Sam Jayne, pioneering voice in indie rock and leader of Love as Laughter, has been found dead at the age of 46. His bandmate Zeke Howard confirmed the news on Instagram.
Jayne was last seen on December 6th, as Variety and Pitchforkreport, and he was last heard from on December 7th. On the 12th, his loved ones reported him missing, and he was discovered in his car on December 15th. The NYPD has said that they do not suspect foul play.
“The search for Sam Jayne has concluded and our hearts are broken,” Howard wrote. “Our dear Sam is no longer with us but his memory and impact will endure. Please respect the privacy of the family at this time. More information will be shared as it becomes known. Please be patient as we mourn this loss.”
Jayne first rose to prominence in the 1990s in the post-hardcore outfit Lync. Founded in Olympia, Washington, the rockers put out a string of singles and one beloved album, 1994’s These Are Not Fall Colors. They also backed Beck on his folk album One Foot In The Grave before disbanding, Afterwards, Jayne was briefly a member of Modest Mouse.
He soon began releasing new music under the monicker Love as Laughter, starting with self-released cassettes and eventually putting out albums with K Records and Sub Pop. In 2008, Love as Laughter signed with Isaac Brock’s label Glacial Pace and dropped what turned out to be their final album, Holy. The rockers also released a pair of singles in 2015.
Jayne’s passing was mourned by Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes. In a social media post, he wrote,
“Rest In Peace, Sam. You didn’t know it but you were an elusive and formatively inspiring hero to me and you touched so many of the lives of the people we love. You were Sam fucking Jayne. Fuck.”