Today we’d like to introduce you to Riley Burke
Riley, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Riley Burke, and I am an independent recording artist and singer-songwriter from Youngstown, OH. I have always loved music, and I took piano and voice lessons throughout my childhood, but I began my journey with songwriting in 2020 at the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. I was a high school senior at the time, beginning my adulthood in a time of uncertainty and loneliness. Throughout 2020 and 2021, I used songwriting as an outlet to cope with so many feelings I had and changes I was going through: not having a high school graduation, my friends moving away from home, starting a new chapter of my life in college, my first breakup, and my shifting life goals. Songwriting not only allowed me to escape the turbulent world around me, but it also sparked my discovery of self-love and helped me develop a confidence in myself that I always struggled to find. When I finished a song, I created something I was proud of, at a time where I was much too hard on myself. I found songwriting at the time I needed it the most. Writing music changed the course of my life for the better and has taught me so much about who I am.
Once I had a decent-sized catalog of songs and had perfected my writing skills, the pandemic was quieting down and the world was opening up around me. I was eager to get involved in the live music scene. I quickly, and luckily, met some amazing musicians who have grown into the best bandmates and friends I could ever ask for: Quentin Melnick (electric guitar), John James Martin (keyboard), Lance Batton (drums), and Matthew Striewski (bass). These guys have put so much care and creativity into my music. I am humbled to have grown alongside them and so grateful to have them on this journey with me. We have grown our audience significantly in the past three years, playing many, many shows as Riley Burke Band in Youngstown, Kent, Akron, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Sandusky. We’ve made the most amazing, rewarding memories playing in bars, restaurants, people’s houses, on college campuses, and at festivals. This past summer, we played as a part of Cedar Point’s Bands in Residence program on the Cedar Point Beach, which has been my favorite experience performing my music so far.
My band and I spent 2024 recording our debut album, First Night at the Drive-In, which finally released this past October. The album includes ten songs I wrote between 2020 and 2024 about my coming of age, learning who I am, finding my voice, and my experiences with love and loss. We worked with our wonderful producer Jared Fullerman and mastering engineer Joey Jenkins, who were incredible collaborators and brought the record to life in a way I could only ever dream of. I am so proud of this body of work, which is available to stream now on all music streaming platforms! We are already in the process of writing our sophomore album, and I am so excited to continue my music career and see what is in store for the future.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I used to be really scared of collaboration. I often doubted my ideas when I didn’t think they were fully ready for others’ ears, but I now know that it takes a village of support to put your best work out, and you have to be open to criticism to grow. I have become more willing to throw out ideas that might not be great at first, and because of this, I have improved so many of my songs and developed better writing chops. Additionally, I have had to learn to be more comfortable with confrontation and eliminate some people-pleaser behavior in order to not sacrifice my musical vision. I would often have a hard time telling someone I didn’t like an idea, whether that was in the studio or in developing parts with bandmates. I think I’ve developed a thick skin in learning to co-write, and this has certainly translated into my life-communication skills outside of music too.
In addition to playing gigs and promoting my music, I am a doctoral student at the University of Akron studying to be an audiologist. I will not sugar-coat it: being a graduate student and independent artist is very stressful, but I find both sides of my life to be so fulfilling. Although I have had some long, hard, overwhelming weeks recently, I wouldn’t change anything about my path. Something that has helped me is developing social media and homework schedules and sticking to a weekly routine. I make lots of to-do lists, and Google Calendar is a must! However, as a future audiologist, I want to work with musicians who have noise-induced hearing loss to make music more accessible and enjoyable. I am looking forward to having a career I love outside of my passion project of music.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
In my band, I sing and play acoustic guitar, and I write all the lyrics of our songs. I love my lyricism and I pride myself on my storytelling ability, creative use of metaphors, and knack for vocal melody. My band members and I collaborate to arrange the musical landscape of our songs, but they have truly enriched my music so much with their talents and made Riley Burke Band something bigger and better than I could’ve ever imagined when I started writing songs by myself. I have also worked very hard on on my voice technique and adopted a wide, stylistic vocal range. I strive to be a strong leader of my group, and I know that we have all come so far in our live performance cohesion and energy. I can confidently say we are an entertaining band to watch and that our songs take listeners on a journey, and I am so proud of the work we’ve done together.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
My first piece of advice is to reach out to the community around you! Northeast Ohio is such a vibrant music scene of talented and friendly people. I used to be so shy, but networking with others has forced me out of my comfort zone in the best way, expanded my music taste, and given me some amazing friends. I was often scared to reach out to venues or other local bands to book shows, and I felt like I wasn’t experienced enough for certain opportunities. The truth is, everyone has been at a starting point. We have all had to learn how to navigate everything, and there’s no manual. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people who inspire you and ask questions or collaborate. We are stronger together and can learn so much from each other. (Feel free to DM me on my social media any time!)
Songwriting helped me let go of my perfectionism. I want young artists to know that you will write good songs, and you will write some pretty bad ones (I sure have), and that is OKAY! Music is supposed to be fun. If you have an idea, run with it. And writing something new every day you can will help you find your style.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/rileyburke.music
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rileyburke.music
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rileyburke.music
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rileyburkemusic
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2CklUrP7Ebwdvs7qnqhram?si=81_2y7gmTVS26wT-iUyD0Q
