Tim Very, the drummer for Atlanta rock band Manchester Orchestra, has passed away at the age of 42. The band shared the heartbreaking news on Saturday, February 14, expressing their disbelief and sadness. They have not yet revealed the cause of his death.
Very grew up in Pensacola, Florida, and was inspired to play drums by his father and Dave Grohl. He learned to play by covering Nirvana songs. In a 2022 interview, he mentioned, “I wasn’t one of those guys that got to start playing when I was like six years old. It took me a little while to find my identity, but I knew this was something I would be doing for a long time.”
Tim joined Manchester Orchestra in 2011, stepping in for drummer Jeremiah Edmond. His first show was in London during the UK leg of their tour for the album Simple Math. He quickly proved himself and became the band’s longest-serving drummer, contributing to albums like Cope, A Black Mile to the Surface, and The Million Masks of God. His drumming style was powerful yet subtle, fitting perfectly with the band’s sound.
In 2023, Manchester Orchestra released The Valley of Vision and plans to drop a live album, Union Chapel (London, England), this March. Outside of the band, Very was also a session player, producer, and co-founder of the Georgia-based group Super Canoe.
The band’s members, Andy Hull, Robert McDowell, and Andy Price, remembered Tim as a warm and kind person with an infectious laugh. They said, “He had an undeniable light and a deep love for his craft. If you loved Tim, he loved you too.”
