Low drummer and vocalist Mimi Parker has died



Alongside hubby Alan Sparhawk, Parker shaped Low wrong the aboriginal 90s, and their minimum alternate to the technology’s grunge-heavy euphony saw them acclaimed arsenic 1 among indie-rock’s maximum authentic bands

Mimi Parker acting with Low successful 2019. Photograph: Roberto Ricciuti/RedfernsMimi Parker acting with Low successful 2019. Photograph: Roberto Ricciuti/RedfernsSafi BugelSun 6 Nov 2022 eleven.27 ESTLast changed connected Sun 6 Nov 2022 11.35 EST

Mimi Parker, drummer, vocalist and songwriter for the Minnesota indie set Low, has died, her hubby and bandmate Alan Sparhawk has stated. Parker go recognized with ovarian crab successful December 2020. She go conception to beryllium 54 oregon 50 5 years old.

The set shared the quality connected societal media. “Friends, it’s pugnacious to presumption the beingness into connection and close into a speedy message, nevertheless She exceeded distant closing night, surrounded with the assistance of ain household and love, which includes yours. Keep her telephone adjacent and sacred. Share this infinitesimal with a idiosyncratic who needs you. Love is so the astir captious issue.”

The quality follows the cancellation of a drawstring of unrecorded indicates due to the fact that of issues related to Parker’s fitness. After a diagnosis successful overdue 2020, Parker started attraction for ovarian crab successful 2021, and publically revealed her fittingness fame successful a podcast interrogation astatine the commencement of 2022.

Many of the band’s friends paid tribute online. “I heard the accusation wrong the maximum basal circumstances, surrounded with the assistance of degenerates, stuck and cursing, successful a normal country successful Deerfield,” wrote shaper Steve Albini. “I changed into momentarily overwhelmed, the dependable of her dependable resonant successful my reminiscence, beauteous and heartbreaking. Godspeed Mimi Parker. Requiescat.”

Beak>, the Bristol trio led via Geoff Barrow, additionally of Portishead, stated: “We can’t explicit however saddened we are of this information. Mimi & Alan person created a fig of the champion way of our clip and to person spent clip with them go a wholly humbling revel successful for us. A stunning couple. Our caput are with Alan and their ain family.”

Parker turned into calved successful 1967 and grew up successful a tiny municipality extracurricular of Bemidji, Minnesota. She started experimenting with euphony from a young age, arising with harmonies to complement her sister’s guitar and leads. The brace sang on to the antique america of a and gospel records introduced to them by mode of their parent and begetter added.

During this time, Parker discovered way to beryllium “a solace, a spot of get away”, she aboriginal informed Stereogum. She besides played percussion successful a unrecorded show set and a marching set astatine excessive college.

Parker met destiny bandmate and hubby Alan Sparhawk astatine superior school, earlier they formed Low successful 1993, with bassist John Nichols. Initially she played a humble drum bundle composed of lone a snare, cymbal and crushed tom, and utilized brushes arsenic opposed to drumsticks. The band’s debut album, I Could Live successful Hope, changed into released successful 1994, and aboriginal blanketed successful Pitchfork’s 1999 listing of the exceptional albums of the Nineties.

While supplementary members of the set came and went, Parker and Sparhawk remained connected the helm during Low’s almost-30 yr records.

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With their sluggish, minimum preparations and often quiescent transport, Low are regarded arsenic 1 of the astir authentic and completed names successful indie rock. Crafting a softer alternate to the heavy, grunge-orientated sounds of the 90s, the set person been related to the stone subgenre “slowcore” – though individuals person publically disapproved of the term.

Across their 29-12 months career, Low person positioned retired thirteen complete-duration workplace albums. While maintaining a chiseled sonic identification, the set person weaved successful exclusive styles passim their discography. Their 1999 EP Christmas is 1 of the maximum cherished indie-rock takes connected festive track, and taken the set to successful summation attraction whilst it became featured connected an advert for Gap garb.

Their astir existent LPs, Double Negative and Hey What, released by mode of Sub Pop successful 2018 and 2021 respectively, saw the set marque successful summation forays into physics euphony and integer manipulation, thing that was trialled astatine the 1999 study Secret Name, and had been hailed arsenic a magnificent assemblage reinvention.

Following the departure of bassist Steve Garrington aft 12 years and 4 workplace albums, the set officially person go a duo successful 2021.

Parker is survived by mode of her 2 kids Hollis and Cyrus, successful summation to Sparhawk.