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Jul 03, 2018 By Christopher Roberts Richard Swift

Singer/songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalist Richard Swift has died at age 41. He was recently hospitalized for a “serious medical condition” and a GoFundMe page was set up on June 19 to help pay for his medical bills. Now Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys and The Arcs has shared via an Instagram post that Swift has passed. “Today the world lost one of the most talented musicians I know,” Auerbach wrote. “He’s now with his Mom and Sister. I will miss you my friend.”

Richard Swift may not be a household name, but his storied career has made an impact on many in the indie rock music community. Not only had he released various albums, singles, and EPs as a solo artist, going back to 2003’s mini-album The Novelist, he had also produced a number of well-regarded albums and played in other bands. Swift was a member for The Shins from 2011 to 2016. He was the touring bassist for The Black Keys in 2014 and was the drummer for The Arcs. As a producer, he either produced or co-produced the following albums: The Mynabirds’ What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood and Generals; Foxygen’s We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic; Damien Jurado’s Saint Bartlett, Maraqopa, and Visions of Us on the Land; Tennis’ Ritual in Repeat and Small Sound; Laetitia Sadier’s The Trip; Springtime Carnivore’s Springtime Carnivore; The Shins’ Heartworms; Kevin Morby’s City Music; and others.

Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado had this to say on Twitter today about Swift’s passing: “Today I lost one of my best friends. Family. My hero. My everything. One of the true greats. Swift was my music dad. He taught me everything I know and I will never forget him. I love you swift.”

Swift also founded and owned a recording studio in Cottage Grove, Oregon, called National Freedom. He was born in California, but moved around a lot as a kid (including in Minnesota, Utah, and Oregon). As a teenager he began performing and singing in churches and also started experimenting with a four-track recorder. As an adult, Swift moved to Southern California to pursue a career in music. He eventually caught the attention of Secretly Canadian, who in 2005 re-released his early albums The Novelist and Walking Without Effort as The Richard Swift Collection Vol. 1. Swift’s last solo album was 2009’s The Atlantic Ocean. Although in 2016 he teamed up with frequent collaborator Damien Jurado for the covers album Other People’s Songs Vol. 1.

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