Singer-Songwriter Taylor Kirk Dies Unexpectedly

Taylor Kirk, singer-songwriter for the Canadian folk-noir band Timber Timbre, has died. He was 44.

A representative for Kirk confirmed to Exclaim! that the artist “passed away suddenly” on April 14, with his family adding in a statement, “We are devastated by the profound loss of Taylor and we will miss him immensely.”

“His memory will live on through his music that we are fortunate to have for the rest of our lives,” they continued.

Kirk served as the lead singer-songwriter for the indie project Timber Timbre, which he began as a solo project in 2005 before it evolved into a collaborative band.

The band, which was named after an early series of recordings Kirk made in a timber-framed cabin set in the woods of Ontario, was influenced by old folk and blues, giving their music a cinematic and haunted tone.

Timber Timbre first broke through with their 2009 self-titled album, which got the band long-listed for the Polaris Music Prize and earned placements in TV shows such as Breaking Bad, The Good Wife, and The Gambler with the tracks “Magic Arrow” and “Demon Host.”

Their following two releases, 2011’s Creep on Creepin’ On and 2014’s Hot Dreams, were subsequently short-listed for the Polaris Music Prize, with the records peaking at No. 20 and No. 21 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart, respectively.

Over Kirk’s two decades with the band, they put out two EPs and seven albums, the most recent of which was 2023’s Lovage.

Following Kirk’s death, Canadian musician Chad VanGaalen took to Instagram to remember the late musician.

“Sometimes you get asked to work on projects for magical people. Taylor Kirk was one of those magical people…I feel lucky to have made a video for Timber Timbre,” he wrote at the time, as per Billboard Canada. “I really didn’t know him beyond sharing a few heartfelt moments on stages with him at festivals or seeing his incredible songs played live with his bandmates. Absolutely crushed, my condolences to his friends and family. This beautiful world of music he has created will live on through us.”