The Kates reflect on eight rollercoaster years together, and how motherhood and other life events have led them to a difficult crossroads.

IT has been a rollercoaster eight years for the popular West Cork all-female band The Kates since they first got together.

The band was originally formed to play a one-off gig in support of a fundraiser for the charity OvaCare, supporting women affected by ovarian cancer and their families.

And now, having just finished recording their debut new album Between Takes, The Kates have decided to call it a day and go their separate ways, much to the dismay of their fans.

This closes a chapter on what has been an injection of joyous musical energy for both fans and band members alike since they first took to the stage.

But there will be a farewell tour of sorts with the album launch at a gig in De Barra’s and two more live performances to look forward to.

The five-piece will play at Crane Lane in Cork city as part of the Cork Jazz Festival on October 26, and then make an emotional return to West Cork for their last gig ever when they take to the stage at Levis in Ballydehob on December 4.

This will be a bittersweet moment for the band as they pour the culmination of all their creative energy playing together into one final gig.

When bass player Paula K got the band together to play the OvaCare event in memory of her mother Catherine Kingston, who sadly passed away from the illness, she never imagined that she would be part of something which would endure for so long.

The band was even named The Kates in tribute to her mother, who like many other Catherines was affectionately known as Kate.

Paula reflects back on her time with the band. “We’ve have such a great time and have been so privileged to play gigs such as Other Voices and the Electric Picnic and are delighted that we have resonated with so many people,” she said.

“Our goal was always to be more representative of women in music, and to increase their visibility. We’ve always nurtured the idea of recording an album so we are thrilled that we did and that it’s finally being launched, even though it’s the end of the band.

“I think it’s important to know when you’ve had everything you can possibly have. To stop wanting more and more. Right now, it wouldn’t make sense for any of us to continue on, as we are all working and some of us also have children.

“The whole experience of The Kate’s for me is that it’s been so heavily linked with my mother, and when I step back and look at all we have achieved I know she would be so proud.”

When the band first got together the original concept was to play a set consisting of cover songs written or made popular by female artists including Janis Joplin, Patti Smith, Joan Jett and others, and they soon built up a devoted fan base who enjoyed singing along.

Their musical alchemy consists of Paula K on bass and vocals, Liz Clarke on rhythm guitar, Eve Clague lead guitar, Mary Beth O’Mahony on keyboard, and Mide Houlihan on drums, with all the women adding vocal, and writing original songs which can beheard on the new album.

Starting out, the response to their set was so positive, combined with the fact that the women really enjoyed the buzz and chemistry of playing music together, that they decided to keep the band going.

But all good things eventually come to an end, and The Kates have decided that the time is righ to disband.

“It’s definitely an emotional time saying goodbye to The Kates, but the decision to call it a day was something that evolved naturally and one to which we all came to together. It just felt right,” explained Eve Clague.

Eve is a singer/songwriter based in Clonakilty and her solo album - Caught in Words - was released in November 2024.

She plans to continue on with her solo career after The Kates.

“We’ve all been struggling to balance the various demands on our time and also put out the creative demands needed to keep the band going,” she explained.

“Even organising our rehearsals in Clonakilty was sometimes a juggle. Some of the band members are based in parts of West Cork such as Baltimore, while others had to travel down from Cork city.

“Throw in full-time work and childcare and it was becoming quite tricky to keep all the plates spinning, especially if it came to touring and going abroad which most bands have to do these days.”

Personal issues such as bereavement have also impacted. Eve lost her mum Anne Cullinane in May 2025, and struggling with grief has been a draining factor for her, something that so many people can resonate with.

“Having said that, we have had some fantastic times playing music together. High points for me, like Paula, were probably playing at the Music Trail at Other Voices too, playing in Whelan’s in Dublin was great, as well as all our West Cork gigs for sure.

“There have been so many good moments with the band, and I’m looking forward to continuing on collaborating with individual members on future projects.”

The Kates have long been on the radar of many stalwarts of the media landscape such as Louise Duffy from RTÉ Radio One who simply commented: “The Kates are wonderful.”

You don’t hear harmonies like this too often, their blend of voices is life affirming” – Tom Dunne, Something Happens, Newstalk.

“I think they’re one of the greatest bands of all time,” affirmed Stephen White, The Last Mixed Tape. Their eagerly anticipated album Between Takes, as the title suggests, reflects something that women everywhere can relate to, finding time to do everything they need to do. Focus track Only Us, written by Mide Houlihan, explains that the track starts with a series of questions wondering when people became so unwilling to share their space and unwilling to have empathy for one another.

“There is the realisation that these things have always been a choice, we cannot depend on something or someone to teach us to be better or kinder, that choice has to come from us,” she said.

Finding time for creative projects often has to be squeezed into the routine of daily chores and responsibilities, but the band have managed to pull it off by writing and recording the album.

So although The Kates may not be playing together any more, their album  means that their music will live on.

The Kates Between Takes FAREWELL gigs:

• Monday October 26 - Cork Jazz Crane Lane
• Friday December 4 – Levis’ Ballydehob