Sam Jayne, frontman of indie rock projects Love as Laughter and Lync, has died. He was 46 years old. The news comes after it was reported earlier this week that the songwriter had gone missing. Jayne’s bandmate Zeke Howard confirmed the news. Pitchfork reports that an NYPD spokesperson said Jayne was found in his car and that a preliminary investigation saw no signs of criminality.
Upon the news, Howard shared a statement: “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.”
Jayne was a fixture in Olympia’s underground scene in the early ‘90s and the iconic K Records. There he formed the post-hardcore band Lync who released their debut album These Are Not Fall Colors in 1994 and would disband later that year. The same year, he would appear on Beck’s One Foot In The Grave and was later briefly a member of Modest Mouse.
After the short but influential run of Lync, Jayne began a new project under the Love As Laughter moniker. Love as Laughter began as a solo project, but quickly grew into a full-fledged band. The group released their debut album The Greks Bring Gifts in 1996 and stayed fairly prolific with a slew of records, singles, and EPs late into the late ‘00s. Their final album, Holy, was released in 2008 and their final recorded material was released in 2015 with the ‘Lazy Solider / Oasis’ single.
While Jayne operated firmly in indie rock’s underground, his projects proved to be influential and helped establish the bedrock of experimental and adventurous music that the Pacific Northwest would become synonymous with. Join us in remembering Jayne’s life and work by revisiting some of our favorite songs and archival live moments below.
