L7 bassist Jennifer Finch has died, aged 59

L7 bassist Jennifer Finch has died at the age of 59, just days after it was announced that she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer.

"With a very heavy heart we announce that our beloved bandmate, friend, and fellow troublemaker Jennifer Finch has passed away today," the band write on Instagram. "She had a long courageous fight with brain cancer and was loved by many wonderful friends, musical peers and fans worldwide. We love you Jennifer."

In a subsequent statement, the band says: “We are shattered by the loss of our beloved bandmate, sister and friend Jennifer Finch, whose fierce spirit, humor and boundless creativity helped shape L7 and changed all of our lives forever.

“Jennifer was a true original who lived entirely on her own terms, and the impact she made on music, art and everyone lucky enough to know her cannot be measured. We love her beyond words and will carry her with us always. Rest in power our dear friend.”

A key part of the influential punks' classic line-up, Jennifer had joined the band in 1987, performing alongside singer and guitarist Donita Sparks, guitarist Suzi Gardner and drummer Dee Plakas. Outside of L7, she was also an accomplished writer, photographer and visual artist.

Jennifer left the band in 1996 and went on to form several other projects, finishing the 20th century as part of the band OtherStarPeople. She went on to form The Shocker in 2002 and later the outfit Sex In Progress.

L7 is perhaps best known for their self-titled 1987 debut album and continued to release music until 1999. They split up in 2001 before reuniting with their classic line-up in 2015. Two years later, they released the anti-Donald Trump song Dispatch From Mar-A-Lago and released another album, Scatter The Rats, in 2019.

Their most recent release was the single I Came Back to Bitch, which dropped in February. In May, they announced a final North American tour for October and November titled The Last Hurrah and they’ve also been touring this summer, but later confirmed that Jennifer would be missing the shows and encouraged the band to go on without her.

After confirming that she had been diagnosed with brain cancer, Jennifer's friends and family had set up a GoFundMe campaign to help cover her medical expenses.

Kerrang! sends its deepest condolences to Jennifer's family and friends.