Longtime Manchester Orchestra Drummer Tim Very Dies at 42
Manchester Orchestra drummer Tim Very has died at the age of 42. The Atlanta rock band shared the news on social media on Saturday, Feb. 14, stating, “We’ve all been…
Manchester Orchestra drummer Tim Very has died at the age of 42. The Atlanta rock band shared the news on social media on Saturday, Feb. 14, stating, "We've all been dreading sharing this news as we are all still in absolute disbelief." So far, the band hasn't announced a cause of death.
Very grew up in Pensacola, Florida, and was the son of a drummer. Dave Grohl inspired him at a young age, and the first songs he learned were Nirvana songs.
"I wasn't one of those guys that got to start playing when I was like six years old, got lessons out the gate," he told Drummers on Drumming in 2022. "It took me a little while to kind of find my identity. I instantly knew that this was something I was going to be doing for a long time."
Manchester Orchestra Drummer Tim Very
Very stepped into Manchester Orchestra in 2011, replacing Jeremiah Edmond and walking straight into the deep end. His first show with the band wasn’t some low-pressure warmup gig, either. It was London, on the UK leg of an international run behind Simple Math, the kind of situation where you either lock in fast or get swallowed whole.
He locked in. Over time, Very became the band’s longest-serving drummer, anchoring their rhythm section across Cope, A Black Mile to the Surface and The Million Masks of God. His playing wasn’t flashy for the sake of it. It was muscular when it needed to be, restrained when the songs demanded space.
Manchester Orchestra dropped The Valley of Vision in 2023 and are set to release Union Chapel (London, England) live this March. Outside the band, Very built a résumé as a session player, producer and co-founder of Georgia-based Super Canoe, working quietly behind the scenes while keeping the pulse steady up front.
"Tim was instantly likable and interacted with everyone he met with kindness and warmth. His laugh was infectious and he immediately made people feel invited and encouraged," Manchester Orchestra's Andy Hull, Robert McDowell and Andy Price said in a statement.
They added, "He had an undeniable light that was only matched by his dedication and love for the craft that he was clearly put on earth to do. No words can ever do him justice. Please know, if you are someone who loved Tim, he loved you too."
