Hüsker Dü, the legendary rock trio out of Minnesota, lost one of its leaders today. Grant Hart, drummer and co-founder of the outfit, passed away today at the age of 56. Bob Mould confirmed the death in Facebook post earlier today.
In his post, Mould the other co-founder of Hüsker Dü, commemorated his relationship with Hart, talking about the ups and downs of their work together. “We made amazing music together. We (almost) always agreed on how to present our collective work to the world. When we fought about the details, it was because we both cared. The band was our life. It was an amazing decade.” Mould also commented on Hart’s legacy as an artist and what he left behind to the world. “Grant Hart was a gifted visual artist, a wonderful story teller, and a frighteningly talented musician. Everyone touched by his spirit will always remember.”
The two first formed Hüsker Dü back in 1979 along with bassist Greg Norton. Their first single, “Statues,” was released through their own label before signing to SST, where the band rose to prominence with projects like Zen Arcade (1984) and New Day Rising (1985). Throughout their career, the two would split writing and vocal duties, creating a dynamic and influential sound. In 1988 however, the group would split after two albums with Warner Bros.
Hart ended up being the first to release solo music following Hüsker Dü’s breakup, releasing 2541 EP in 1988, and then his first LP Intolerance in 1989. Following his solo streak, Hart formed the band Nova Mob, and was leading singer and guitar. The band split in 1997, and Hart’s output became much less frequent, his last release coming in 2013 with The Argument, a double LP based on Mitlon’s Paradise Lost.
There were rumors of a Hüsker Dü reunion the past few years, but Hart consistently downplayed such rumors, even referencing Patti Smith saying “I don’t f**k with the past but I f**k plenty with the future.” Despite that, there is a new box set of early unreleased material from Hüsker Dü due later this year.
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