Robby Lake
Band Story
Robby Lake: From Street Poet to Soulful Troubadour
Born Robert Aptheker in 1973 in Plainview, New York, the man now known to his fans as Robby Lake has never followed a conventional path—and that’s exactly what gives his music its bite. A singer-songwriter and self-taught musician, Lake’s early life was marked not by comfort, but by raw experience. He left home before the age of 14, trading suburban security for the stark realities of life on the streets. It was there, among the hard lessons and rough edges, that his artistic foundation began to form.
Poetry came first—simple verses scrawled in notebooks, an outlet for a young mind grappling with the world. But it wasn’t until a stint in boarding school that things truly shifted. Armed with a dog-eared Mel Bay chord book and an old guitar, Robby began teaching himself to play. The first chords he learned became the backbone of his earliest song—a haunting number titled “Blind Before I Fell.” Written at just 13, the lyrics were born in a children’s psychiatric facility, where Robby was confined at the time. That song still finds its way into his live sets, a stark reminder of where he’s been and how far he’s come.
Over the years, Robby Lake has carved out a space for himself as an authentic voice in the singer-songwriter tradition—gritty, honest, and unafraid to explore the darker corners of the human experience. His music, laced with echoes of folk, blues, and alt-rock, is the sound of someone who’s lived it all and has the scars—and stories—to prove it.
For more on Robby Lake’s music and journey
Born Robert Aptheker in 1973 in Plainview, New York, the man now known to his fans as Robby Lake has never followed a conventional path—and that’s exactly what gives his music its bite. A singer-songwriter and self-taught musician, Lake’s early life was marked not by comfort, but by raw experience. He left home before the age of 14, trading suburban security for the stark realities of life on the streets. It was there, among the hard lessons and rough edges, that his artistic foundation began to form.
Poetry came first—simple verses scrawled in notebooks, an outlet for a young mind grappling with the world. But it wasn’t until a stint in boarding school that things truly shifted. Armed with a dog-eared Mel Bay chord book and an old guitar, Robby began teaching himself to play. The first chords he learned became the backbone of his earliest song—a haunting number titled “Blind Before I Fell.” Written at just 13, the lyrics were born in a children’s psychiatric facility, where Robby was confined at the time. That song still finds its way into his live sets, a stark reminder of where he’s been and how far he’s come.
Over the years, Robby Lake has carved out a space for himself as an authentic voice in the singer-songwriter tradition—gritty, honest, and unafraid to explore the darker corners of the human experience. His music, laced with echoes of folk, blues, and alt-rock, is the sound of someone who’s lived it all and has the scars—and stories—to prove it.
For more on Robby Lake’s music and journey
Band Members
Robert Aptheker
Robert Aptheker
Location: AFRICA: Algeria
Genre: Folk-Rock