Travis Nelsen, longtime drummer in Austin indie rock group Okkervil River, has died. Okkervil River announced the news in a statement on their Instagram account on April 9. “Travis Nelsen, Okkervil River’s drummer from 2003-2010, passed away on Tuesday,” the band wrote. “He was a radiant, hilarious, charismatic, generous, passionate human being with a heart that was completely open.” Find Okkervil River’s full statement below.
Nelsen was raised in Waukesha, Wisconsin, moving to Madison in the early 1990s to attend the University of Wisconsin. After studying computer engineering for a period, he dropped out to pursue music.