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Miles Seaton, founding member of Akron/Family, has passed away aged 41

Miles Seaton, a founding member of the experimental group Akron/Family, has passed away at age 41.

The band’s label, Dead Oceans, broke the news via social media earlier this week. Seaton’s cause of death is yet to be disclosed.

Born in 1979, Seaton moved to New York in the early 2000s, where he met future bandmates Dana Janssen, Seth Olinsky and Ryan Vanderhoof.

The quartet of multi-instrumentalists founded Akron/Family in 2003 and quickly developed a cult following amongst New Yorkers. They released their eponymous debut record, a split LP with Angels of Light, in 2005.

Akron/Family proved prolific in the years that followed, releasing five more albums, ‘Meek Warrior’, ‘Love Is Simple’, ‘Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free’, ‘Akron/Family II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shiniju TNT’ and ‘Sub Verses’, before announcing their hiatus in 2013.

Seaton continued recording music as a solo artist, releasing three albums under the name Miles Cooper Seaton. The most recent, ‘Phases in Exile’, hit shelves in 2017.

“Miles was one of a kind person, in a one of a kind band. It’s a rush of emotions,” wrote Seaton’s friend and Dead Oceans co-founder, Phil Waldorf.

“I feel lucky that I knew Miles, and sad that I have to say goodbye. We hope you’ll share some memories. There are too many for me to count right now”.

Ryley Walker, Danish rock group Efterklang and Akron/Family touring member M. Geddes Gengras are among the other musicians to have paid tribute to Seaton online.