L7’s bassist and founding member Jennifer Finch has died at 59. The band made the announcement days after revealing she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer.
“We are shattered by the loss of our beloved bandmate, sister and friend Jennifer Finch,” L7 said. They called her fierce, funny and endlessly creative. “Jennifer was a true original who lived on her own terms. The impact she made on music, art and everyone lucky enough to know her cannot be measured. We love her beyond words and will carry her with us always. Rest in power our dear friend.”
Finch helped form L7 in Los Angeles in 1985 with guitarists and singers Donita Sparks and Suzi Gardner and drummer Roy Koutsky. Demetra Plakas joined on drums in 1989, creating the classic lineup. Rooted in punk, L7 added their own twist to the grunge sound coming out of the early ’90s.
Their breakout album was 1992’s Bricks Are Heavy, produced by Butch Vig. They followed with 1994’s Hungry for Stink. Finch left the band in 1996. L7 released two more albums and went on hiatus in 2001. The four classic members reunited in 2014. They premiered the documentary Pretend We’re Dead in 2016 and released Scatter the Rats in 2019.
In May, L7 announced a farewell tour called the Last Hurrah, starting in October. When they revealed Finch’s diagnosis, the band said she would not join the tour. Finch asked them to continue, and they said they would honor her wish while focusing on her care.
