Graeme Naysmith, guitarist for the Leeds indie band Pale Saints who released three beloved albums (including The Comforts of Madness) on 4AD in the '90s, has died. He was 57.
No cause of death has been reported, but the news — initially shared by Naysmith's more recent project, the X-Ray Eyes, on Facebook — was confirmed by the band's label. The musician died on April 4.
"We're devastated to say that our guitarist and friend Jock [Strap] (Graeme) Naysmith died recently," the punk outfit wrote. "He was a great guitar player but an even better guy and we're going to miss him like you wouldn't believe. He was a much loved husband and father and our thoughts are with all his family. We managed to record a load of new songs with Jock over the last few years, hopefully they'll be released in the future."
Naysmith co-founded Pale Saints in 1987 alongside drummer Chris Cooper and singer-bassist Ian Masters, and got signed to 4AD after their first London show. Their biggest hit was a cover of Nancy Sinatra's "Kinky Love" that featured Lush's original vocalist, Meriel Barham, who joined Pale Saints in 1990.