Nell Smith was only 17 years old and a recent high school graduate with her whole life — and what was sure to be a wonderful music career — ahead of her when she passed away on Oct. 5th, 2024.
People began talking about Smith’s talent when she worked with The Flaming Lips on the album Where the Viaduct Looms, a collection of Nick Cave cover songs. Cave himself praised Smith’s vocals on the tune “Girl in Amber,” gushing “I just love it. I’m a fan.” Many people shared Cave’s opinion and are mourning Smith’s death. Do we know how she died?
How did Nell Smith die?
According to Consquence.net, Smith died in a car accident in her home province of British Columbia. Wayne Coyne, The Flaming Lips lead singer, talked about the tragedy during a concert in Portland on Oct. 6, 2024.
Coyne said, “We have a Canadian friend, her name is Nell. We recorded an amazing album with her three years ago, an album full of songs by Nick Cave. We have some very sad messages today – she was killed in a car accident last night.” Cave has experienced some terrible grief himself, as his sons Jethro and Arthur passed away.
Simon Raymonde, who runs the music label Bella Union that was going to put out Smith’s first album in 2025, shared on Instagram that he was “shocked and devastated” and called Smith an “artist and dear friend.”
Looking through Smith’s Instagram drives home this absolutely gutting news. She celebrated her 17th birthday in July 2024 and this past June, she shared that she was thrilled to attend a Vampire Weekend concert. She also had a campaign on Kickstarter to raise money for her debut album. She also shared that she got a job at McDonald’s “to help pay for the production of my album.” In 2023, she posted a video on YouTube and said that if people could contribute $5,000 more, she would put the money toward a music video. On June 17th, 2024, she posted that she had reached her $15,000 goal. And as of Aug. 7th, 2024, she had raised a little more, bringing her total to $17,265. Whether watching Smith chat about her upcoming album on YouTube or seeing her sing, it was clear that she was meant for music.
Fans expressed their sadness on X, and shared that they are thinking of Nell’s family at this horrible time.
Like the most famous songs by REM, The Flaming Lips’s most iconic songs have been played in countless movies and TV shows, including their lovely, uplifting “Do You Realize.” Coyne appeared to be an inspiration and mentor for Smith, who gave The Flaming Lips singer a shout-out on Instagram and talked about how much she appreciated his support. She wrote, “A few years ago @waynecoyne5 opened a door for me and it’s led me to some amazing opportunities.”
Smith is from Fernie, B.C., and often talked about her musical journey. She told The Free Press, “People recognize me. I guess that’s part of being in a small town.” Since she was going to release her debut album and wanted to perform around Canada, it’s terrible to think about the experiences she will miss out on. Perhaps Smith’s family will release her debut album, which she did complete, so the world can hear her beautiful voice once again.
Published: Oct 8, 2024 01:19 pm