It was late January 2024, when six IU students came together for their first rehearsal. Now, just over a year later, the band Opal is known in the Bloomington music scene for its distinct take on the rock genre, blending the influences of artists like John Mayer and Fleetwood Mac to create a polished sound that’s true to them.
Currently the band has six members, with IU sophomore Sarah Scherrer joining as its new drummer in August this year. But before the addition of Scherrer, the members of Opal met through Bloomington Delta Music Club, a student-run organization that aims to connect musicians around campus through a general love for music. Along with Scherrer, the band’s current members include IU seniors Emmett James, Ahnay Hering, Kenneth Latanna and Frances Stemme, as well as IU junior Claire Carpenter.
Hering, one of the guitarists for Opal and co-president of BDMC, was looking to create a band that could play the type of classic rock music he grew up listening to. After mentioning his aspirations to Carpenter, the band’s lead vocalist, and Latanna, Opal’s other guitarist, the musicians agreed it was an interesting thought.
Though forming a band was something Hering was set on, nobody expected an outcome like Opal. Carpenter, who joined BDMC through a recommendation from a friend of her mom’s, thought it would be a fleeting ambition. But, after that initial talk, Hering’s determination took what was just an idea and helped it blossom into a full-on band.
“You know, you have those conversations where you’re like ‘We should start a band,’ and they don't go anywhere,” Carpenter said. “And when we had that conversation, I was expecting it not to go anywhere. And then he texted me, like, ‘Alright, I got the members of the band. Pull up.’ And I'm like, ‘Alright.’ And we just went from there.”
While the group would describe themselves as more of a rock band, they draw inspiration from many different musical genres. Hering grew up listening to blues musicians like Stevie Ray Vaughan and gets a lot of his musical inspiration from Vaughan’s work, as well as the guitar skills of John Mayer. Along with rock, Carpenter grew up listening to other genres like metal. In her own music, the vocal stylings of Johnny Cash and Stevie Nicks have been a big influence.
But while several members of the band would say they went into Opal with a love of rock, Stemme, Opal’s bass player, was more interested by the idea of being in a band again. Stemme met Hering at a BDMC end-of-year performance in April of her freshman year. Flash forward to October, the following school year, and Hering approached her about the band he was forming — an offer she was quick to take regardless of the genre she would be playing.
“To be 100% honest, I was not really into classic rock beyond just the hits before this band,” Stemme said. “I really just wanted to be in a band again, because I love playing with people. And so, Ahnay was like, ‘I'm making a classic rock band.’ And I was like, ‘Sure, classic rock. Yeah, I'll play that.’ But since we've been playing it, I've really gotten into it more.”
Since forming, Opal has worked hard to become the band fans know them as today. A big part of that growth has come from the group’s chemistry on stage. Their ability to connect on stage isn’t just something they think has allowed them to be better performers for the audience, but it’s given them the chance to have more fun with their music.
Before coming to IU and singing for Opal, Carpenter played with School of Rock Carmel, a music school in Carmel, Indiana. While the program taught her a lot about music, she never felt like she really connected her love for music with her love for performing until Opal. While, with enough practice, it was easy enough to “pretend like you’re loving it,” it made all the difference for Carpenter when she actually did.
“I started coming from less of a place of like, I need to do this, and more of like, this is just from me, like I'm just doing it,” Carpenter said. “We've been so much more silly, and it's so much less intimidating. And I feel like we're less putting on a performance and more just having fun on stage and people like that.”
A large part of this growth process and getting more comfortable together on stage has come from their performances at The Bluebird, a popular music club and bar in downtown Bloomington. The venue has been known for not only its mix of local and touring acts, but the opportunities it provides to student bands looking to get a chance to play in a real venue.
It was this dedication that encouraged Opal to approach owner David Kubiak in November 2024. Already familiar with BDMC and the bands that have formed because of it, Kubiak decided to give them a chance. Since their first time playing at The Bluebird, Kubiak has been impressed with the growth he’s seen in the young band.
“There's a difference between being a good musician and being a performer, and you could tell Opal had the combination of both,” Kubiak said. “They're entertaining yet very good musicians at the same time. You're just kind of looking for some kind of raw talent like that on the first couple shows, knowing that they’ll have to work through the process of working out their set.”
Opal has several upcoming shows at The Bluebird. Along with the bar’s weekly $1 Wednesday event, which the band will be playing Sept. 24, they will also be headlining a show Oct. 10. While these certainly aren’t their first performances at the Bloomington club, Opal said they are grateful for the opportunity they get to play there.
Having hosted famous artists like Zach Bryan, Mumford and Sons and Jason Aldean, Hering refers to the music venue as a “bridge between the large artists and the small artists.” One day a band could be performing at a house party and the next they’re stepping onto a stage that so many other artists have played on before, no matter the size of their fan base.
“If anyone who walks into The Bluebird takes a look around, they’ll see countless framed photos of the legends that have played through that venue,” Hering said. “So, being able to bridge that gap between people and, like, walk into the green room and see stuff left behind from a band that you idolize is really cool.”
Along with the upcoming performances at The Bluebird, October will be a busy month for Opal. Currently, they have another performance planned for Oct. 11 at The Rathskeller in Indianapolis, as well as a performance planned for Oct. 15 in collaboration with Kappa Alpha Theta, Stemme’s sorority.
It’s not all about performances though. Opal also plans on releasing original music within the next semester barring studio time and their practice schedule.
Until then, the band is just focused on getting up on stage, playing together and giving the audience all they’ve got. A goal of theirs is to always make the shows as exciting, and a little crazy, as possible. Seen in moments like their rendition of Fleetwood Mac's “The Chain” in September, where Hering played the guitar on his back, it’s those slightly out-there ideas that make the performance so much fun for them, and they hope for their fans too.
“That was kind of one of those moments, like the ones we’ve talked about, where it was just so silly and stupid and fun,” Hering said. “It was just one of my greatest memories. Just looking around and seeing everyone come together and do that, like, fun stuff. And just everyone kind of laughing while we’re playing on stage.”
