Garrett Clark Borns (born January 7, 1992), better known by his
stage name Børns (stylized as BØRNS), is a former American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.
Born and raised in
Grand Haven, Michigan, Børns began performing in his youth. In 2012, he released his debut album, ''A Dream Between'', through REZidual Records. His first major label release was the ''Candy'' EP (2014), through
Geffen and
Interscope. The EP peaked at number two on the ''
Billboard''
Heatseekers chart. ''The Dopamine'' tour followed, preceding his debut studio album
of the same name in 2015. The album was a commercial success, peaking at number 24 in the
US and generating numerous singles include the
platinum-certified, "
Electric Love
Electric Love is an electronic dance music festival held annually since 2013. It takes place at the second weekend in July at the Salzburgring in Plainfeld, Austria. Headliners have included Armin van Buuren, Hardwell, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mik ...
". Børns then embarked on tours with artists including
Charli XCX
Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery ...
,
Bleachers, and
Halsey, as a supporting act, along with a set at the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2016. His second album, ''
Blue Madonna
''Blue Madonna'' is the second studio album by American musician Børns. It was released on January 12, 2018 through Interscope Records.
Background
On July 28, 2017, Børns released the single "Faded Heart" on Interscope Records. On September ...
'', was released on January 12, 2018. The record spawned several singles, including "
God Save Our Young Blood
"God Save Our Young Blood" is a song by American recording artist Børns featuring the vocals of American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. The song was produced by Tommy English and written by Børns and Thomas Schleiter. The song was their secon ...
" with
Lana Del Rey
Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent r ...
, which charted on the
US rock chart. To further promote the LP, he headlined the MoneyMan Tour (2017–18) and supported Del Rey on her
LA to the Moon Tour.
Early life and education
Borns was born in
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
and raised in
Grand Haven, Michigan.
At the age of 10, he was a professional magician going by the name of "Garrett the Great", both performing at parties and getting paid for it. At the age of 13, a seventh-grade student at White Pines Middle School, he received a Gold Key Award in the
National Scholastic Art Awards along with an $8,000 college scholarship to the
Kendall College of Art and Design
Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University (KCAD) is a college of art and design located in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Founded in 1928 as a private art academy, the college merged with Ferris State University in 2000. Off ...
(a part of
Ferris State University
Ferris State University (FSU or Ferris) is a public university with its main campus in Big Rapids, Michigan. It was founded in 1884 and became a public institution in 1950. Ferris is the ninth-largest institutions of higher education by enrol ...
) in
Grand Rapids for his drawings and visual art.
At the age of 14, he studied at Michigan's
Interlochen Center for the Arts' summer program.
Børns has also associated with filmmaking during his adolescence. He attended
Grand Haven High School and went on to both take classes in classical piano at
Grand Rapids Community College
Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) is a public community college in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
History
Grand Rapids Junior College was established on September 21, 1914, after University of Michigan faculty passed a resolution encouraging the ...
and study jazz at
Muskegon Community College
Muskegon Community College (MCC) is a public community college in Muskegon, Michigan. The college offers 49 associate degree programs and 33 certificate programs. The college's main campus is located on a 111-acre campus in Muskegon, with extens ...
.
Career
2012–14: ''A Dream Between'' and ''Candy'' EPs
During his time in high school, Børns briefly performed in a cover band known as "Brown Chicken Brown Trout". The group performed at the Waterfront Film Festival in 2010.
In 2012, Børns performed with a guitarist and a drummer in The Garrett Borns Trio. Børns and his fellow band members collaborated on the early EP ''A Dream Between''., featuring several of Børns' earliest tracks, one of which was his single "Mitten". The album was recorded in the private studio of Bill Chrysler.
Børns, managed by filmmaker Jeff Joanisse, was later signed to REZidual Records under the name Garrett Borns and took part in a
TEDx
TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...
event, performing a variety of music on his ukulele and showcasing his films from
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
. In 2013, Børns took a vacation from
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, where he was living, to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. Within weeks of relocating, Børns co-wrote his single "10,000 Emerald Pools" with producer
Jack Kennedy.
2015-2020: ''Dopamine'', touring, ''Blue Madonna, End of career''
On November 10, 2014, Børns released his debut single, "10,000 Emerald Pools", on
Interscope Records and also his debut EP, ''Candy''. He made several television appearances and performed "10,000 Emerald Pools" on a number of talk shows, including ''
Conan'' and ''Le Before du Grand Journal'' in France on March 5, 2015. He toured in support of
MisterWives on MisterWives' "Our Own House Tour". On June 24, 2015, he played a headlining show at the Electrowerkz in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. In July and August, Børns accompanied
Charli XCX
Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery ...
and
Bleachers on their "Charli and Jack Do America Tour" and performed at
Lollapalooza on July 31, 2015. He also appeared at
Life Is Beautiful
''Life Is Beautiful'' ( it, La vita è bella, ) is a 1997 Italian comedy drama film directed by and starring Roberto Benigni, who co-wrote the film with Vincenzo Cerami. Benigni plays Guido Orefice, a Jewish Italian bookshop owner, who emplo ...
festival and the
Austin City Limits Music Festival
The Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival is an annual music festival held in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas on two consecutive three-day weekends. Inspired by the KLRU/PBS music series of the same name, the festival is produced by Austin-base ...
in October. At many concerts, Børns also performs songs entitled "Broke" and "Let You Down", which were never released on an album nor deemed as singles.
On May 6, 2015, Børns'
Vevo
Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, ...
channel on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
released a music video accompanying his new single "
Electric Love
Electric Love is an electronic dance music festival held annually since 2013. It takes place at the second weekend in July at the Salzburgring in Plainfeld, Austria. Headliners have included Armin van Buuren, Hardwell, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mik ...
", placing as his most viewed song to date with well over 100 million views. On August 17, 2015, Børns' debut studio album, ''Dopamine'', featuring "Electric Love" and its cover art were revealed, while the release date for ''Dopamine'' was confirmed as October 16, 2015. On September 15, 2015, Børns' performance at the
Iridium Jazz Club
The Iridium is a music club located on Broadway in New York City. The club featured weekly performances by Les Paul for nearly fifteen years.
History
The club opened in January 1994 at its original location, at 63rd Street and Broadway in th ...
in New York City was filmed by the American Public Broadcasting Service (
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
) for its ''Front and Center'' concert series airing nationwide in February 2016. Børns performed at the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2016. He also appeared as a featured artist in "Fool's Gold" by
Dagny
Dagny () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.
Population
Geography
The river Aubetin flows northwestward through the commune.
See also
* Communes of the Seine-et-Marne departme ...
for her EP ''Ultraviolet.''
On July 28, 2017, Børns released the single "Faded Heart" through Interscope, which was featured on the
FIFA 18
''FIFA 18'' is a football simulation video game developed and published by Electronic Arts and released worldwide on 29 September 2017 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. It is the ...
Soundtrack, and in the movie ''
Flatliners'' (2017). Then on September 29, 2017, Børns released his next single, "Sweet Dreams". Two promotional videos, "The Search for the Lost Sounds" and "The Faded Heart Sessions", were released on his YouTube channel along with the singles. After releasing his third single, "I Don't Want U Back", Børns released another promotional short entitled "Money Man Tour". The fourth and final single is "
God Save Our Young Blood
"God Save Our Young Blood" is a song by American recording artist Børns featuring the vocals of American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. The song was produced by Tommy English and written by Børns and Thomas Schleiter. The song was their secon ...
" featuring
Lana Del Rey
Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent r ...
, who also provided background vocals for the song "Blue Madonna", and whose sister provided photography for the album covers.
Børns' second and last album, ''
Blue Madonna
''Blue Madonna'' is the second studio album by American musician Børns. It was released on January 12, 2018 through Interscope Records.
Background
On July 28, 2017, Børns released the single "Faded Heart" on Interscope Records. On September ...
'', was officially released on January 12, 2018.
Børns has since undertaken an indefinite hiatus; however, in September 2020, his vocals appear in a cover of "
Dawn Storm" found within the September 2020 release of a
T. Rex tribute album, ''AngelHeaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan and T.Rex''.
Personal life
After Børns wore a
Gucci
Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragran ...
-inspired outfit on ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...
'', Gucci took notice of the singer, and the two have since formed a partnership. Børns is a participant in a "
gender-bender" movement, by flaunting nail polish and crop-tops on social media and during performances. He admits that his
androgynous vocals and appearance have led many to mistake him for a woman at first listen.
Børns met his close friend
Zella Day
Zella Day Kerr (born March 13, 1995) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician from Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona.
Day began recording music in her early teens, independently releasing her debut album, ''Powered by Love'', in 2009. Following ...
in Los Angeles, and the two have collaborated on numerous projects. Day made appearances in videos on Børns'
Vevo
Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, ...
channel, and in turn has included him in videos of her own, such as her in ''
DayxDay'' series for example. The two were previously roommates.
Before the release of his first album ''
Dopamine'', Børns moved to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, where he still resides as of January 2018. Børns is vegetarian like other members of his family.
In September 2018, Børns was accused of sexual misconduct by several young women, leading to a Washington D.C. music festival named
All Things Go Fall Classic
The All Things Go Fall Classic is a Washington D.C.-based annual outdoor music festival. The festival started in 2014 and is produced by the company All Things Go.
The festival was first held at the Union Market in D.C. It expanded to the 15,0 ...
dropping him from its lineup. The allegations against Børns included manipulation, grooming, and sexual aggression toward underaged fans, with the youngest accuser detailing her account of the abuse which began when she was 16 years old. Børns released a statement calling the allegations "disturbing and false", also saying that "All of the relationships I have had were legal and consensual. They ended abruptly and that obviously caused hurt feelings, but for anyone to suggest anything beyond that is irresponsible."
Discography
* ''
Dopamine'' (2015)
* ''
Blue Madonna
''Blue Madonna'' is the second studio album by American musician Børns. It was released on January 12, 2018 through Interscope Records.
Background
On July 28, 2017, Børns released the single "Faded Heart" on Interscope Records. On September ...
'' (2018)
Concert tours
;Headlining
* Dopamine Tour (2015)
* Summer Tour 2016 (2016)
* Fall 2017 Tour (2017)
* Money Man Tour (2017–18)
* Fruit of Dreams Tour (2018–19)
;Supporting
*
MisterWives –
Our Own House Tour (2015)
*
Charli XCX
Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery ...
&
Bleachers –
Charli and Jack Do America Tour
The Charli and Jack Do America Tour (also known as The America Tour) was a co-headlining tour by Charli XCX and Bleachers in support of their respective albums ''Sucker'' and '' Strange Desire'' during the summer of 2015.
As the second leg of t ...
(2015)
*
Years & Years
Years & Years is the solo project of British singer Olly Alexander. Originally formed as a band in 2010, Years & Years' music has been described as electropop, mixing R&B and 1990s house elements. The band's debut studio album, '' Communion'', ...
- Fall 2015 Tour (2015)
*
Halsey –
Badlands Tour
The Badlands Tour was the first headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter Halsey (singer), Halsey, launched in support of her debut album, ''Badlands (Halsey album), Badlands'' (2015). The tour began on September 30, 2015 at the House ...
(2016)
*
The Lumineers
The Lumineers are an American alternative folk band based in Denver, Colorado. The founding members are Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion, piano). Schultz and Fraites began writing and performing toge ...
–
Cleopatra World Tour (2016)
*
Mumford & Sons
Mumford & Sons is a British folk rock band formed in London in 2007. The band currently consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums), Ted Dwane (vocals, bass guitar, double bass), and Ben Lovett (vocals, k ...
– An Arrow Through the Heartland Tour (2016)
*
Lana Del Rey
Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent r ...
–
LA to the Moon Tour (2018)
Filmography
Web
See also
*
List of indie pop artists
*
List of people from Michigan
This is a list of notable people from the US state of Michigan. People from Michigan are sometimes referred to as Michiganders, Michiganians, or, more rarely, Michiganites. This list includes people who were born, have lived, or worked in Mi ...
*
List of singer-songwriters
This is a list of singer-songwriters who write, compose, and perform their own musical material. The list is divided into two sections to differentiate between artists categorized as singer-songwriters and others who do not fall under the definiti ...
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Borns, Garrett
Living people
1992 births
21st-century American singers
21st-century American writers
21st-century American composers
American indie pop musicians
American male pop singers
American male singer-songwriters
Ferris State University alumni
Interscope Records artists
People from Grand Haven, Michigan
Musicians from Grand Rapids, Michigan
Psychedelic musicians
Singers from Los Angeles
Singers from New York City
Writers from Los Angeles
Writers from New York City
Singer-songwriters from Michigan
21st-century American male singers
Singer-songwriters from California
Singer-songwriters from New York (state)