William Jacob "Jake" Luhrs is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist of American metalcore band August Burns Red. He is also the founder and president of HeartSupport, a non-profit mental health organization.
Musical background
Luhrs first entered the music scene in Columbia, South Carolina where he was the frontman for a band known as She Walks In Beauty.[2] The band released two EPs on which Luhrs was featured but eventually disbanded. After vocalist Josh McManness left, Luhrs got in touch with August Burns Red through Myspace which started his career with the band. Luhrs has performed on all the ABR albums except 2005's Thrill Seeker and 2003's Looks Fragile After All.
In 2011, Luhrs founded HeartSupport, a mental health-based non-profit organization that offers resources and peer support to individuals within the music community dealing with addiction, anxiety, depression, and self-harm.[7][8][9] HeartSupport would later partner with Beneath the Skin (founded by Brittany Mullins, wife of Memphis May Fire's vocalist Matty Mullins), an organization that provides mentorship to individuals seeking to improve their mental health.[10]
HeartSupport is active on their YouTube channel, where a licensed therapist (Taylor Palmby) analyzes the emotional elements behind the lyrics of songs and the visual aspects of their music videos.[11] The channel also hosts interviews with musicians in the metal scene, where the primary topic of discussion revolves around their struggles with their mental health. Past interviewees include Jesse Leach, Andy Biersack, and Ryan Kirby of Fit for a King.[12][13][14] In 2019, the organization released a mini-documentary about As I Lay Dying and the band's vocalist Tim Lambesis, titled Misery Evolving. The documentary focuses on the personal side of the band, detailing Lambesis' prison sentence, his rehabilitation, and how those actions affected the band.[15]
In 2023, the organization hosted HeartSupport Fest in Orlando, Florida. The event was a mission-based metal music festival focusing on "diversity, acceptance, inclusion, self-love and self-care, and mental health as priority."[17]
In 2016, Luhrs won the Artist Philanthropic Award at the APMA Awards for his work with HeartSupport.[21]
In 2021, Luhrs opened the YourLife Gym in August Burns Red's hometown, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The gym was opened in response to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasizes the importance of both mental and physical health.[22]
