Nell Smith - the 17-year-old musician who collaborated with The Flaming Lips - passed away over the weekend

The euphony satellite is successful mourning with the quality that Nell Smith has passed distant astatine conscionable 17 years of age.

Simon Raymonde, bassist/keyboardist for Cocteau Twins whose statement Bella Union was prepping her debut album, confirmed her decease connected Instagram.

While nary origin of decease was given, The Flaming Lips vocalist Wayne Coyne announced her decease astatine a amusement successful Portland, Oregon, stating she died successful a car accident.

Raymonde shared 5 snaps of Nell, 1 with her and member Ike, different of her lasting by a campfire with a guitar, different of her with Coyne successful London, different with the vinyl of her song Where The Viaduct Looms’ and her with Warren Ellis.

'We are each shocked and devastated to perceive of the abrupt and tragic passing of our creator and beloved person Nell Smith, implicit the play successful British Columbia,' Raymonde began. 

'Nell was conscionable 17 and was preparing for the merchandise of her archetypal solo grounds successful aboriginal 2025 connected Bella Union, made successful Brighton with Penelope Isles’ Jack and Lily Wolter,' helium added.

'Her archetypal merchandise was an medium of covers of Nick Cave songs recorded with chap Bella Union artistes The Flaming Lips backmost successful 2021 entitled, Where The Viaduct Looms,' helium added.

'While we each effort and travel to presumption with the atrocious news, and retired of respect to Nell’s grieving family, we are incapable to marque immoderate further comments astatine this time,' helium concluded. 

During The Flaming Lips amusement connected Saturday, Coyne announced her decease to the crowd.

'We person a Canadian friend, her sanction is Nell. We recorded an astonishing medium with her 3 years ago, an medium afloat of songs by Nick Cave,' Coyne began.

'We got immoderate precise bittersweet messages today... that she was killed successful a car mishap past night,' helium added, portion getting choked up. 

'We are reminded erstwhile again of the powerfulness of euphony and however encouraging it tin beryllium to beryllium astir radical that you love,' helium said.

Smith and her parents would often instrumentality her to The Flaming Lips shows, wherever she ever wore a parrot costume to the band's shows successful Calgary.

Coyne approached the teen and said helium recognized her from erstwhile shows and they managed to support successful interaction done the COVID-19 pandemic.

They yet utilized the lockdown to grounds an afloat of Nick Cave screen songs called Where the Viaduct Looms, which was released successful November 2021 erstwhile Smith was conscionable 14. 

She launched a Kickstarter to screen funds to grounds her archetypal solo medium past summer, which surpassed its goal. 

The past update successful aboriginal August 2024 revealed she was moving connected the euphony video for her opus Split successful the Sky and that the medium was inactive coming.