Doug Shaw, a veteran of New York’s underground indie scene, has died. His former Gang Gang Dance bandmate Lizzi Bougatsos confirmed his death on social media today, as did many other friends and admirers. “Our music community will not be the same without you,” wrote Angel Deradoorian on Instagram. “No one could sing the blues, like Sleepy Doug Shaw,” Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor posted. No cause of death has been reported, but Shaw was 43.
“Sleepy” Doug Shaw was born in London on November 25, 1982. In 2003, he moved to New York and began performing, and went on to share stages with Lou Reed, Mdou Moctar, Sonic Youth, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, and more. Since 2010, he released solo music under the moniker Highlife, the most recent of which was last year’s A Shaw Deal, a collaboration with Geologist (aka Animal Collective’s Brian Weitz). He also served as bassist in Gang Gang Dance as well as guitarist and multi-instrumentalist for the Drag City group White Magic and Sierra Leonean star “Bubu King” Janka Nabay’s band. He contributed to albums by Cass McCombs, Hal Wilner, Eric Copeland, and more.