Jesse Leach
| Jesse Leach | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jesse David Leach |
| Born | July 3, 1978 |
| Genres | Metalcore, heavy metal, groove metal, hard rock, Southern rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actor, DJ |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1993 – present |
| Labels | Roadrunner Records, Ferret Music, Angel Side Side |
| Associated acts | Seemless, Killswitch Engage, Corrin, Nothing Stays Gold, The Empire Shall Fall, Times of Grace |
Jesse David Leach (born July 3, 1978) is an American musician from Providence, Rhode Island, and is the lead vocalist of the metalcore band Killswitch Engage. He also fronts the stoner rock/heavy metal band Seemless, as well as handling vocal duties for the hardcore metal bands The Empire Shall Fall and Times of Grace. In February 2012 he rejoined Killswitch Engage following the departure of vocalist Howard Jones in January 2012. He currently resides with his wife, Melissa.
Leach's first band, Corrin, was formed in the early 1990s. Corrin recorded four songs in 1996 which were eventually released as a CD by Propaganda Machine in 1998 after the band's breakup.
Leach's second band, Nothing Stays Gold, formed in the mid-90s. They put out a single ep before splitting in 97/98.
Some remaining members of Overcast and Aftershock were forming a new band in the Massachusetts area and were seeking a vocalist. In 1999, Leach along with bassist Mike D'Antonio, guitarist Joel Stroetzel, and guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz formed Killswitch Engage. Their self-titled debut was released on July 11, 2000.
Killswitch Engage's next effort, Alive or Just Breathing, was released on May 21, 2002, putting Killswitch Engage at the forefront of the metalcore scene. Two weeks prior to going on tour, however, Leach married his fiancee. When he was not contacting his wife, Leach would sit alone in the tour van for hours after shows and simply wait for the remaining band members to return. Leach's passion for his music combined with his emotional struggles of the time made him unable to exercise control over his screaming. He would blow his voice out after a few shows and struggled with the rest of the tour. Leach also began suffering from a mild depression which grew worse as the tour continued. According to Mike D'Antonio in an interview for Killswitch's "(Set This) World Ablaze" DVD, "It seemed like there was always this dark cloud over Jesse's head." His depression led him to resign from the band and drop out of the public eye for some time. Leach wrote an email to the band explaining why he left. Quoting Leach from his interview in the DVD, "I didn't have the mental energy to face them, or even call them on the phone rather. I was at a point in my life where I just didn't want to face any of them so I wrote them a long email explaining, like, I'm just done. Explaining what every song meant to me, explaining what the whole experience was to me, and I said 'Bye. Ya know? You're not going to be able to find me, I'm going on my honeymoon finally. And, uh, don't try and call me don't try and contact me, I'm done. Done with music, period.'"
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