Teen musician Dorian 'ZEV' Kweller remembered as uniquely talented, hard-working
AUSTIN, Texas - The 16-year-old son of musician Ben Kweller died in a car crash, according to his family.
"I met Dorian when he was six and at that point I was like, this kid is amazing," said Pablos Mathiason, GM of Dorian’s record label, The Noise Company. "He's honestly a unicorn."
Kweller, an up-and-coming artist known as "ZEV," was following in the footsteps of his dad, Ben Kweller, a Dripping Springs-based musician who founded The Noise Company.
Mathiason said on Monday, the day of Dorian’s death, they had been texting back and forth about all the big moves that were happening in his career, like his recent endorsement by a skateboard company that wanted to have him on the cover of their catalog and discussions about merchandise for his upcoming, first gig at SXSW.
"Just such a talent between playing guitar, drums, keyboards, singing, producing, writing, mixing his own stuff," said Mathiason. " I mean, this kid, every time I went and saw him, he was either skateboarding with friends, making everybody smile, making the room smile, or on his computer recording another song. I think we have probably two to three albums worth of material that is just on his hard drive."
It’s music that Mathiason would like to release to the public at some point.
"The most devastating part about this is watching such a beautiful family that has supported so many other musicians and communities having to struggle through this," said Rikki Hardy, VP of Donor Relations and Community Engagement at the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. "I know that this loss is not just felt in the Austin community, the music community here or even just Ben's close friends and family - this ripples out to all the people that the Kweller family has touched and been involved with."
In a post on Instagram, Ben Kweller wrote:
"There’s no way that I can be typing this but I am…. Our son, Dorian Zev Kweller, was killed last night. He was only 16 and he was a true legend. Kindest, gentle soul, a friend to all. If you knew him, you know. We’ll never get over him as long as we’re here on earth. Please keep his spirit alive with your memories and the music he made: @reallyzev. Dorian Zev wrote and recorded songs every day. A true poet from the day he started speaking. Only a few of his recordings were released but he was on a path and excited about his journey. He had so many plans!!! His first gig was in two weeks, at SXSW. My last text with him was about the merch he wanted to make. My baby boy was at the starting line with so much life ahead of him… I have no idea why things like this happen. We’re in complete shock and don’t know what the future holds. Lizzy, Judah, and I have no idea how to deal with this disaster. Thank you for your prayers and support and we apologize if we are slow to respond to messages."
Dorian was also a member of the band at Dripping Springs High School.
A spokesperson told FOX 7: "Our hearts are with the Kweller family, and Dorian will always be a beloved part of the DSHS Tiger Band Family."
The family has since launched the Dorian Kweller Memorial Fund.
Money raised will go toward multiple projects, including building a statue or monument to represent the life of Dorian and funding charitable contributions to various music and skateboarding entities.
To listen to ZEV, click here.