Raised in the Little Miami River Valley of southern Ohio, Jake Burns began his musical journey at a young age. With the encouragement of his parents, he quickly became connected with music through piano, saxophone, guitar and then finding his voice at the age of 13 began fronting his own band in high school. This group carried over into his college years dubbing themselves Rockstead, a high energy four-piece rock/reggae group that soon took flight throughout the Midwest. Jake is currently writing and performing with Rockstead as they continue to tour throughout the Eastern United States.
After his college years Jake created new roots in Asheville, North Carolina and began to formulate his own songwriting style inspired by love, travel and his personal life experiences of learning and growing. With this new found love for his acoustic driven indie folk/americana style, Jake’s solo project dubbed River The Dog, aims to connect people from all walks of life with his honest lyrics and thoughtful melodies. The release of his first few singles “Dogwood Doll” (Dec. 2023), “Funny How Things Change” (March 2024) and “I Need You To Know” (Aug. 2024) marks only the beginning of River The Dog and the new music he has to share with the world.