Nick Weaver’s loved ones memorialise him with posthumous album Won’t Let Go

Helen Wellings says the process of finishing her son Nick Weaver’s album after he died was ‘painful’, but something she had to do to honour the Deep Sea Arcade founder’s life.

Deep Sea Arcade founder Nick Weaver, 37, who passed away from a rare, metastatic bowel cancer in April 2021. Since his death, his family and closest friends have finished and released his solo album, Won't Let Go, for him.

Helen Wellings has honoured her son’s dying wish to put his new music out into the world.

Deep Sea Arcade founder Nick Weaver, 37, passed away from a rare, metastatic bowel cancer in April 2021.

One month after his passing, his family and closest friends set about finishing the solo album, Won’t Let Go, that Weaver had near-completed before becoming ill.

The project was “not healing at all,” former Channel 7 journalist Wellings told The Daily Telegraph.

“It was extremely painful. It’s painful hearing his voice, and the exquisite music,” which Weaver had recorded and refined during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

Nick Weaver had almost completed his solo album Won’t Let Go, when he was diagnosed with cancer in 2021. Picture: Supplied

Three days before his death, Weaver married his long-term partner, Tia, whom the titular track is dedicated to.

Just three months after Weaver’s initial diagnosis: “I knew he was just so weak, he wasn’t going to last,” Wellings said.

“His positive attitude, enduring strength against intolerable liver pain and his desire to put on the bravest front for Tia and his family were remarkable, inspiring, downright noble. He retained his sense of humour and wisdom even at the darkest times,” Weaver’s mother said.

“I rang a very close friend of his, Simon Relf,” a bandmate from Deep Sea Arcade and Tambourine Girls.

“I said you’ve got to talk to Nick because we need to save this music. We cannot let it go.”

Weaver shared his passwords with Relf, and on his computer they found tens of thousands of tracks, and lyrics, all neatly labelled and organised.

“I could not have done without Nick’s friends, they put their heart and soul into it. I know two of them suffered a lot,” Wellings said.

The album cover for Won't Let Go, which was released on Friday.

The project proved so painful after their fresh loss, that Wellings and Weaver’s friends had to take a break from working on it for several months, but she was determined to finish what he started.

All that remained to be done on the album was the mixing, and adding the drums. “So that’s what we set about doing,” Wellings said.

“The hardest part of all was agonising over ‘what would Nick have wanted here?’ every inch of the way. And his friends were invaluable there. They knew the way he operated, being a very close team for 20 years or so.”

“I feel relieved, I feel elated it’s coming out, and so far it’s done really well. I hope people really listen to it and enjoy it.”