
The Australian musician has enjoyed an incredibly successful career and assured fans he intends to maintain it for as long as his physical abilities allow.
During a recent interview, the 67-year-old frontman of the Bad Seeds was asked about slowing down, to which he admitted it wouldn’t happen until his body forces him to.
Formed in Melbourne in 1983, the band has remained strong over the years, releasing their 18th studio album, Wild God, last August and embarking on a North American tour this April. Nick has also confirmed that the near future will continue to bring more performances and new music.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, he shared: “I always thought I’d stop when I couldn’t do knee drops anymore. Actually, looking back, I haven’t done one in a while… I could still get down, but getting back up—that’s a bit more of a challenge.”
Despite his remarks, the star admitted that his relationship with art and music has profoundly shifted since the heartbreaking loss of his two sons.
Reflecting on his previous outlook, he shared that he once viewed art as “everything” because it was “always there” and “always reliable.” Before the tragedy, his daily routine involved rising early, retreating to his studio, and immersing himself in the creative process, marveling at his own artistic potential.
However, he revealed how his perspective changed after the death of his son Arthur. “I think after Arthur died, I just shut the office, and I haven’t gone back. I just locked it up. I was repelled by it in some way. It seemed so indulgent.
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“I still work very, very hard,” he explained, “but I no longer see it as the ultimate purpose. My responsibilities to my children, my wife, and my role as a citizen and husband—these are the true driving forces, or should be, behind our creativity.”
Nick and his wife, Susie Bick, relocated their family to Brighton, England, in the early 2000s. Tragedy struck in 2015 when their 15-year-old son, Arthur, passed away after falling during a cliff dive.
An inquest revealed that Arthur had taken LSD prior to the fall, with the coroner ruling his untimely death as a tragic accident.
The Cave family has been candid about their grief over the loss of their son, participating in the 2016 documentary One More Time with Feeling, which delves into their mourning process. Nick also reflected on this profound loss in the Bad Seeds’ 2019 album Ghosteen.
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