Low drummer/vocalist Mimi Parker passed away on Saturday (November 5th) following a battle with ovarian cancer.
In a statement posted to social media on Sunday, Parker’s husband and musical collaborator, Alan Sparhawk, announced his wife’s passing.
“Friends, it’s hard to put the universe into language and into a short message, but… She passed away last night, surrounded by family and love, including yours,” Sparhawk wrote. “Keep her name close and sacred. Share this moment with someone who needs you. Love is indeed the most important thing.”
In January 2022, Parker revealed in an interview on the SHEROE podcast that she had been diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer in December 2020. Between January 2021 and August 2021 — leading right up to the band’s most recent album HEY WHAT — she underwent intensive chemotherapy and surgery. Over the summer, Low canceled a tour scheduled in Europe after “recent developments and changes in treatment” prevented Parker’s ability to travel.
Sparhawk and Parker first met when Sparhawk moved to Minnesota at nine years old. In their early 20s they married and moved to Duluth, where they formed Low. The duo emerged as pioneers of the slowcore genre with their distinct style of music that paired haunted harmonies with lush but minimal arrangements. Over the course of 27 years, they released 13 studio albums, the final seven of which were distributed by Sub Pop.