Jennifer Finch of L7 has died. The musician joined the Los Angeles punk band in 1986 as bassist and vocalist and played on five of their studio LPs, including 1990’s Smell The Magic and 1992’s Bricks Are Heavy, two of the grunge era’s essential and most influential albums. Earlier this week, Finch revealed she’d been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, forcing her to sit out L7’s fall farewell tour. A GoFundMe launched by her friends and family quickly surpassed its goal, raising nearly $400,000. She was 59.
“We are devastated to announce the death of our partner, sister, daughter, and friend Jennifer Precious Finch,” reads a statement on the musician’s social media. “Jennifer’s impact on the world of music was seismic; her impact on our lives, even moreso. We appreciate everyone’s interest and concern, thank you for all the kind messages. We appreciate some space to heal privately during this difficult time.”
Jennifer Finch was born August 5, 1966 and raised by her adoptive parents in West Los Angeles. (She chose the middle name Precious in the '90s in tribute to her adoptive father, who was a big supporter of her creative pursuits.) Before joining L7, Finch played in Sugar Babydoll with future Hole and Babes In Toyland founders Courtney Love and Kat Bjelland. She was also a prolific music photographer, documenting the LA punk and alt-rock scene starting in the mid-'80s.
Finch joined L7 a year after Donita Sparks and Suzi Gardner started the band, and she was on board when their 1988 self-titled debut was one of the first non-Bad Religion albums to come out on Epitaph. L7 were an LA band, but they spent a lot of time in Seattle in the late '80s and early '90s, just as grunge taking hold. Their sophomore album Smell The Magic came out on Sub Pop in 1990, and Finch dated Dave Grohl for a while when he was in Nirvana. In 1991, they formed Rock For Choice, a series of concerts that raised money for abortion rights.
After Smell The Magic, L7 signed with Slash Records and released their Butch Vig-produced major-label debut Bricks Are Heavy in 1992. That album is a full-on classic of the early alt-rock era. The catchy, galvanizing single "Pretend We're Dead" became an alt-rock radio hit, and it's one of many absolute bangers on that record. "Shitlist"? "Wargasm"? "Everglade"? That thing is stacked. L7 were larger-than-life characters with purpose and swagger and great, great songs. At a pivotal moment in rock history, they were one of the coolest bands on the planet.
L7's 1994 follow-up Hungry For Stink it didn't have another hit on the level of "Pretend We're Dead," but it's arguably just as good as Bricks Are Heavy. The band played the main stage during the 1994 Lollapalooza tour, arguably the peak of that entire enterprise. During that run, Finch wrote or co-wrote many of L7's best songs, including "One More Thing" and "She Has Eyes."
Finch left L7 in 1996, and former Belly bassist Gail Greenwood joined up to take her place. L7 released a couple more albums before breaking up in 2001. In addition to L7, Finch played in bands like OtherStarPeople, the Shocker, and Sex In Progress. When L7 reunited in 2014, Finch rejoined them, and she played on their 2019 reunion album Scatter The Rats. At the time of her death, plans were underway to preserve an extensive archive of her work.
L7 shared this statement:
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.
