At WABY, Hard, Heavy, and Loud is the lifeblood — and Sky of Ghosts fits right into that pulse. I stumbled onto the project through my friend Jay Wells L’Ecuyer. After stepping away from music to build a career in comedy and raise a family, Jay has come roaring back with a new project that channels everything he loved about metalcore while digging into deeper, more personal territory.

Who is the best band or artist you’ve seen live?

My favorite shows ever have been those Legion Hall or Church basement metal/hardcore shows in my hometown of Welland, Ontario. Such amazing bands like In These Walls, A Day and a Deathwish, and Murder Thy Maker. This was back in 2002-2004 and I was a teenager so they just opened my eyes to this music and I never looked back. Notable concerts from bigger bands have been Misery Signals, Between the Buried and Me, Alexisonfire, and Lamb of God.

Sky of Ghosts brought you back into the musical world. What were you doing previously, and what sparked the creation of this project?

I was in a local metalcore/emocore band in high school called ‘Deceived’ but we disbanded in 2004 (when I was still 18). I went on to do live comedy, writing, and acting for the last 22 years — which I do as my full-time job. I write for Cracked, booked a couple commercial auditions, and have sold a couple full-length screenplays. My love for metal and hardcore was always there though. I did live sketch comedy with sketches like “Metal Zumba,” “A Canadian Mosh Pit” (where we apologize every time we bump into each other), and an impression of a metal band with severe Daddy issues. I’m in pre-production on a film now about these early 2000s band shows so fingers crossed it gets made!

I moved to Latham, NY from NYC 4 years ago and my next-door neighbor Nick Perry told me he makes this kind of music. He was in bands like this growing up too and he’s insanely talented. I always wanted to get back into it, and just thought of it as a fun little “dad garage band” type thing since he has 2 young kids as well. When our first song “Life Leaves” came out in January 2026, it was better than we expected, and we had a ton of fun doing it, so it just snowballed into more music!

What does Sky of Ghosts allow you to express that past projects didn’t?

I’ve solely done comedy for so long, and although most people think that’s the most terrifying thing ever, I actually have an easier time with it than showing genuine emotions and “being serious.” I can hide behind jokes like “oh this is just frivolous nothingness” but putting out deeply personal songs about the loss of a friend and PTSD was terrifying. Years of therapy helped me be able to talk about it and I was ready to lay it all out there. I like “being serious” and these songs have been really therapeutic.

What bands or artists influence the sound that drives Sky of Ghosts?

When I first approached Nick, we spoke about bands like Unearth, Misery Signals, and After the Burial. They’re in the “metalcore” realm but lean a bit more to the “metal” side of things. Nick adds a few computery synth sounds in there once in a while that I think add a modern feel. His noodley riffs and solo on “Life Leaves” makes me want to go on an epic “Lord of the Rings” type quest, and he got more chuggy and brutal on “Poisoned Grounds” so I leaned into the toughness and darkness on it.

The Albany metal scene is alive and well, and WABY loves it. Are there plans to bring Sky of Ghosts to the stage?

I’d love that! I’d also love just getting out there to see more shows. I have two small children at home and a full-time job, so my now-41 year old self sadly gets a little sleepy after story time with the kiddos. I’ve seen some great shows at Empire and “No Fun” in Troy, but I really need to get out there more. We just released our second song ever, so it’d be about an 8-minute set so far. We have a few more in the works, so one day, when it’s a fuller set, we’ll get out there!

What do you think grabs a listener’s attention most in a song– a killer riff, meaningful vocals, pounding drums, a nasty breakdown?

Personally, I love that mix of higher pitched noodling with the chugs. I guess you could call it melodic metalcore, and for me, no one does it better than bands like Misery Signals and Counterparts. There’s this emotion is adds alongside those chest-filling chugs. That’s the goosebump maker for me. As a writer, I’m a huge lyric fan as well. Captivating lines that can create imagery in your head are the best. And those sick one-liners or mosh callouts before a serious breakdown. I think a good groove is important with metalcore too. Nick has this amazing riff at the 2:25 mark in “Poisoned Grounds” that gets my head bopping. It’s a great mix of hard and groovy, if that makes sense.

Your Instagram is hilarious - your reels capture the everyday chaos of being an aging metalhead. What inspired you to start making them?

Thanks so much! Means a lot, man. While I’ve put flashes of metal in my comedy over the years, I always thought of the two worlds as separate for some dumb reason. I’ve made a ton of comedy reels on instagram for years now, and I think the “Dadcore” series you’re referencing was my like 1400th instagram post. In writing this current band scene movie and hearing some kid call Vans “dad shoes” I realized that all my friends that love this music are in their 40s now. Something just clicked where that juxtaposition between heavy music and toddlers made me laugh. I’m just lucky that it was “the thing” that popped off like it did, cus it’s all so much fun to make!

We gonna have some beers at Luke’s soon???

Yes please! No lie, after I finish this interview, I’m picking up my son from camp to go play with his son while he and I sip some garage beers! Come on by!

Where should listeners go to get the most up to date news on Sky of Ghosts?

Instagram has been my focus lately, so please follow Sky of Ghosts and my personal Jay Wells L’Ecuyer pages on insta for all the funny and/or heartfelt hardness. Thanks a ton for having me, and I hope you and your fine readers enjoy our tunes!

Sky of Ghosts

Jay Personal

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