Dance Gavin Dance bassist Tim Feerick has died
Tim Feerick – longstanding bassist for Sacramento post-hardcore outfit Dance Gavin Dance and Wolf & Bear – has died.
The news was confirmed by Dance Gavin Dance in a statement shared last night (April 14), writing: “We are absolutely devastated to share the news that our friend and bass player, Tim Feerick, passed away last night. We ask that you respect our privacy and that of Tim’s family while we deal with this heartbreaking and untimely loss.”
At the time of writing, no cause of death has been revealed. Feerick’s age is also unconfirmed, though an obituary from local paper The Sacramento Bee reports him to be 34.
Also unconfirmed is the status of Dance Gavin Dance’s current touring plans, which include, alongside Swanfest – the band’s own boutique festival, scheduled for next Saturday (April 23) in Sacramento – a 43-date North American run, 11 dates across the UK and Europe, and appearances at the festivals Louder Than Life and When We Were Young.
Continuing their statement, the band assured fans they “will share further updates on Swanfest and our upcoming touring schedule as soon as we have them”.
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Feerick joined Dance Gavin Dance in 2009, replacing Jason Ellis shortly before the band released their third studio album, ‘Happiness’. Coming onboard as a touring member, Feerick left the fold after less than a year when the band regrouped with founding bassist Eric Lodge, who’d initially played with them from 2005 to 2008.
2012 saw Lodge tap out once again, however, and Feerick was reeled back in as a full-time performer. He made his studio debut with Dance Gavin Dance a year later, featuring prominently on 2013’s ‘Acceptance Speech’. He played on all four of the band’s subsequent albums – 2015’s ‘Instant Gratification’, 2016’s ‘Mothership’, 2018’s ‘Artificial Selection’ and 2020’s ‘Afterburner’ – and had recorded material for their as-yet-untitled 10th album.
The lead single from that record, a collaborative effort with Don Broco singer Rob Damiani titled ‘Synergy’, was released last month. It’s unknown whether Feerick’s death will affect the band’s intention to release the album this year.
Feerick linked up with Wolf & Bear in 2016, replacing Nathaniel Duarte around the time the band signed to Blue Swan Records, the label helmed by Dance Gavin Dance frontman Will Swan. He performed on their full-length debut, 2017’s ‘Everything Is Going Grey’, as well as the following year’s ‘Grey Sessions’ EP and 2019’s ‘EP’, and the 2020 singles ‘Street Rat’ and ‘Monstro’.
In their own statement to commemorate Feerick’s passing, Wolf & Bear wrote: “Tim, you were a brother to us. Pushing us to do better always, with so much heart. You always kept believing in us. Rest in Power.”
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Several of Feerick’s bandmates shared tributes to the bassist overnight. In a post to his Instagram profile, Wolf & Bear guitarist Louie Baltazar (who also played on ‘Synergy’) wrote that it “was an honor to be a close friend and your fellow bandmate”, while Dance Gavin Dance drummer Matt Mingus called Feerick “a friend, a brother, and the best bass player I could have ever dreamt of sharing the stage with for all those years”.
“I love you, Tim. I regret not telling you more often,” Dance Gavin Dance singer Tilian Pearson wrote in his own post. “Your life brought me so much humor and joy. You made an impact on those around you, and your musical legacy will live on beyond any of us.”
Take a look at some tributes to Feerick below:
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