Adam Balsam of the Most Serene Republic and the Wilderness of Manitoba Has Died

A GoFundMe has been set up to support his daughter

Photo via the Most Serene Republic on Facebook

BY Alex HudsonPublished Nov 1, 2021

Adam Balsam, drummer of Ontario indie rock groups the Most Serene Republic and the Wilderness of Manitoba, has died. He was 41.

A GoFundMe page, set up in support of his family, notes that Balsam died "suddenly and unexpectedly" this past Wednesday (October 27). Money from the campaign — which has raised almost $36,000 as of this writing — will be used to assist Balsam's daughter Calloway.

Balsam played with the Most Serene Republic for more than a decade, having joined the band in 2009. The band posted a tribute to the drummer, writing, "Adam was an incredibly positive force in the band since joining in 2009. From day one, he fit right in. His talent and character kept us grounded in the chaos of tour life. He played a major role in album artwork, as well as T-shirt and website design. And of course, he was a beast of a drummer whose masterful playing was on full display on our last two albums and countless times on stage."

He had played with the Wilderness of Manitoba since 2018, and contributed to the new album Farewell to Cathedral, which came out this past Friday. The band wrote on Instagram, "He was a kindhearted, exceptionally talented musician/multi-instrumentalist with a giant heart of gold." He also played in the band Mad Ones.

See social media tributes to Balsam below, including posts from Broken Social Scene, Charlotte Cornfield, and Balsam's bands.
 

Latest Coverage