The Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne has paid tribute to collaborator Nell Smith, who died in a car accident in Canada over the weekend at the age of 17.
Smith’s death was announced on social media by Cocteau Twins’ Simon Raymonde on Monday (October 7). Smith was signed to his label, Bella Union, and she was due to release her debut album next year.
Coyne wrote in an Instagram post earlier today (October 9), “It is with great unspeakable sadness that I post this …our dearest amazing beautiful young friend Nell has tragically been killed in a car accident late Saturday night…gimme a sec and I will post more…too heavy…”
Coyne also shared the sad news during The Flaming Lips’ show in Portland, Oregon the previous day. Before playing ‘Everything Has Changed’, he said tearfully: “We have a very sad announcement to make tonight. We have a Canadian friend, her name is Nell. We recorded an amazing album with her three years ago, an album full of songs by Nick Cave. We have some very sad messages today – she was killed in a car accident last night. We are reminded once again of the power of music and how encouraging it can be to be around people that you love.”
The experimental rockers were first introduced to Smith in 2019, when she was just 12, after they noticed her in the front row at a number of their concerts with her parents. They met and stayed in contact before working on an album of Nick Cave covers together in 2021.
Smith, who was then 14, sent the album to the band who then provided more instrumentation on the record. ‘Where The Viaduct Looms‘ was released in November 2021, and Cave himself was a fan. He said at the time, of their ‘Girl In Amber’ cover: “This version of ‘Girl In Amber’ is just lovely, I was going to say Nell Smith inhabits the song, but that’s wrong, rather she vacates the song, in a way that I could never do.
“Nell shows a remarkable understanding of the song, a sense of dispassion that is both beautiful and chilling. I just love it. I’m a fan.”
Warren Ellis, a long-time collaborator, Bad Seeds bandmate and friend of Cave, has paid his respects to Smith, writing on Instagram, “Such terribly sad news. Love to her family. We are all shocked and devastated to hear of the sudden and tragic passing of our artist and dear friend Nell Smith.”
Smith’s family also paid tribute to their daughter, writing: “It pains us so much to say that our feisty, talented, unique, beautiful daughter was cruelly taken from us on Saturday night. We are reeling from the news and don’t know what to do or say. She had so much more to experience and to give this world but we are grateful that she got to experience so very much in her 17 years. She has left an indelible mark on the world and an unfillable chasm in our hearts. Hold your kids extra tight tonight and for now please leave us to work through things. We will shout when we need you.”
Meanwhile, Charlotte “Bowie” Drozd, the daughter of Coyne’s Flaming Lips bandmate Stephen Drozd, has been found and “is safe”, days after the band shared a missing person’s notice.
The 16-year-old had been last seen at the Seattle Space Needle on Saturday, October 5 at 11:30am, but Coyne shared last night (October 8) that she’d been found in a safe condition and had spoken to her mother.
Seattle police confirmed in a statement to the New York Post, “The Seattle Police Department can confirm 16-year-old Charlotte Drozd has been located and is now safe with her family.”
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