Flaming Lips employee dies aged 17

Nell Smith, the young Canadian singer who worked with The Flaming Lips, has died aged 17.

Her family confirmed the tragic news in an Instagram statement on Monday.

“It pains us so much to say that our vibrant, talented, unique and beautiful daughter was cruelly taken from us on Saturday evening,” began the statement, written by her family members Jude, Rachel, Jed and Ike.

“We are devastated by the news and don’t know what to do or say,” they continued. “She had so much more to experience and give to this world, but we are grateful that she was able to experience so much in her 17 years. It has left an indelible mark on the Word and an unbridgeable chasm in our hearts.”

“Take extra care of your children tonight and please leave it to us to work through things first. We will scream when we need you,” the statement concluded.

Smith’s cause of death has yet to be confirmed by her family.

However, The Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne claimed at the rock band’s concert in Portland, Oregon on Sunday that Smith died in a car accident.

In fan footage of the show, Coyne, 63, said: “We have a very sad announcement to make tonight. We have a Canadian friend, her name is Nell. … We received some very sad news today that she died in a car accident last night, and we are reminded once again of the power of music.”

Simon Raymonde, owner of the record label Bella Union, which planned to release Smith’s debut album in 2025, also posted a moving tribute to the late star on Instagram.

“We are all shocked and devastated to learn of the sudden and tragic death of our artist and dear friend Nell Smith over the weekend in British Columbia,” Raymonde, 62, wrote on behalf of Bella Union.

“Smith was only 17 and was preparing to release her first solo record in early 2025 on Bella Union, which she recorded in Brighton with Jack and Lily Wolter of Penelope Isles,” the statement continued.

“While we are all trying to come to terms with the terrible news, out of respect for Nell’s grieving family we cannot make any further comment at this time.”

At the age of 12, Smith attended one of The Flaming Lips’ shows in 2018 and became friends with Coyne. She eventually worked with the band on Where the Viadcut Looms, a November 2021 covers album featuring the music of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

Cave, 67, praised Smith and her cover of “Girl in Amber” on The Red Hand Files in 2021, writing: “This version of Girl in Amber is just beautiful, I was going to say Nell Smith shapes the song but this is wrong,” but rather she leaves the song in a way that I could never do.”

“Nell shows a remarkable understanding of the song, a sense of dispassion that is both beautiful and frightening. I just love it. I’m a fan,” the Australian musician added.

Smith created a Kickstarter fundraising page last year to fund her debut album. The page has raised over $17,000 of its original goal of $10,000.

“I have always loved music and started writing some of the songs that will be on this album when I was 12 years old. It’s really exciting to see them come to life,” Smith wrote on the page.

She also said she hoped the album and a subsequent tour would “help fund my real dream, which is to attend music school in the UK.”