Carla Harvey’s Post Butcher Babies Job Is Still Pretty Metal

Former Butcher Babies co-vocalist Carla Harvey revealed her exit from the band over the summer and while she explained that more music is in her future in her parting statement, the singer didn’t discuss a second gig that required more of her time.

She’s partnered with the innovative Parting Stone company that works with solidifying the remains of both human and pet loved ones. Harvey spoke more in depth on her decision to leave the band and how she got involved with her latest venture during a guest appearance on The Ward Bond Show (viewed below).

Why Carla Harvey Left Butcher Babies

Within the chat, Harvey gave a summary of what led her to and from Butcher Babies. She explained how prior to the band, she had grown tired of the push and pull of trying to find a successful venture in the music and entertainment industry and she decided to go to mortuary school.

“I was committed to only working in funeral service from then on out,” she explained. The singer even landed her dream job at a big mortuary in Los Angeles. But after a couple of years, another opportunity in music came up and she was forced to make a choice. It was at that point, in 2009, that she made the decision to commit back to music and that led her to Butcher Babies.

“It ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me because our career just exploded, and so I got the best of both worlds. I had gotten my education. I had gotten a taste of working in death care, and then I could still live out my dream, and I am so grateful for that,” she adds. “The last 15 years of my life have been spent onstage, entertaining people in a capacity that I never dreamed I would have, especially after so much disappointment in my early years in L.A. So I got to do that. I got to be a rock star. I got to do all the things. And then 15 years later, my mind kind of changed again. [Laughs].”

READ MORE: Carla Harvey Recalls the Challenges of Being a Mortician

As for leaving Butcher Babies at this point in life, Carla reveals that her life circumstances changed. “There’s so much that goes into being in a band, especially as you get older and your life changes, you have relationships, you have a partner. I have a stepdaughter, and the idea, all of a sudden, of being on the road 10, 12 months out of the year became just a lot to handle. And in a band there’s five people, and half of those people may feel like they want to be on the road constantly all the time and then some people are, like, ‘Maybe it’s halftime.’ So it doesn’t always work out for the greater good of everybody.”

Carla Harvey Makes a Change

While music became the focal point, Harvey reveals that she never stopped her interest or pursuit of education in death care over time with the group.

“I’m glad I never quit my day job. In fact, all the while, the last 15 years, while I’ve been on tour, I’ve been getting more education and getting more certification so that I could continue on because I always had that need to still be in death care in some aspect,” she revealed.

Harvey added, “I founded my grief coaching company so that I could still be of service to people who need me in that capacity. It was very important to me. And then last year, I was on this major summer tour. We were playing sheds, the outdoor amphitheaters and it was wonderful and every day you’re up on stage singing your heart out, but, man, I saw this post about [the solidified remains company] Parting Stone looking for a partner success manager. And I thought, ‘Man, I wanna apply for this. I wanna see what happens if I can take this job.'”

Carla Makes a Decision

In talking through the process of eventually leaving the band and putting more focus on her new venture, Harvey explained, “There’s just so many moments in life where you really have to assess what’s best for you. Life changes. And also another thing about the entertainment industry and the music industry, it’s not the same as it was for musicians 20 years ago, 10 years ago. My future husband’s [Charlie Benante] in a legacy band. They never have to worry about having a real job — ever. But bands my size? You’re not breaking the bank. You’re not really earning a livable wage unless you’re on the road 12 months out of the year. You can’t support yourself. So I’ve always had other jobs.”

Harvey says her grief coaching has not only been a necessity to support her music gig, it’s also been a passion. “It’s really hard to live passionately and just follow your dreams without something to fall back on or something to assist you,” she explains. “I always thought about, ‘Okay, this is awesome right now. What about when I’m 60? What am I gonna do then?'”

About Carla Harvey, Parting Stone + Her Musical Future

As stated, Harvey is pursuing another form of death care in her work with Parting Stone. The company provides a service that allows taking a loved one’s cremated remains, either human or animal, and solidifying them into a collection of stones that provide a more intimate experience allowing for a more physical and tangible connection.

Parting Stone’s mission is to empower families by providing a meaningful and intimate way to keep their departed close, promoting healing and remembrance. The ability to hold solidified remains allows for a more personal and healing grieving process, reducing the likelihood of cremated remains being stowed away or forgotten. Having the remains in stone form makes them easier to transport or keep on your person or can be displayed or shared with other loved ones.

The company’s CEO Justin Crowe was previously featured on Shark Tank and was funded by sharks Lori Greiner and Kevin O’Leary.

Meanwhile, on the music front, Harvey recently revealed that she’s starting a new band called The Violent Hour. Little is known about the band at this point, but Harvey has worked with producer Jay Ruston in some of her early recording sessions.

Carla Harvey Discusses Transition to New Job on The Ward Bond Show