Elmira, New York native, Volusia County bred. While filmmaking was a fundamental part of his teenage years, Saunders also traveled rigorously while playing in Florida's youth soccer circuit for a handful of different clubs in Central Florida. He was invited to play at college showcases in North Carolina, and attended numerous other high-profile tournaments. Nearing the end of high school, he elected to forgo pursuing playing at the collegiate level, closing that chapter of his life.
After graduating from Seabreeze High School in 2016, Saunders began taking his artistic pursuits more seriously, initially attending the University of North Florida that fall. He transferred to Florida State at the end of his freshman year, but after only one semester there, Saunders decided college life was not for him, and that he wanted to fully begin a career in film. He remained enrolled, but switched to a completely online course load, and moved back home to Daytona Beach.
After moving home at 19 years old, Saunders worked various full-time jobs, notably at the Daytona International Speedway, as well as a brief internship in Concord, North Carolina. He spent all of his remaining downtime mastering different creative software, making music, and writing his first scripts. He eventually saved up enough money to fund his first independent films, releasing his first narrative projects at 21 years old.
Under his musical moniker, John Robb, he released a pair of mixtapes in 2019, "Bloom" and "The Legend of The Fall". In 2021, the more sonically and thematically cohesive LP "Welcome, Welcome You" arrived. The 7-track set was entirely produced by John Robb. Five years later in 2026, John Robb returned to musical form with the more personal and blunt sophomore effort "JOHNBOYWONDER", this time with a slew of producers contributing.
The typically socio-economic focused style of his projects tends to have a grounded, genuine nature, fused with satirical, zany, and heartfelt elements. His narratives, at their core principle, often feature the portrayal of immense personal growth stemming from healthy relationship dynamics, whether it be familial, romantic or platonic.
