John Borra

Critically lauded and a regular presence among Toronto's musical talent, singer / songwriter John Borra is a mainstay on the city's music scene.

His latest CD, One Night at Seven in the Morning, will be released in March on his own label, Cousin Jeb Records. Recorded at Chemical Sound in Toronto by Al Miller and produced by Miller and John Borra Band, it will be distributed by Sonic Unyon and on the World Wide Web by Maplemusic.com.

One Night at Seven in the Morning features the talents of Cleave Anderson (formerly of Blue Rodeo and The Battered Wives) on the drums, Steve Koch (The Handsome Neds, The Viletones) on lead guitar and Colleen Hodgson on bass and harmony vocals with a cameo appearance by (Screamin') Sam Ferrara on the musical saw and spoons.

Since the release of his self-titled debut in 1997 and second recording, Band, in 1999, John Borra has appeared on CTV Television's Open Mike with Mike Bullard, recorded a live performance for CBC's Heartland with Bill Stunt, did a cross-Canada tour with Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor and made an appearance at the acclaimed Hillside Festival in Guelph, Ontario.

For two and a half years prior to venturing on to his solo project, John played bass with Change Of Heart, during which time the band won the $100,000 CFNY New Music Search, was signed to Virgin Records and recorded the album Tummysuckle.

John has long been a familiar face in Toronto, playing and recording with A Neon Rome, Ron Sexsmith, Scott B. Sympathy, Kyp Harness, Anne Bourne, The Boneheads, Busted Flush, Crash Vegas and Lonnie James.

Today John busks regularly in the Toronto Subway System and plays bass with Bob Egan (Wilco, Blue Rodeo), The Swallows and Groovy Religion. His song "Postcard from Marylin" appears in the film Sous Sol, which premiered at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival, and his songs "Babe You Make Me Smile" and "Leave Me Alone" appear in the independent short, Rusty.

He has also scored a documentary with Tom Third called Webhead and contributed his song "Ballad of the Girl" to the benefit record for the Leonard Peltier Defense Fund entitled Pine Ridge: An Open Letter to Allen Rock/Songs For Leonard Peltier. John has also had the pleasure of opening up for Butch Hancock, Alejandro Escovedo, Billy Joe Shaver, Paula Cole, Neko Case, Richard Buckner, Old 97's, The Bottle Rockets, Lisa Germano and Andy White.