David Porteous

"David's soulful voice, combined with his passionate guitar playing, ended with the audience loudly demanding several encores."
- 
BlickPunkt (review of concert in Germany)

"David Porteous has released another great CD.
Tegan and Sara
It's so compelling and intriguing...it takes the musical experience to a whole other level."
- Asha Tomlinson, host of CBC News Now
(describing David Porteous' music video for the deaf)

"...not only a talented singer/songwriter, but a talented filmmaker."
- Janice Forsyth, BBC Radio

"Sweetly introspective singer/songwriter."
- NOW Magazine

David Porteous has "gone deep."
- Nick McCabe, lead guitar of the Verve

"David Porteous has released another great CD."
- Tegan And Sara, on the CD "Missing April"

"...left the crowd speechless."
The Shield - review of CMW Showcase

" Missing April is another testament to the talent possessed by this Canadian standout."
- The Great Beyond

"If you're a record producer, sign this guy up!"
- Evan Solomon

"...what I call prolific."
- National Post - Various

- First Place : Mongrel Media's National Anthem Song Contest

- NOW Magazine “Critic’s Pick” for NXNE Music Festival

- War Music received "Top Film Pick of the Day" on blogTO

- War Music film received Snob's Music "Entertainment Pick"

- Nominated to be an Olympic Torchbearer 2008 - placed 7th out of 6000+ applications

- Album produced for Canadian band Gruve nominated for "Rock Recording Of The Year" at the Hamilton Music Awards

- Runner-up for the Framework remix contest 2010

- "Song Of The Day" feature on SeeWhatYouHear.com

- Featured on CBC, The Toronto Star, BBC, NOW Magazine, blogTO, Inside Toronto, Torontoist, and many more...

- Special guest performer for the HBC Run For Canada, CMJ Music Marathon, Canadian Music Week, NXNE, War Child Canada, Nike Run.To, and Toronto Sick Kids Hospital Fundraiser

- David's cover of MGMT's "Electric Feel" placed 3rd of the top 12 covers of 2008
on CoverMeSongs (placing ahead of covers done by Radiohead, the Kooks, and Peter Gabriel)

- Featured as the ‘Indie Spotlight’ on TeganAndSara.com

- Maryon Drysdale Award in Toronto for Best Song 2001 - Various

Written by Ron Thomson
Monday, 17 March 2008



Canadian singer/songwriter and documentary filmmaker David Porteous sang about World War II to his audience at Holy Joe’s in Toronto.

The 24-year-old singer is working on a documentary and CD project called “War Music.”

Porteous followed the steps of Canadian soldiers who fought during the war. He travelled though 10 European countries visiting battlefields and cemeteries. He filmed the entire journey and wrote music along the way. The project is in post-production. Porteous expects it to be released in the spring.

Porteous was at his best when singing about World War II. His war songs carried more emotion than his other songs.

He sang about rebuilding German towns after the war. The Germans are always painted as the enemy, said Porteous.

The song left the crowd speechless. After a long pause, one fan started to clap. The rest of the audience slowly joined in.

“I got worried for a second,” said Porteous. “I thought the sound guy left too.”

Porteous’ mother was in attendance.

“My mom has to be at work in like four hours, now that’s support,” he said.

He dedicated his next song to his mother.

While playing the song, he made a mistake while attempting to hit a foot pedal.

“I messed up, that has never happened before,” said Porteous. “I always knew I’d fuck up this pedal and I did it here in front of you guys.”

He asked the crowd if they would mind him trying again. When the crowd approved, Porteous promised he would make it up to them.

“At least I don’t have to worry about it anymore,” he said. “I can fuck it up all I want.”

Porteous began writing music at the age of 11 and he started producing his own films when he was 12.

He has recorded 16 independent releases, written film scores including one for an HBO pilot.



http://www.cambrianshield.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=537&Itemid=45 - The Shield

Sounds From The Superhighway 3
Volume 3

December 5, 2004
by Sal Treppiedi



David Porteous - To call David Porteous a workaholic might be an understatement. This may be the hardest workng musician you have never heard of. Porteous already has ten indenpdent releases (since 1999) under his belt, plus songs for an HBO pilot, several tracks for movies, numerous guest appearances, and a tour schedule that might make the average band's head spin. His latest release Missing April is another testament to the talent possessed by this Canadian standout. A documentary on David Porteous is currently in the work and you can expect that to be release early in the new year. Until then, check out his website and his music.



http://greatbeyondmusic.blogspot.com/2004_12_01_archive.html - The Great Beyond

March 04, 2008 by Mark Medley


The Ampersand wanted to introduce readers to the artists playing this year's Canadian Music Week. Unfortunately, it's not easy to find time to interview 300-plus bands. So, we sent out a short questionnaire to everyone so they can speak for themselves.

Toronto folk singer/songwriter and documentary filmmaker David Porteous has recorded nine LPs and seven EPs since 1999. That's what I call prolific.

What was the first album you ever bought and do you still listen to it?

Throwing Copper by Live. It got me into music and it still makes a rotation in my music listening routine.

What is your best/worst/wackiest story from your time on tour?

On stage in Munich, Germany, my first show in Germany. I can speak some German, and I am about to make an attempt to say some things to the audience. My mind goes blank. The club is silent. The lights are bright. I have no words. I stare blankly. I stumble to make an "ahh.." noise. Then someone with a heavy German accent yells out from the back of the room: "You can just say it in English!"

Do you get more groupies than Nickelback? Why or why not?

No, but I wasn't aware that Nickelback has groupies?! I am a singer/songwriter and documentary filmmaker. I guess girls don't like documentary filmmakers.

Who are your musical influences?

Anything honest and creative - something with soul - music that had to be written, not for money, but for pure pleasure of the art that is music.

CMW will be successful if we....

Stop recycling music! Canadian radio supports recycling. How about we pay some attention to the real independent artists, even if they don't sound like something on the radio right now?

• David Porteous plays at Holy Joe's on March 6 at 1 a.m. - National Post

Singer/songwriter created film during European trek


If you ask David Porteous why he's so interested in Second World War history, the North York resident can't give you an answer.

"I'm not sure why," said the 26-year-old singer/songwriter. "My dad has tons of books on World War I and World War II and he shared them with me. When I was reading the books I said I would love to see the places I've read about all these years (after the wars had ended)."

So in 2006 at age 22, Porteous and his 70-pound backpack spent five-and-a-half weeks travelling through Europe to gain perspective on all those affected by the Second World War, from soldiers who survived to civilians who live with the war's remnants.

A musician, Porteous brought along his guitar and wrote songs throughout his journey inspired by the sights he saw and people he met, he said.

"In 2003, 2004 I had the idea of doing this but I had no idea what I wanted to shoot or who I wanted to speak with," he said. "But I had faith and I knew something would happen."

And what happened was 35 songs and 50 hours of video, which has been edited down to a 54-minute film titled War Music.

"All the interviews were done on the spot and not planned," Porteous said.

During his travels Porteous ended up in a wooded area of Foy, Belgium, which had been occupied by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge in the Second World War.

"I had a feeling I had to go there," he said. "I walked into the woods and I could feel the history present. I really got a sense of what the area looked like back then. I filmed there for an hour and three songs came out right away."

Porteous said he was cautious in approaching people to interview on camera, noting many came up to him and opened up about how they were affected by war.

"I think it had a lot to do with me being Canadian," he said.

At a cemetery in Holland, Porteous noticed a mother and son visiting the grounds and shortly after engaging her in conversation, she told a story of how a Canadian soldier liberated her town when she was younger.

"I looked at her son and he had a shocked look on his face," Porteous said. "I could tell he had heard these stories before but maybe not in the way his mother was telling it to me."

A graduate of the Harris Institute for the Arts, Porteous said the goal for War Music "was to showcase war doesn't end when the army stops fighting."

War Music will screen Wednesday, Jan. 13 and Thursday, Jan. 14 at Revue Cinema, 400 Roncesvalles Ave., at 7 p.m. nightly.

Tickets are $10 at the door.

For information, visit www.warmusic.ca



http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/local/article/404652--war-inspires-work-of-art-for-musician - Inside Toronto

Oct 30, 2007
Tracy Huffman
Staff Reporter

More than 6,000 people entered the contest organized by Lenovo, a U.S.-based computer firm providing technical support at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Roy is one of 18 finalists from eight countries, including three from Canada.

Online visitors to newthinkers.lenovo.com can view the finalists' 30-second videos and vote for a favourite. The three entrants with the most votes will carry the torch.

Right now, Erin Roy is in first place. The voting closes at noon tomorrow. "It seems fitting that 10 weeks after he is gone, I find myself an opportunity to participate in a contest that relates to what Rob spent his whole life working for," said Roy.

Although she is not a runner, she said, "I will be. I've been wanting to take up running.... Rob is good motivation." Entering the contest "is like hugging him again."

Other contest finalists are David Porteous, a Toronto singer-songwriter, and Dariusz Slowik, a discus thrower from Richmond, B.C. who will compete in the Olympics.

"Something told me that (applying) was something I should do," said Porteous, 23. "I spent a lot of time writing my essay."

Porteous recently spent five weeks in Europe, tracing the paths of soldiers who fought during World War II and visiting cemeteries. He filmed his travels and wrote songs along the way. "I would run for the freedom that we have, for the sacrifices others have made for our freedom."

Slowik, 30, came to this country from Poland in 2000 and has been competing for Canada for four years. He said with support limited for amateur athletes, he has struggled, even having to go to food banks while he was training.

Despite his hardships, Slowik has organized numerous unique fundraisers for cancer research. He once raised $10,000 pushing a car 56 kilometres in 10 hours.

"I don't get much funding and I have no family here. I'm doing it all by myself," said Slowik, who picks up acting jobs to help pay the bills. "But it is important to give back to the community." - Toronto Star

Fri Oct 12, 2007

Discus thrower Dariusz Slowik of Richmond, B.C., musician David Porteous of Toronto and Erin Roy of Bayfield, Ont., are among the 20 worldwide finalists for the 2008 Beijing Olympic torch relay.

The finalists were selected from 6,000 applications through a global internet search for "new thinkers" by PC design company Lenovo.

Each finalist is featured in 30-second video clips posted on www.Lenovo.com/torch. An online vote will decide the three individuals who will run in the relay.

Slowik, who won a bronze at the Pan American Games this past summer in Brazil, is known for his crazy fundraising stunts. He and a friend once pushed a car 57 kilometres in 10 hours, setting a Guinness world record and raising $10,000 for cancer research.

Porteous spent five weeks travelling through Europe following the footsteps of soldiers that fought in the Second World War, videotaping the trek and writing music along the way. He said he would run the torch relay for the soldiers that died in the war.

Roy has helped her small rural community stay connected through a teleconference book club.

Lenovo is the designer of the 2008 Olympic torch.

The torch is scheduled to travel to 21 cities in five continents before spending 97 days travelling to more than 100 cities in mainland China. It will arrive in Beijing on Aug. 8, 2008, marking the opening of the Olympics. - THE CANADIAN PRESS

David Porteous - Electric Feel (MGMT)

Another unusual cover: here, Canadian songwriter David Porteous makesthe MGMT hit into something slow and serious, using just a grungey blues guitar sound a la The Black Keys. Although the lyrics don’t really stand up without MGMT’s falsetto, this works surprisingly well.


http://seewhatyouhear.wordpress.com/2009/02/26/song-of-the-day-david-porteous-electric-feel/ - SeeWhatYouHear.com

Top Covers of 2008

#3 - David Porteous – Electric Feel (MGMT, Oracular Spectacular)

David makes a bold stance here, replacing the psych-techno throb of MGMT with some crunchy blues guitar. Crunchy solo blues guitar. There’s no way this should work, but it’s fantastic.


http://mog.com/blog_post/content/790/1195056 - Cover-Me-Songs

Brighton’s Own: Arguably the most prolific artist in our own
Columnist Vic Schukov shares the story of award-winning artist David Porteous

By Northumberland News
Sunday, March 26, 2023


There is a much-heralded fact about this Mayberry-like town we call Brighton: Its cup overflows with artistic talent.

The artists know it. They know they swim in the same pond of creativity. So, here is another jewel in our crown.

David Porteous is an award-winning singer-songwriter, filmmaker, photographer, graphic designer, writer, and retired magician originally from Toronto. He moved here two years ago to be close to his fiancée Jen’s parents.

“I always pictured myself as a city boy, but people here are so friendly as a community, it’s a really nice experience,” said Porteous.

For Porteous, art is about living one’s life purpose and unifying people through its expression.


“I do a wide range of media production going on 20 years. I love producing records for artists.

“I’ve been making movies since childhood and started documentaries in 2005-06 following the footsteps of Canadian soldiers who fought during (the Second World War) through 10 different countries in Europe with a backpack and guitar recording music along the way and interviewing people.”

“War Music” premiered in Scotland. The song “Cologne, Germany,” written and recorded on-location, received honourable mention in the 2010 billboard song contest and was featured in media outlets like BBC and CBC.

“I love honest human stories. I am very much in the spirit of unity with people and nature. Every small action I make has a ripple effect — I have felt that since a young age.

“I find art to be an ideal medium to convey emotions. I can create something that did not exist before.”

And what has he created so far at the scratching-the-surface age of 39?

• First prize in a national anthem song contest.

• In 2015, he created the world’s first music video for deaf people. Porteous was inspired after a deaf woman taught him sign language.

• NOW Magazine NXNE Music Festival “Critic’s Pick.”

• CBC Radio Two debut at the age of 14.

• Olympic torchbearer nominee for music and film creations.

• Wrote music for the HBO pilot “Life.”

• Billboard song contest — honorary mention.

• Full scholarship for a BA in documentary film.

• Honours diploma in sound engineering at the Harris Institute.

• Produced more than 100 music releases for other artists and 30-plus solo releases.

• Indie Music Week finalist.

Porteous has organized concerts and art projects to raise money for charities, including the Hospital for Sick Children, the Daily Bread Food Bank, David Suzuki Foundation, the Canadian Women’s Foundation, and the accessibility-focused StopGap Foundation.

As a musician, Porteous has toured across Canada, the U.S. and Europe, with performances at top music festivals from Toronto to New York to Edinburgh. In the works for 2023 is a new solo record and U.K. and Canadian tour dates.

Porteous’s latest documentary film is “257 Down.” Directed, edited and scored by him, it features Colborne resident Alex Abbott, a former competitive dirt bike racer who became a quadriplegic following an accident. Ten years later, Abbott is on the verge of finding his way back onto two wheels.

The film was released on Feb. 24 on 257down.com with portions of proceeds going to Sunnybrook Hospital’s Veterans Centre, which offers long-term hospital care to more than 300 veterans.

257 Down is a documentary about patience, endurance, and courage — a story that will inspire people of all abilities to follow their dreams, no matter how inaccessible they seem.

The film won multiple film festival awards for best film and premiered in Spain at the Madrid Human Rights Film Festival.

257 Down is available to purchase, download and stream for $5 at 257down.com. One dollar from every sale of the film will be donated to Sunnybrook Hospital’s veterans’ comfort fund.

“We need to raise more awareness about the importance of providing accessible and dignified spaces for everyone, be it for those in wheelchairs, the elderly, people with strollers and those with long or short-term debilitating conditions.”

Check out the YouTube trailer online. Learn more at www.davidmusic.ca.

Brighton resident Vic Schukov is a longtime journalist and writer of biography books for everyday people. He can be reached at victorschukov@gmail.com. - Northumberland News