R.I.P. Strain Vocalist Jody Taylor

Photo courtesy of Andrew Dennison

BY Gregory AdamsPublished Apr 1, 2016

Jody Taylor, former vocalist for Vancouver hardcore acts Strain and Kersey, was killed in a tragic tree pruning accident yesterday (March 31), his old bandmates have confirmed. He was 43 years old.

News of Taylor's death circulated yesterday (March 31) through local news media when it had been reported by Global News that a then unidentified arborist was crushed by a tree limb on the job at Vancouver's Connaught Park. Since then, posts from various figures in the Vancouver hardcore scene, including Strain guitarist John Franco and photographer Andrew Dennison, have confirmed the worker was Taylor.

An arborist for the City of Vancouver, Taylor had been working in a boom-mounted bucket, trimming a damaged catalpa tree. While the bucket was elevated off the ground, Taylor was struck by a falling tree limb, Global reports. WorkSafeBC told the publication that Taylor was crushed and trapped against the side of the bucket.

An ambulance arrived to take Taylor to hospital, but he died en route.

The City of Vancouver issued the following statement: "The City of Vancouver is deeply saddened to report that a workplace fatality of one of our colleagues occurred this morning. Our warmest thoughts of sympathy go out to the family, friends and colleagues of the staff member."

Franco wrote of his friend:

He inspired me to be the person and musician I am. He sang about his struggles in life, right from the heart every time. Blood sweat and tears. Jody was the real deal, a punker for life. It's hard to imagine that burly tough handsome man gone from this earth. I am honoured to have been able to create music with him, in a band I looked up to so much when I was younger. He was one of my support beams in life. There when you needed him, no matter the distance or circumstance. Just knowing he was there was comforting and you really don't know how powerful a person is in your life till they are gone. 

Jody loved life. Lived it his way. I will miss our times floating on the lake listening to music soaking in the sun.


Taylor will be remembered locally and abroad as the powerhouse vocalist for '90s hardcore act Strain, who specialized in slow but devastating grooves, palm-muted mosh riffs and Taylor's introspective howl.

Formed in the early part of the decade, the group would tour throughout Canada, the U.S. and Europe, and issue a handful of singles through labels including Pushead's Bacteria Sour imprint, HeartFirst and Overkill Records.

The band released their lone full-length, Here and Now, for New Age Records in 1996. You'll find a full stream of the influential Vancouver hardcore LP down below.

After Strain, Taylor started up a project called Kersey, who issued their Bloodshot EP in 2005.

Among those survived by Taylor are his daughter and his brother.

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