During a recent interview on BBC Radio 4’s ‘This Cultural Life,’ Nick Cave touched upon various topics, including the death of his son, Arthur. The conversation also included a discussion of a particular message the musician received from Leonard Cohen following the boy’s passing.
Tragedy struck Cave’s life when Arthur passed away at a young age after falling off a cliff in 2015. Apparently, upon this incident, the mourning father received an email of condolences from Cohen, which he remembered with sympathy in his statements.
The musician’s words about the matter read:
“At the time, that was out of the blue; it was a compassionate act. These things kind of change the way you see the world and understand your own potential. These small acts of kindness can have huge reverberating impact on things, and I think that helped me enormously. I remember that.”
The influence of Arthur’s death was seen in Cave’s music in the following years, like his 2016 album ‘Skeleton Tree’ and the 2019 release ‘Ghosteen.’ The track’ Girl in Amber,’ in particular, carried the echoes of grief the musician held during the recording process.