Tristan Goodall, Founding Member Of The Audreys, Has Died

July 5, 2022

Australian songwriter and musician Tristan Goodall has died, aged 48. Goodall founded folk duo, The Audreys, with Taasha Coates in 2001. Goodall’s cause of death has not been revealed, but in 2021 fans were informed that he was leaving the band due to health issues.

Via social media, Coates confirmed that Goodall passed away over the weekend. A representative for the band confirmed to Double J that he was surrounded by family. “I have talked to so many people in the last few days who knew Tristan, and the outpouring of love has been overwhelming.” Coates wrote. “He touched so many of us with his beautiful music, his big heart, his big hugs and his big goofy laugh.”

Tristan Goodall and Taasha Coates met in Adelaide in 1997

Goodall and Coates first met in 1997. They were both university students in Adelaide at the time. “Tristan saw something in me, and as we started playing and writing songs together a whole new world opened up. We went on to do so many wonderful things together with our music,” Coates wrote.

The Audreys officially formed in 2001 and earned a reputation as one of Australia’s most beloved touring groups. They won the ARIA Award for Best Blues & Roots Album three times; for 2006’s Between Last Night and Us, 2008’s When the Flood Comes, and 2011’s Sometimes the Stars. The band’s most recent studio album, ‘Til My Tears Roll Away, came out in 2014, and they continued to perform in the years that followed.

The Audreys – ‘Ballad For The Fallen’

Announcing Goodall’s departure in 2021, Coates said that, “with his blessing I have created a new line-up to continue what we started”. At the time, Goodall reflected fondly on his time with The Audreys and was confident in the direction his musical partner would take the group.

“Twenty years ago, Taasha Coates and I, in a coffee shop in Amsterdam, conceived The Audreys,” he wrote. “It was a dream we took home to foster and nurture and over time it became the little band from Adelaide that could. And it did. So many wonderful people helped us raise this fledgling band: the fearless musicians, the guiding hands, the tireless helpers. And you, out there, always encouraging. I am forever grateful to you all.”