In Memoriam: Vern Rumsey
Sad news to report today: Unwound bassist Vern Rumsey has passed away from undisclosed causes. He was 47 years old.
Rumsey co-founded the influential post-hardcore band in 1991 alongside Justin Trosper and Brandt Sandeno, though Sara Lund would replace Sandeno on drums the next year. The band was part of the fertile music scene in Washington that also produced groups like Sleater-Kinney and Bikini Kill. Masters of DIY and constantly working, Unwound released eight albums over a decade and was touring nonstop for most of that time.
The bassist also played on the 1997 Blonde Redhead album Fake Can Be Just as Good. After Unwound’s split in 2002, Rumsey worked in a variety of bands: Long HInd Legs, Fitz of Depression, Flora v. Fauna, and more. Most recently, he had been working on new music in a band called Household Gods.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Vern Rumsey.
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
