Jacob Thiele, the former keyboardist of indie band The Faint, has died at the age of 40.
The performer passed away Thursday when a friend found him unresponsive at an Omaha residence, according to the Omaha World-Herald. Police listed his cause of death as unknown.
“We are devastated to lose our dear friend Jacob Thiele. He was kind, adventurous, carefree and always fun to be around. He was a true synthesizer pioneer, and The Faint would not have sounded the same without him,” Thiele’s former band said in a statement on Friday. “We were incredibly lucky to have had the time we did with him. Love you forever Jacob.”
Todd Fink, who fronts the dance-punk outfit, mourned the loss on Instagram. Sharing photos of the keyboardist, he wrote, “So many good times with Jacob. Overwhelming sadness now.”
Thiele joined The Faint in 1998, appearing on every album from 1999’s Blank-Wave Arcade through 2014’s Doom Abuse. He left the group in 2016 following the band’s brief hiatus from music and was replaced on keyboards by Graham Ulicny.
The musician also performed alongside Fink and Clark Baechle, who plays the drums for The Faint, in his side project Depressed Buttons.
Along with The Faint, Thiele was a prominent member of the Omaha indie music scene that includes Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst, Tim Kasher, Cursive, The Good Life, Beep Beep, Mayday, and Son, Ambulance.
“We’re so incredibly sad to say goodbye to our friend Jacob Thiele,” Saddle Creek Records, which released six of The Faint’s albums, shared on social media following Thiele’s passing. “A brilliant player and synth pioneer, his contributions to The Faint are deep and undeniable. His influence on Omaha and our greater music community will forever be felt. All of our love to those who loved him.”
Source: Read Full Article