Neal Langford, a former bassist for indie band The Shins, has died. He was aged 50.
The news of his passing was confirmed by the group’s frontman James Mercer, who shared the update in an Instagram post on Thursday (July 27).
“Just want to let you guys know one of the best friends I’ve ever had has passed,” Mercer wrote on the band’s official account, sharing a black-and-white photo of Langford playing his bass on stage.
“He was in several bands with me including the Shins. A very important figure in my life you could say,” he added. “I mean this is the guy who talked me into getting over my shyness and up on the stage. He put me in front of the microphone!”
Elsewhere in the tribute to Langford, Mercer also described him as “an invaluable person” who helped him discover bands such as Dinosaur Jr. and Cocteau Twins. “There’s too much to the story but I loved him. And I owe him a lot,” he concluded. “Neal Langford you were always loved and you always will be.”
As reported by WITN, a branch of NBC, the musician – who was also a renowned hot air balloonist and co-owner of IBX Balloon Flight – was pronounced dead on July 21, after being found by law enforcement in Bath Creek near a private dock.
According to the outlet, law enforcement in Beaufort County have stated that foul play is not suspected, although a cause of death has not yet been revealed.
While most famed for their work together on The Shins’ debut album ‘Oh, Inverted World’ (2001), both Langford and Mercer worked together prior to this, as they were both members of ’90s band Flake.
Eventually renamed Flake Music, the two played together in the band from the early ’90s and released just one album, 1997’s ‘When You Land Here, It’s Time to Return’. After the LP, the band’s drummer Jesse Sandoval went on to form The Shins in 1996, with Langford joining the outfit in 1999 after Flake Music disbanded.
He would later leave the band by the time they began working on follow-up album ‘Chutes Too Narrow’. According to Pitchfork, this was around the time that Langford had taken up hot-air ballooning.
Back in 2020, Mercer shared details on his early friendship with the bassist during an interview with Radio Milwaukee, and described him as “just the coolest kid I’d ever met”. He also confirmed that Langford was living in North Carolina with his partner at the time and “doing great.”
Langford’s last update on his Instagram page arrived last month (June 23), when he shared a certificate of completion after successfully completing a treatment program at the Walter B. Jones Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center in Greenville, N.C.
Last year The Shins announced details of a US tour – celebrating the 21st anniversary of their debut album ‘Oh, Inverted World’. Additionally, back in 2020, the band shared the single ‘The Great Divide’.
Their last full-length studio record was 2017’s ‘Heartworms’, which NME gave four stars at the time, writing: “The Shins in 2017 possibly aren’t life-changing, but overall Mercer’s songwriting creds are well intact.”
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