Black Midi guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin dies at 26 after mental health struggle

Black Midi guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin has died at the age of 26, his family announced through the band’s label, as reported by Rough Trade. His death followed “a long battle with his mental health,” according to the family statement.

Kwasniewski-Kelvin co-founded Black Midi and played guitar on their debut album, Schlagenheim, before leaving the band in 2021. He started playing guitar in primary school and quickly liked skater-style punk-pop music. His father played in a party band and sometimes invited him to rehearsals; Kwasniewski-Kelvin, then 12, would play solos over the band’s blues and pop jams, as cited by Pitchfork. He met his future Black Midi bandmates—Geordie Greep, Cameron Picton, and Morgan Simpson—at London’s BRIT School for performing arts.

Early life and music start of Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin

Greep helped Kwasniewski-Kelvin like new kinds of music, such as loud noise, drone music, and Merzbow. Black Midi became famous for very exciting live shows, especially at Brixton’s Windmill. Kwasniewski-Kelvin played guitar with fast, wild riffs and strange, improvised sounds.


The band was important in the south London experimental rock scene. They often played with bands like Black Country, New Road, Jerskin Fendrix, and Shame. Black Midi signed with Rough Trade and released their first album, Schlagenheim, in 2019. It was produced by Dan Carey and got great reviews.

The band toured North America and Europe before the coronavirus pandemic. In early 2021, they came back with their second album, Cavalcade, but Kwasniewski-Kelvin was not in the band anymore.

Band hiatus and legacy

At that time, he wrote: “I have been taking some time off from the band as I have been mentally unwell,” and added he hoped to return soon. The band said: “We’re all fully behind our best mate in his recovery” and noted, “you’d be surprised at the lengths people will go to help you”, as stated by Pitchfork. After the release of the third Black Midi album, Hellfire, the remaining trio went their separate ways “indefinitely” in 2024.

Kwasniewski-Kelvin continued to play music casually in London. He appeared as a guest musician on Wu-Lu’s 2022 album Loggerhead. In 2024, he released a solo recording that criticized the British Labour Party and called for a free Palestine. In their statement, his family described him as “a talented musician and a kind, loving man finally succumbed; despite all efforts….”, as stated by Rough Trade. The family urged people: “Please take a moment to check in with your loved ones so we can stop this happening to our young men.”

FAQs

Q1. Who was Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin?

He was the co-founding guitarist of Black Midi and played on their debut album Schlagenheim.

Q2. How did Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin die?

He died at 26 after a long battle with his mental health, his family said.