Remembering Jennifer Finch
Jennifer Finch, the influential bassist, songwriter, photographer and visual artist best known for her work with pioneering grunge band L7 was born on this day in 1966
Remembering Jennifer Finch
Born on August 5, 1966, in Los Angeles, California, Jennifer Finch grew up immersed in Southern California’s thriving punk scene. A talented photographer from an early age, she documented many of the musicians who would later become legends of West Coast punk before pursuing music herself. In the mid-1980s, she played bass in Sugar Babydoll, a short-lived but historically significant band that also featured Courtney Love and future Babes in Toyland frontwoman Kat Bjelland, helping lay the groundwork for the alternative rock explosion that followed.
Finch joined L7 in 1986, despite having little experience on bass, and quickly became an integral part of the band’s identity. Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, L7 emerged as one of the defining acts of the grunge and alternative metal movements, blending heavy riffs with feminist politics and sharp social commentary. Finch performed on the band’s classic albums L7 (1988), Smell the Magic (1990), Bricks Are Heavy (1992) and Hungry for Stink (1994). Among their best-known songs are “Pretend We’re Dead,” “Shitlist,” “Andres,” “Fuel My Fire,” “Everglade,” and “(Right On) Thru.”
After leaving L7 in 1996, citing health, financial pressures and personal loss, Finch remained active creatively. She fronted The Shocker, recorded with OtherStarPeople, continued working as a photographer and graphic designer, and remained involved in numerous artistic projects. Her photography documenting the Los Angeles punk scene was exhibited publicly and became an important visual record of the era.
When L7 reunited in 2014, Finch returned to the band and helped usher in a successful second chapter that included extensive touring, the acclaimed documentary L7: Pretend We’re Dead, and the band’s first studio album in two decades, Scatter the Rats (2019). Earlier this year, L7 announced The Last Hurrah Tour, intended to celebrate the band’s 40th anniversary and serve as their farewell North American tour. Although Finch was forced to withdraw after her diagnosis, she encouraged her bandmates to continue with the shows in her absence.
On July 13, just days before her death, Finch’s family, friends and bandmates launched a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for surgeries, rehabilitation, home nursing care and medical expenses. The response from the music community was overwhelming, with thousands of fans contributing alongside artists including Joan Jett, Courtney Love, members of Pearl Jam, Green Day, Garbage, Tool, Korn, Fugazi and Bikini Kill. The fundraiser exceeded its original goal within days. Jennifer Finch died on July 19, 2026, at the age of 59, following complications the brain cancer.
Look back at the 1992 music video for L7’s defining hit “Pretend We’re Dead”
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