Nell Smith, a young and talented musician who made waves by recording a Nick Cave covers album with The Flaming Lips, tragically passed away on Saturday at just 17 years old.
Her family announced the heartbreaking news on Monday through her official Instagram account. In their post, they wrote, “It breaks our hearts to share that our strong, talented, unique, and beautiful daughter was taken from us on Saturday night.”
The message continued, “We’re still in shock and at a loss for words. She had so much more to experience and contribute to this world, but we are thankful for everything she was able to accomplish in her 17 short years. She left a lasting impact on everyone who knew her and created an unfillable void in our hearts.”
The family’s note, which included a series of candid photos of Nell, ended with a heartfelt plea for support and privacy: “Hold your loved ones close tonight. For now, we need space to process this loss, but we’ll reach out when we’re ready.”
Nell first connected with The Flaming Lips’ frontman, Wayne Coyne, in 2018 when her parents took her to see the band perform in Calgary. Coyne kept in touch with Nell and her family as she started learning guitar and writing songs. This friendship led to their collaboration on Where the Viaduct Looms, an album of Nick Cave covers released in November 2021, when Nell was only 14.
During The Flaming Lips’ concert in Portland on Sunday, Coyne paid tribute to Nell, sharing with the audience that they had received the devastating news of her death in a car accident. Struggling to hold back tears, he expressed, “It’s a reminder of the power of music and how much it means to be surrounded by people you care about,” before performing the next song in her honor.
Simon Raymonde of the Cocteau Twins, who was working with Nell on her debut solo album through his Bella Union record label, also expressed his sorrow on Monday. He shared that Nell was planning to release the album in early 2025, and that it was being recorded in Brighton with the help of Jack and Lily Wolter of the band Penelope Isles.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic loss of our dear friend and artist, Nell Smith,” Raymonde wrote. “While we try to come to terms with this heartbreaking news, and out of respect for her grieving family, we won’t be making any further comments for now.”
