Jay Bennett’s sudden tragic passing not only marked the loss of one of the most talented musicians and producers around, but it also left the issues between Bennett and his former band Wilco sadly unresolved. Bennett’s former bandmate and songwriting partner Jeff Tweedy released a brief statement immediately following Bennett’s death, but now he has commented further on his confused feelings regarding the loss.
“I really hadn’t been in contact with Jay for eight years now,” Tweedy told Metromix’s Scott Timberg. “Obviously there’s a lot of ambivalence there—from the unplugging of our lives from each other… it’s a confusing thing. The tragedy of it is certainly not lost on me, and I feel it very deeply. He was an extremely bright, and gifted guy, and I wish he was still around and I wish I could have seen him thrive and flourish, especially in the years he’s been out of Wilco. And I feel really sad [he] didn’t in the way he was capable of.”