Nick Weaver Honoured In Posthumous Album

The news that Nick Weaver of Sydney band Deep Sea Arcade passed away at 37 from a rare, metastatic bowel cancer last year shocked fans and devastated his family. 

Weaver co-founded Deep Sea Arcade from a makeshift home recording studio in his teens. The indie rock group released two albums, Outlands in 2012 and Blacklight in 2018. He was also a member of The Tambourine Girls, his guitar and bass guitar playing and co-writing skills shining alongside his bandmate Simon Relf.

Won't Let Go, Weaver's solo album was primarily written during lockdowns and in isolation. He recorded the vocals and every instrument on the album, save for the drums. His family and friends rallied together after his passing in April 2021, vowing to complete and release his almost-finished solo album. 

REVIEW: Nick Weaver - 'Won't Let Go'

They stuck as closely to what Weaver's vision would have been, honouring his music and allowing his fans to appreciate his remarkable talents. Won't Let Go is a memorial to Nick Weaver. The album demonstrates what a songwriting talent he was within the backdrop of gorgeous indie-pop.

"Nick's creativity never ceased to astonish me. This solo album is heart-wrenchingly beautiful, songs that stay fixed in your head," Weaver's mother, Helen Wellings, shared. "It's as if Nick's soul has come to the surface in these compositions about true love, sincerity, beauty, loss, deception and narcissism, revealing his breadth and brilliance. Nick has left us, but his music will live on in our hearts."

Album opener and lead single Cold Chills is anything but distant - from the beginning, Won't Let Go retains warmth, sincerity, and beautiful melodies across its 13 tracks, closing with the effortless thrill of Sunshine On Its Way. 

In a tribute to her son, Wellings revealed other beautiful things about Weaver, such as the love he and his wife, Tia, had for their rescue dog, Ellie and their funny Selkirk cat, Tony Soprano. 

Wellings' tribute to her son also aims to spread awareness of the cancer Weaver always tried to stay optimistic about. B-Raf Mismatch Repair bowel cancer starts from a single gene not repairing properly and then mutating. Despite Weaver's successful bowel surgery, the hopes of chemotherapy and immunotherapy sadly couldn't stop the rapidly spreading cancer. "The disease targets young, healthy people, some primary school age, and is increasing at the rate of 2.5% a year. Australia has the highest rate of growth."

Won't Let Go is now streaming on music platforms, and a website created by his family will go live today.