Upcoming band Hope Of The States yesterday issued a statement to the NME about the sad death of their guitarist Jimmi Lawrence, who died after
apparently committing suicide last week.

The statement reads: "It is with enormous sadness that we have to inform you that our best friend and bandmate Jimmi Lawrence took his own life last week at Real World Studios near Bath. We have lost our friend in a tragic and heartbreaking way. His sense of humour, sensitivity, talent, intelligence and above all genuinely caring nature will be sadly missed. Our last days with Jimmi were the happiest we have ever shared together. He was immensely proud and happy with his work on the record and could not wait for others to hear it. We are devastated that he will never hear it with us, never play guitar, have a drink, a laugh or a conversation with us again. We are all forever grateful for the many messages of support and condolences we have received not just from friends and family but from people who had fleetingly met Jimmi or heard him play. The depth of feeling shown by you all means so much, not only to the band and his friends, but also to Jimmi's family. Finally we would ask that this awful event not be co-opted as a
glamorous "rock 'n roll" death. We will forever believe this was not supposed to happen and our dear friend would hate to be thought of in this way."

From: CMU