Graeme Naysmith, guitarist for the dreampop band Pale Saints, died on April 4, the band's record label, 4 AD, confirmed. His age and cause of death were not given.
Pale Saints formed in Leeds in the late 1980s, initially playing jangly indie-pop before expanding, on their 1989 debut EP, Barging in the Presence of God, in the more atmospheric sound that would be associated with dream-pop and shoegaze. The first disc The comforts of madnessreleased in 1990 and reissued in 2020, it cut their trademark sound, drawing on the subtle harmonic complexities of the C86 sound in a whirlwind of sometimes raucous, sometimes bright guitar noise and filigree that they pioneered, with some orchestral additions, in 1992 In ribbons and of 1994 Late Buildings. The band disbanded in 1996, but Naysmith worked closely with 4AD on recent Pale Saints reissues.
Ivo Watts-Russell, the founder of 4AD, said in a statement: “I've always loved Graeme's guitar playing. He was one of the few musicians I worked with who wasn't afraid of a good guitar solo. As a tribute, I just suggest you dig up or click on some horrible streaming service, 'Henry' from the latest Pale Saints album, Late Buildings. When I first heard the sad news, I blew away the cobwebs, shed a few tears of joy and sadness, and felt grateful for the experience. Of course…play loud! I can only imagine the deep sadness felt by his former teammates, especially [drummer] Chris [Cooper]who obviously knew the man much better than I did.'
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