Sarah Borges is a

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...

musician based in the Boston, Massachusetts, area, formerly signed to Sugar Hill Records. Her music has been described as "walking that fine line between

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

and

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

". Borges' wide variety of influences are often noted. They range from

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

Mahalia Jackson Mahalia Jackson ( ; born Mahala Jackson; October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972) was an American gospel singer, widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century. With a career spanning 40 years, Jackson was integral to ...

, X,

Sid Vicious John Simon Ritchie (10 May 1957 – 2 February 1979), better known by his stage name Sid Vicious, was an English musician, best known as the bassist for the punk rock band Sex Pistols. Despite dying in 1979 at age 21, he remains an icon of the ...

Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled a ...

, to bubblegum pop. Borges grew up in

Taunton, Massachusetts Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County. Taunton is situated on the Taunton River which winds its way through the city on its way to Mount Hope Bay, to the south. At the 2020 cen ...

, a city south of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, in the third generation of a Portuguese (hence the hard "g" in her name) family. She was interested in musical theatre as a youth and majored in the subject while a student at Emerson College. Borges was married to Boston-area guitar player Lyle Brewer. Circa 2010-2013, Borges gave birth to a son. Borges has long called her band The Broken Singles, with the only other constant member being Binky, the bassist and her longtime friend. Over the years, various different lead guitarists and drummers have performed with the band. On the strength of a performance at the

South by Southwest Festival South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...

in 2004, Borges earned a record deal with

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

's Blue Corn Records. Her first record, 2005's ''Silver City'' earned praise for showcasing "an unusual knack for mixing alternative rock with country".

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

compared Borges to

Maria McKee Maria Luisa McKee (born August 17, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her work with Lone Justice, her 1990 song " Show Me Heaven", and her song "If Love Is a Red Dress (Hang Me in Rags)" from the film ''Pulp Fiction'' ...

Lone Justice Lone Justice is an American country rock band formed in 1982 by guitarist Ryan Hedgecock and singer Maria McKee. They have recently announced they are recording new material as per Marvin Etzioni July 2022. They are part of a new exhibit in Se ...

, and admired how her songs "balance some fierce guitar licks with heartfelt twang". After much national touring and opening for noted acts such as

Dave Alvin David Albert Alvin (born November 11, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He is a former and founding member of the roots rock band the Blasters. Alvin has recorded and performed as a solo artist since the late 1980s a ...

, Sarah Borges and The Broken Singles were signed by Sugar Hill Records. The title of her 2007 release ''Diamonds in the Dark '' is a line from the song ''Come Back to Me'', by one of her favorite bands, X. The album features a cover of this song, many original works, and

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...

and

Greg Cartwright Greg Cartwright, also known by his stage name Greg Oblivian (born March 18, 1972), is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Memphis, Tennessee. From 2001 to 2022 he fronted Reigning Sound which was signed to Merge Records. After m ...

covers. Allmusic commended the album as "grittily brilliant" with songs that are "brilliantly rollicking". A third album, ''The Stars Are Out'' was released in March 2009. Borges commented that the album features more of a straightforward rock n roll sound than her earlier work. The album features five covers of artists ranging from Smokey Robinson to

The Lemonheads The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily, and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member. After their initial punk-influenced releases and tour ...

. Allmusic describes the album as "material grounded in Americana even as it morphs from folk to rock and even soul" and calls it a "short but sweet collection". After its release, Borges and the Broken Singles received a nomination for Best Emerging Artist at the Americana Music Association festival in Nashville. Borges released ''Radio Sweetheart'' in 2014 on Lonesome Day Records, which was recorded at Napoleon Complex in

Somerville, Massachusetts Somerville ( ) is a city located directly to the northwest of Boston, and north of Cambridge, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a total population of 81,045 people. With an area o ...

, and Woolly Mammoth Sound in

Waltham, Massachusetts Waltham ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as well as a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, ...

. Borges released a follow-up EP in 2016, ''Good & Dirty,'' which was produced by Eric "Roscoe" Ambel. Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles released ''Love's Middle Name'' in 2018. They continue to tour into 2021.

Discography

References

External links

*
Sarah Borges collection
at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

's live music archive {{DEFAULTSORT:Borges, Sarah American alternative country singers American women country singers American country singer-songwriters People from Taunton, Massachusetts Emerson College alumni Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Singer-songwriters from Massachusetts 21st-century American women Country musicians from Massachusetts