The Shins’ former bassist Neal Langford has died

nme.com:

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.A post shared by The Shins (@theshins)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’.