Liverpool band Her's killed in US crash

Both members of the Liverpool band Her’s and their tour manager have been killed in a crash in the US.

Duo Stephen Fitzpatrick and Audun Laading, as well as manager Trevor Engelbrektson, died while travelling to a gig in California on Wednesday, their record label Heist or Hit said.

The label described them as “one of the UK’s most loved up and coming bands”.

The duo had recently released their debut album and had been featured by BBC Introducing.

Heist Or Hit said the duo and their manager were killed “in a road accident in the early hours of Wednesday whilst travelling to a show in Santa Ana, California”.

They had performed in Phoenix, Arizona, on Tuesday and were driving about 350 miles to Santa Ana in California when the crash happened.

The label added: “We are all heartbroken. Their energy, vibrancy and talent came to define our label.

“As humans, they were warm, gentle and hilarious. Each time they stopped by the office made for an uplifting experience.”

On their website, Heist or Hit said Mr Fitzpatrick, from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, and Mr Laading, from Norway, met for the first time in Liverpool as students.

The label said the band were playing 19 shows on their second tour of North America, having released their debut album Invitation To Her’s last year.

They added: “They were in America playing to thousands of adoring fans. Fans they made a point of meeting and spending time with, such was their passion and humbleness. The world was at their feet.”

Earlier this week, Her’s were filmed by BBC Introducing playing an acoustic performance during the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

Fans paid tribute to the band online, including Craig MacDonald who said they were “wonderful people and fantastic musicians”.

Another fan wrote: “Such awful awful news. Always put on a great show and could tell how much they loved this music and each other. All the love to you all.”

Writing about the band in 2017, music magazine NME said Her’s were “not a group to stand still”.

‘Almost home time’

It added: “Each song they produce, from the lo-fi bedroom pop power of debut track to ‘Dorothy’ to the duo’s equally melodic take on slacker-rock on ‘Marcel’, sees the Liverpool-based duo shift and float between sounds, never really fitting into one genre, but somehow nailing whatever they end up doing.”

Posting on their Facebook page on Monday, the band wrote: “It’s almost home time for the lads, US tour has gone swimmingly so far. Got a hot sunset date with the Grand Canyon tonight.”