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Will Cullen Hart, a co-founder of the Elephant 6 collective and member of bands such as The Olivia Tremor Control, Circulatory System, and more, has died. He was 53 years old.
Hart passed away on the morning of Friday, November 29th of natural causes, “suddenly, peacefully,” according to a Facebook post made by fellow Elephant 6 founder (and The Apples in Stereo frontman) Robert Schneider. In a tragic circumstance of timing, Hart’s death occurred on the same day that The Olivia Tremor Control released their first new music in over a decade: the songs “Garden of Light” and “The Same Place.”
In his post, Schneider explained that the songs were originally intended to be part of a concept album by The Olivia Tremor Control, but the project was halted after the death of badmember Bill Doss in 2012. During the production of the recent Elephant 6 documentary, though, Hart’s passion to finish the music was reignited — despite suffering from multiple sclerosis, he returned to the studio with a number of collaborators and completed the tracks.
“These beautiful songs — perhaps among the best psychedelic pop songs ever recorded — exist today,” Schneider wrote. “Kelly [Hart’s wife] told me that this morning Will was excited and happy to see people were downloading it. Today is a day of victory for W. Cullen Hart — his last day represented a triumph. Today is the day that Will’s perseverance, his sincerity, his struggle with MS, and his devotion to Bill and their common vision, bears fruit.”
“Garden of Light” and “The Same Place” are available as standalone singles on Bandcamp, and were released with the Elephant 6 documentary’s vinyl soundtrack. Stream the tracks, and read the full post from Schneider, below.
Hart was born in 1971 and grew up in Ruston, Louisiana, where he befriended Schneider, Doss, and future-Neutral Milk Hotel founder, Jeff Mangum. After high school, he relocated to Athens, Georgia, where The Olivia Tremor Control became a beloved act thanks to their live performances and EPs. In 1996, they released their debut album, Music from the Unrealized Film Script: Dusk at Cubist Castle.
The band followed-up Cubist Castle with 1999’s Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume One, a notable entry in the annals of psychedelic rock history. After Doss’ death in 2012, the band hoped to complete their “third and final record,” but it’s unclear what will become of that project in the wake of Hart’s passing.
In addition to Schneider, many friends, fans, and collaborators are paying tribute to Hart, like Olivia Tremor Control member John Fernandes, who wrote, “I take some solace in the fact that Will got to see the release of the Elephant 6 book, Endless Endless, and the release of the Elephant 6 movie. And on the morning when he passed, he was excited about the release of two new The Olivia Tremor Control tracks and was drawing… You will be missed, Will, but will live on in our memories and all the beautiful output you released in the world. I love you Will!”
English (US) · 