Jacob Thiele, former keyboardist for both The Faint and side-project Depressed Buttons, has died at the age of 40. His former bandmates and label confirmed the news on social media. A cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
Thiele replaced Matt Bowen in The Faint towards the end of 1998, three years after founding member Conor Oberst split to form Bright Eyes. Thiele recorded with the group on some of their most seminal albums, including 1999’s Blank-Wave Arcade, 2003’s Danse Macabre, and 2009’s Fasciinatiion. His final album with The Faint was 2014’s Doom Abuse, as he departed the band two years later.
Alongside fellow Faint members Todd Fink and Clark Baechle, Thiele also was a part of the side-project Depressed Buttons.
The Faint shared the sad news with fans via their Instagram, writing,
“We are devastated to lose our dear friend Jacob Thiele. He was kind, adventurous, carefree and always fun to be around. He was a true synthesizer pioneer, and The Faint would not have sounded the same without him. We were incredibly lucky to have had the time we did with him. Love you forever Jacob.”
Fink shared his own reaction to the loss on the platform, sharing images of him with Thiele along with the note, “So many good times with Jacob. Overwhelming sadness now.”
Saddle Creek also expressed condolences. Find their tweet and the posts from The Faint and Fink below.
We're so incredibly sad to say goodbye to our friend Jacob Thiele. A brilliant player and synth pioneer, his contributions to The Faint are deep and undeniable. His influence on Omaha and our greater music community will forever be felt. All of our love to those who loved him.
pic.twitter.com/i7HoH6jc3Y
— Saddle Creek (@saddlecreek) February 14, 2020
R.I.P. Jacob Thiele, Former The Faint Keyboardist, Dies at 40
Ben Kaye
