In his early career, serving as a senior artists and repertoire (A&R) executive[1] at Atlantic Records, Sony 550 and Lava Records he was responsible for the signing and development of such artists as Stone Temple Pilots, The Lemonheads, Macy Gray, Jim Lauderdale, and Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies, to name a few.
[3] The company specialized in recording live concert events while providing media publishing tools to artists to deliver directly to their fans.
His work included recordings by Hootie & The Blowfish, Ted Nugent, Rancid, Rilo Kiley, and Papa Roach.
Carolan founded Total Box Music,[5] a design and manufacturing company focusing on limited-edition, collectible packages for recording artists.
They have produced items for musicians including Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, No Doubt, Trent Reznor, Incubus, Robbie Robertson, Vince Neil, Helmet, Jewel, and Public Enemy.