Van Conner, Co-Founder and Bassist of Screaming Trees, Passes Away at 55

Van Conner, co-founder and bassist of the band Screaming Trees, passed away at the age of 55 due to pneumonia. Van and his brother Gary Lee, along with singer Mark Lanegan and drummer Mark Pickerel, formed the band in 1984 in rural Washington state. The band’s psychedelic-influenced sound was popular among indie bands of the era, and they gained mainstream success with their 1991 album “Sweet Oblivion” and the inclusion of their song “Nearly Lost You” on the soundtrack of the film “Singles.” Despite their success, tensions between band members led to a hiatus and eventual disbandment. Van went on to work on solo projects and collaborated with other musicians.

Few Point to Remember:

1. Van Conner was the co-founder and bassist of the band Screaming Trees, which was formed in 1984 in rural Washington state.
2. The band’s psychedelic-influenced sound was popular among indie bands of the era and they gained mainstream success with their 1991 album “Sweet Oblivion” and the inclusion of their song “Nearly Lost You” on the soundtrack of the film “Singles.”
3. Despite their success, tensions between band members led to a hiatus and eventual disbandment.
4. Van went on to work on solo projects and collaborated with other musicians, and also performed with Dinosaur Jr. for a brief period in 1990.
5. Van Conner passed away at the age of 55 due to pneumonia.
6. He was one of the closest friends of his brother Gary Lee and he will be missed forever.
7. Van Conner’s powerful and droning bass brought a psychedelic element to the group’s sound.
8. The Trees were founded by the Conner brothers with Lanegan, and drummer Mark Pickerel in rural Ellensburg, Washington.
9. The band purveyed a psychedelia-influenced sound that synchronized with several other indie bands from the era, particularly the “Paisley Underground” groups from California like the Rain Parade and the Dream Syndicate.
10. After releasing several low-budget recordings on the small Velvetone label, the band signed with the indie powerhouse SST Records and became one of the major groups of the American indie scene of the late ‘80s.