Jeremiah Green, one of the founding members of Modest Mouse and the band’s drummer, died on Saturday of cancer, the band confirmed on social media. He was 45.
Modest Mouse posted a loving tribute to their bandmate on Instagram, writing, “Today we lost our dear friend Jeremiah. He laid down to rest and simply faded out.”
“Please appreciate all the love you give, get, have given, and will get. Above all, Jeremiah was about love,” the band wrote.
Just four days ago, the band disclosed Green’s cancer diagnosis on their official platforms, writing that his cancer treatment seemed to be “going smoothly and making a positive difference.” His mother, Carol Namatame, also asked fans on Christmas to send “healing vibes” to her “strong” and “brave” son, whose cancer was stage IV, she said.
Green was a founding member of the indie rock band Modest Mouse, alongside frontman Isaac Brock and bassist Eric Judy. The trio came together in the early 1992 in Issaquah, Washington, releasing their debut album in 1996 on Seattle-based independent label, Up Records.
They released their third album, The Moon & Antarctica, on Epic Records, a label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, in 2000, but didn’t find mainstream success until 2004’s Good News For People Who Like Bad News. The album’s lead single and arguably the band’s biggest hit, “Float On,” topped the Billboard Alternative tracks chart, and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Song in 2005.
Green briefly stepped away from the band during this time, returning before the end of 2004, making Good News the only album he did not perform on, according to Rolling Stone.
The band’s most recent album, their seventh studio work, was released in June 2021. In November, they announced an upcoming tour for the 25th anniversary of their second album, The Lonesome Crowded West. At the time, Green took a pause while undergoing chemotherapy, according to Rolling Stone.
Johnny Marr, a former member of Modest Mouse, posted a tribute on Twitter, writing, “The great Jeremiah Green. My friend, bandmate, and the most creative musician I ever met,” alongside an old photograph of Green.
Green is survived by his wife, Lauren Green, and their son, Wilder.
