Polaris Guitarist Ryan Siew Dead at 26

Ryan Siew, the guitarist for Polaris, has sadly died at just 26 years old.

His bandmates Daniel Furnari, Jake Steinhauser, Jamie Hails and Rick Schneider shared the news on Instagram.

No cause of death was given.

They wrote, “It is with shattered hearts & the deepest sorrow that we tell you our dear brother and bandmate Ryan Siew passed away on the morning of Monday June 19. He was 26 years old, and for 10 incredible years he was our best friend and artistic soulmate. Those years will never be enough.”

They described their friend as “kindhearted and clever” as well as “funny and brave and creative” and “talented beyond measure.”

The musicians said, “He loved art, and beauty in all its forms. He loved great food in great company. He loved Harry Potter and psych-thrillers and crime documentaries. He loved music, more diversely than you could ever imagine, and spoke its language in ways that only the rarest among us do.”

They said he loved and adored his family and friends and was “admired and beloved by so many.”

Sending a message to their late bandmate, they wrote, “Ryan, we will love and miss you for the rest of our days, and we will never fill the hole that you leave in all of our lives… May you be at peace.”

Polaris asked for “space to grieve & attempt to heal from this immeasurable loss” and that fans respect the privacy of Siew’s family.

The band revealed they were facing a crisis on June 20, posting on Instagram, “We are heartbroken to tell you that due to a serious personal crisis in our family, we will be withdrawing from all remaining dates of our current European Summer run.”

Back in January, Ryan opened up about his mental and physical health alongside an Instagram photo of himself in a hospital bed.

He wrote in the caption, “I’ve had to step away and spend most of 2023 working on myself and for the first time for as long as I can remember, I’m happy to say I’m no longer on any anti depressants, no longer living with the constant brain fog and lethargy.”

Ryan added, “Although I’ve also had a few health scares that have been quite sobering. Between all of that, I think I’m back on track to be the best version of myself. I’m learning new things, growing and I’m most importantly recovering.”

Siew apologized for leaving his followers in the dark, adding, “In the end this is a positive post and a step forward, PLEASE don’t read it as anything other than that. Love you all x.”

Polaris formed in Australia in 2012, and Ryan joined the metalcore band in 2013 when he was just 15.