School Of Seven Bells’ Benjamin Curtis has passed away following treatment for cancer.
Born in Oklahoma, Benjamin Curtis came of age in Texas. Yet the musician would become synonymous with New York, with the city’s sprawling music scene and its network of probing, groundbreaking groups.
Playing drums in Tripping Daisy, the musician then helped to form Secret Machines. Taking care of guitar and backing vocals, the group allowed Curtis’ songwriting to come to the fore before his ambitions took him elsewhere.
Starting School Of Seven Bells, the trio – completed by Alejandra Dehenza and Claudia Dehenza – released their debut album ‘Alpinisms’ in 2008. A beautiful fusion of dreamy vocals and complex songwriting, the shoegaze swirl was augmented by flecks of electronics.
Claudia Dehenza departed in 2010, but last year’s return ‘Ghostory’ was a triumph. Sadly, the release was accompanied by news that Benjamin Curtis had been diagnosed with T-cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma.
Undergoing treatment, Curtis sadly passed away following a battle with cancer. (via Dallas Observer)