Hamish Kilgour, drummer, vocalist and founding member of New Zealand band The Clean, has died. The news of his death comes after he was last seen at a shopping centre in Christchurch on 27th November.
His family reported him missing on 1st December, citing concerns for his welfare. Circumstances surrounding his death have yet to be released with police referring the matter to the coroner.
The Clean – ‘Anything Could Happen’
Hamish Kilgour founded The Clean in 1978 with his brother, David Kilgour, and bass player Robert Scott (also of The Bats). The Clean were early proponents of the “Dunedin Sound”, a sub-genre of indie-pop that emerged out of the small Kiwi city in the early 80s, pioneered by the record label Flying Nun.
The Clean have been cited as a major influence on acts such as Yo La Tengo, Pavement and Sonic Youth. Their contribution to New Zealand’s music and culture was recognised with their 2017 induction into the country’s Music Hall of Fame.
In 1992, Kilgour moved to New York city to form The Mad Scene alongside Lisa Siegel and bass player Robert Vickers formerly of The Go-Betweens.
The Clean’s US label Merge Records shared a statement today, via Pitchfork: “As a founding member of the Clean, with his brother, David, and Robert Scott, Hamish produced one of the most important and timeless bodies of work in rock music.”
The statement continued, “We feel lucky to have known him. Our thoughts are with his family and his fellow members of the New Zealand music community. Save [sic] travels, Hamish.”
Further Reading
Hamish Kilgour of The Clean Has Been Missing For Seven Days
