Black Midi guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin has died at 26 after mental health battle
Guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin, who was instrumental in shaping the sound of Black Midi from its formation in 2017 until his departure in 2021, has sadly died at the age of 26.
His family say that the young musician had faced a “long battle with his mental health”. They announced his death through a statement which was shared on social media by the band’s label, Rough Trade Records.
It reads, “It is with deep sadness that we as a family regret to inform you that Matthew Kwasniewski-Kelvin has died after a long battle with his mental health. A talented musician and a kind, loving young man finally succumbed; despite all efforts. Matt was 26 years old. He will always be loved. Please take a moment to check in with your loved ones so we can stop this happening to our young men.”
Rough Trade also added its own statement in the caption: “Rough Trade Records would like to extend deepest sympathy to the Kwasniewski-Kelvin family who have shared this statement on the tragic passing of founding black midi member Matt – an incredibly talented person who will be truly missed,” it says.
“If you are struggling with mental health issues please reach out to your loved ones or one of the range of charities such as Mind, CALM and Samaritans who provide services and someone to talk to in any time of need.”
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Kwasniewski-Kelvin co-founded the band in 2017 while attending London’s BRIT School alongside members Geordie Greep, Cameron Picton, and Morgan Simpson. In early 2021, he stepped back from the band to focus on his mental health.
In their early days of gigging, the band established a residency at the Windmill in Brixton. It was here they met producer Dan Carey, who worked with them on their debut album, Schlagenheim. The venue has also released a statement regarding the tragic news in what it calls “the hardest post” it’s ever had to make.
“Our deepest condolences to his dad Tony (who came to loads of the early Black Midi shows) and the rest of the family. It’s so so emotional thinking back to those really exciting times when Matt would come in for soundcheck after a day’s work inspecting air vents (hence, the song Ducter) and produce some of the best sounds our little stage had ever witnessed, including this night with the late Damo Suzuki,” it reads.
“While it might look like someone has the world at their feet and all is great, things are not always what they seem. So please look and read the message from his family on slide two and keep checking in on each other so that we can all help to avoid tragic gut-wrenching news like this. RIP Matt, you were such a lovely guy.”
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In 2019, Geordie Greep spoke to Guitar.com, in which he explained why the sound of their debut was not restricted by genre: “At first we were much more conscious of the style of music we wanted to make and were careful not to let it fall into certain taboo genres. But as we played more and more, we stopped thinking about all that and did only what we found interesting in one way or another, sometimes without knowing why. This yielded better results,” he said. Black Midi entered an indefinite hiatus in August 2024.
If you’re struggling with your mental health, you can find a full list of helplines via Mind. You can also search for support in over 130 countries through Find A Helpline.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
