Love as Laughter’s Sam Jayne dies aged 46

Sam Jayne, frontman of indie-rock outfit Love as Laughter, has died aged 46. 

After he was reported missing earlier this week, an NYPD spokesperson told Pitchfork that Jayne had been found in his car and that a preliminary investigation showed no “signs of criminality.”

Confirming the news on Instagram, Jayne's Love as Laughter bandmate Zeke Howard wrote, “The search for Sam Jayne has concluded and our hearts are broken. 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.”

According to social media posts from Jayne's friends and collaborators, he was last seen on Sunday, December 6, and last heard from on Monday, December 7. People on social media had been encouraged to call, text, or email with any information they had regarding his whereabouts.

Jayne co-founded the Olympia, Washington post-hardcore band Lync in the early '90s, with whom he released a string of singles before their only album, 1994's These Are Not Fall Colors. He was also briefly a member of Washington rock outfit Modest Mouse in the '90s.

After the breakup of Lync in 1994, Jayne formed Love as Laughter, self-releasing a series of cassettes before releasing albums on K and Sub Pop in the ’90s and ’00s. Holy, the band's final album, was released in 2008, but was followed by singles in 2012 and 2015.

Taking to Instagram, Fleet Foxes' Robin Pecknold 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.”