The members of the Liverpool band Her’s passed away along with their tour manager from wounds they sustained during a car accident this Wednesday. They were on their way to a show in Santa Ana, California when the tragic event occurred.
A notable presence in the indie music sphere, Her’s garnered praise from music critics and fans across the globe. Their August 2018 debut album,
Invitation to Her’s, is danceable, lighthearted, and musically sophisticated, and it sparked comparisons to artists like Mac DeMarco and Ariel Pink.
In addition to their undeniable talent, they were also widely loved for their live shows and warm personas. Earlier this month,
BBC Introducing featured an acoustic performance at SXSW. Presenter Huw Stephens said the band was “excellent, funny and clearly [loved] playing to an American audience.”
“In their interview, they spoke about their enduring friendship on tour, how Liverpool had adopted them as they’d moved there from Barrow-in-Furness and Norway respectively, and their excitement about the future,” he added. “Their accomplished, joyous album released by their friends at Heist or Hit records, gained them many fans, and it will be some comfort that their music will still be enjoyed.”
The band was driving about 350 miles from Phoenix, Arizona to Santa Ana to the 17th of 19 sold-out shows at the time of the crash, a collision with a pickup truck going the wrong way on Interstate 10 near Centennial, Arizona. The pickup’s driver was also killed but has not yet been identified.
On Monday, the duo posted on Facebook, “It’s almost home time for the lads, US tour has gone swimmingly so far. Got a hot sunset date with the Grand Canyon tonight.”
Her’s consisted of Stephen Fitzpatrick, 24, and Audun Laading, 25, who met while studying at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA). In a tribute, the school’s Head of music Martin Isherwood called them “the funniest, sweetest, loveliest, most creative lads you [could] ever meet.”
“The songs are just great and we all thought that they were going to be one of the biggest things out of Liverpool,” he added.
Following the event, their label, Hit or Heist, released this statement:
Musicians and fans have widely mourned the band and their tour manager,
Trevor Engelbrektson.
Eden Arielle Gordon is a writer and musician from New York City. Find her on Twitter @edenarielmusic.
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