontline workers who are risking their lives ever day to protect the rest of us.
“We are all in awe of the work people are doing to keep us safe, so it was so important to include them in the video. While the rest of us are safe at home, they go to work for us. Soon, we hope to sing and perform again for them and everyone else, but in the meantime, stay safe and stay home.”