Børns

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". Børns then embarked on tours with artists including Charli XCX, 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'', was released on January 12, 2018. The record spawned several singles, including "God Save Our Young Blood" with Lana Del Rey, 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 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 (a part of Ferris State University) 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 and study jazz at Muskegon Community College.

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 event, performing a variety of music on his ukulele and showcasing his films from Paris. In 2013, Børns took a vacation from New York City, where he was living, to Los Angeles. 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. In July and August, Børns accompanied Charli XCX 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 festival and the Austin City Limits Music Festival 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 channel on YouTube released a music video accompanying his new single "Electric Love", 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 in New York City was filmed by the American Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) 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 for her EP ''Ultraviolet.''

On July 28, 2017, Børns released the single "Faded Heart" through Interscope, which was featured on the FIFA 18 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" featuring Lana Del Rey, 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'', 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-inspired outfit on ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'', 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 in Los Angeles, and the two have collaborated on numerous projects. Day made appearances in videos on Børns' Vevo 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, 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 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'' (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 & Bleachers – Charli and Jack Do America Tour (2015)
* Years & Years - Fall 2015 Tour (2015)
* Halsey – Badlands Tour (2016)
* The Lumineers – Cleopatra World Tour (2016)
* Mumford & Sons – An Arrow Through the Heartland Tour (2016)
* Lana Del Rey – LA to the Moon Tour (2018)

Filmography

Web

See also

* List of indie pop artists
* List of people from Michigan
* List of singer-songwriters

References

External links

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{{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)