Cave's wife, teammate create song 'Agape' to honor late player

When Emily Cave was struggling to find music to help in grieving her late husband Colby Cave, she turned to his singer-songwriter teammate Cooper Marody to create a special tribute.

Marody and Colby Cave played for the Bakersfield Condors, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers.
Colby died on April 11, four days after he had surgery to remove a colloid cyst that was causing pressure on his brain. He was 25.
Marody's history with Colby and his musical background made him uniquely fitted for the task. Emily texted Marody details about her relationship with her husband and sent Marody the audio of Colby's wedding vows.
He took his ideas to his two musician friends in Nashville, Gavin Garriss and Kyle Thomas, and the three of them got to work.
"It was amazing because I don't think we've ever really written a song quicker than we did this one, or completed a production quicker than we did this one," Marody said. "I genuinely feel, that day in that room, this was Colby writing through us, Colby singing through us and this was his message, his love letter, his love song, from him to Emily."
The song, "Agape" is available on Apple Music and Spotify, and proceeds will go to the Colby Cave Memorial Fund, which supports community programs with an emphasis on mental health initiatives and providing access to sports for underprivileged children. Marody chose to release the song on June 12 because Colby wore No. 12.

Marody got into playing music about five years ago after hearing his dad play the guitar and describes his style as pop country. He also told "Inside Michigan Hockey" in 2015 that it's important to him as a songwriter to draw from personal experiences so the finished product has more passion and realness.
Marody recalled one morning before a game where they were alone in the locker room and Colby put on a Christian song that spoke to their shared faith.
"In hockey, you're all tough, all serious, this and that," Marody said. "Colby and I had a very, very special moment this year where we just listened to the song, really felt something impactful and had a great conversation about faith and what not.
"It's easy to be all hyped up and ready for a game but talking about things on a broader spectrum, I think that really brought us together even more and we wanted to battle for each other on the ice."

Colby's kindness also impacted Marody while he was recovering from injuries that caused him to miss all but 30 games in 2019-20. Colby offered a lot of encouragement during Marody's difficult times.
"I think every single day he walked into the rink he had a smile on his face," Marody said. "He was upbeat and positive and that's something that really rubbed off, not only on me, but on everyone around him. I could always count on him for being a great leader."
Marody said he felt a calmness while he was writing the song and was comforted by Emily's reaction to it.
"When I sent it to Emily for the first time, I know she was crying," he said. "And she said something that was so impactful. She said, 'I can picture Colby saying every one of those words.' And that was so special for me to hear and made me so happy because I wanted this song to give her peace.
"She's the one who asked me to write this song, and it's not about me. If no one else heard this and it just helped her in some way, gave her some kind of peace and remembrance of Colby, I'd be happy with that."
Instagram from @em.cave: Emily Cave on 'Agape'
"I looked at Colb, and I saw the world. I saw my world," Emily said on an Instagram post about the song. "Being his best friend and wife was the best thing to happen to me, he filled my heart with so much love and joy. He completed my life, and who I was, and where I wanted to be. I saw my life in him. He was my purpose. He still continues to be... especially now more than ever with the Colby Cave Memorial Fund."
Now that the song has been released, Marody hopes it makes listeners aware of Colby's positive influence on everyone around him.
"We talked so much about how great of a hockey player he was and how much success he had, his work ethic," Marody said. "But his legacy of just the man he was every single day, his character and his love for everyone around him is something we'll remember forever."