Full Bio
David Porteous · Musician · Filmmaker · Photographer
David Porteous is an award-winning Canadian solo singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, documentary filmmaker, audio/video engineer, photographer and graphic designer originally from Toronto, Canada. There are few artists who can legitimately call themselves professionals in multiple creative disciplines, and Porteous is one of those few.
Whether it’s recording lead guitar in Portugal with Boz Boorer of Morrissey, filming and writing music on-location in a WWII-era foxhole, taking photos at IndyCar and Formula 1 events, creating the World’s Tallest Press Release, producing records for dozens of other artists, or acting as a creative advisor to help children with reading disabilities, this Canadian artist is at home when and wherever he is being creative.
“Not only a talented singer/songwriter, but a talented filmmaker.”
“David Porteous has released another great CD.”
“257 Down… a great example of how we can progress as a contemporary society.”
(a) Highlights
Selected Achievements
- 30+ solo music releases
- 6 documentary film releases
- Produced, recorded and/or mixed over 100 releases for other artists
- Multiple Best Documentary Film winner for “257 Down”, including a premiere at the Madrid Human Rights Film Festival and an endorsement from former Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau
- Created the World’s First Music Video for the Deaf, featured on CBC News
- Featured showcase performer at CMJ (New York), Havnekulturfestival (Denmark), Music City North, Indie Music Week, Acoustic Edinburgh (UK), Canadian Music Week and NXNE (Toronto)
- First Prize in a National Anthem Song Contest hosted by Mongrel Media
- Billboard Song Contest — multiple honourable mentions
- Critics’ Pick for NXNE showcase performance, selected by NOW Magazine
- Music and film work featured on the BBC, CBC, CTV, NOW, The Toronto Star, blogTO and more
- Maryon Drysdale Award — Best Song (Toronto)
- Created the World’s Tallest Press Release
- Olympic Torchbearer nominee
- Netflix Open Pitch Day shortlist — 20 out of 10,000 entries
- Wrote music for the HBO pilot “Life”
- CBC Radio 2 debut at the age of 14
- Indie Music Week finalist playing lead guitar with the band Uniter
- Volunteered to organize concerts, tours and fundraisers that have generated over $20,000 for non-profits
(b) Purpose
Giving Back
For David Porteous, art isn’t about fame, it’s about living one’s life purpose and unifying people through art. And in following through with that vision, he has amassed a career of remarkable accomplishments. But if you ask him, he feels like he’s just scratched the surface.
Porteous’ parents instilled in him that commercial success, money and awards aren’t good reasons to make art in the first place, and how it’s important to give back to the community to unify people from all walks of life. Since first making his mark on the music and film scene over 20 years ago, Porteous has done just that.
He has acted as a creative advisor for Voxfactum, a software company that aims to support children with reading disabilities. He has organized concerts and art projects to raise money and awareness for Sunnybrook Hospital’s Veterans Comfort Fund, Sick Kids Hospital, the StopGap Foundation, the Daily Bread Food Bank, Sistering, the David Suzuki Foundation, Warchild and Poppy Scotland, addressed racial imbalance in Toronto’s City Council, and supported initiatives to help end the LGBTQ+ homeless youth crisis in Toronto.
In 2019, Porteous organized multiple fundraisers at IndyCar events, including directing videos for the accessibility-focused charity the StopGap Foundation. The fundraisers generated over $10,000 — the cost of building over 40 single-step wheelchair ramps.
The World’s First Music Video for the Deaf
“As vibration is a common characteristic of both sound and light waves, I began by transcribing my music into colour,” said Porteous, who was inspired after befriending a deaf woman who taught him sign language. “I wanted to welcome the Deaf community into the experience of music by showing them how recorded music is made.”
“It’s so compelling and intriguing… it takes the musical experience to a whole other level.”
“You don’t need to be able to hear to enjoy this song.”
(c) Music
Music
As a solo artist Porteous has released over 30 music releases since 1999, and his music has been featured in feature films, TV shows, commercials and as podcast theme songs. He made his debut at the age of 14 on CBC Radio, playing lead guitar alongside his father, singer/songwriter James Porteous.
His latest release, THEIA, was written through the practice of visual and auditory meditation. “After clearing my internal voice of any chatter, I sat peacefully with my guitar in hand and waited, eyes closed, until I could ‘see’ the song I was about to write,” Porteous said. “And like magic, a song would appear in my mind’s eye… from there I translated what I saw and heard into recorded music.” The result is a 6-song EP performed, recorded and mixed at his personal studio, The Whisper Gallery, in Northumberland, Ontario.
To help end violence against women and girls, Porteous headlined and organized an East Coast of Canada solo tour that raised thousands of dollars for the Canadian Women’s Foundation. The tour featured over 20 solo musicians, half of them women, and was covered by outlets including the CBC.
“The funds raised will help women and girls across Canada move out of violence, out of poverty, and into confidence.”
Porteous has toured extensively, solo and as a lead guitarist, across Canada, the US, the UK and Europe, with showcases at CMJ, Havnekulturfestival, Music City North, Indie Music Week, Acoustic Edinburgh, Canadian Music Week and NXNE — where NOW Magazine named him a Critics’ Pick.
“left the crowd speechless”
He is well known for his unique, jaw-dropping lead guitar. “I grew up listening to the greats — John Lee Hooker, Neil Young, Johnny Greenwood and Jimi Hendrix,” said Porteous. “Their tone, their love of music and their musical character seeped into my heart and my fingers.” Simeon Ross, Ryan Isojima, Uniter, Shoot the Image, Mr. and Mrs. Fox, Battlebear, Kris Foran, Cuesta, Paul Massie, Genuine Feline and Le Peep are just a few of the artists who routinely call on him.
His performances have landed him opening slots with Emm Gryner, Peter Katz, Codeen, Matthew Barber, Neverending White Lights, Lindy, Matt Norris and the Moon, and Nellie McKay. As a producer and audio engineer he has produced, recorded and/or mixed over 100 releases, including Simeon Ross’ “Sound at Sea Level”, Gruve’s “Out of Nowhere”, Le Peep’s “Licking Power” and Mr. and Mrs. Fox’s “Colours.”
(d) Film
Film
Eric Schaeffer’s new film Before I Go, starring Annabella Sciorra (The Sopranos, CSI, Law and Order), features multiple songs from Porteous’ 2020 EP “Tigerlily.” Porteous also wrote and recorded music for Schaeffer’s 2015 award-winning feature Boy Meets Girl, starring Michael Welch (Twilight) and Michelle Hendley. The film premiered in New York City and has won over 30 festival awards, including a GLAAD Media Award.
His latest documentary, 257 Down, directed and scored by Porteous, features Alex Abbott, a former dirt bike racer who became a quadriplegic following an accident. It received an endorsement from former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was featured on the CBC and CTV, won multiple festival awards for Best Film and premiered at the Madrid Human Rights Film Festival. The Hilltop Film Festival in Birmingham, Alabama awarded it Best Documentary Short, calling it “a very beautiful film.” Released in 2023, portions of sales go to Sunnybrook Hospital’s Veteran Comfort Fund.
Porteous’ work caught the attention of Sumit Ajwani (founder of Makers and former Head of Production at Saatchi & Saatchi), who co-produced the documentary and music project War Music — a first of its kind. Viewers watch Porteous travel through 10 countries over 2 months, with no reliance on cellphones or modern technology, writing and recording music on-location while following the footsteps of WWII soldiers — at battlefields, cemeteries, and alongside veterans and survivors.
War Music premiered in Scotland and was featured on the BBC’s The Movie Cafe, CBC’s Sunday, The Toronto Star, was a blogTO film pick, an Official Selection for the River Arts Festival, and even got a mention from Ed the Sock. The song “Cologne, Germany”, written on-location for the film, received an honourable mention in the Billboard Song Contest.
“Porteous’s earnest songs, which we literally watch him write on the battlefields of Europe, bring some urgency to events that for many of us are usually just pieces of history. And that’s no small feat.”
(e) Motorsports
Motorsports
An avid motorsports enthusiast, Porteous has released several motorsports documentaries and has been a motorsports photographer at Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR, IMSA and BAJA events.
As Porteous directs, films, edits and scores his own productions, renowned motorsports journalist Marshall Pruett called his film work “rather remarkable for a one-man production.”
He is currently directing The Streets of Toronto, a motorsports documentary featuring Mac Clark, Indy 500 pole winner James Hinchcliffe, 2x Le Mans winner Ron Fellows and legendary commentator Rob Howden.
His film BAJA follows the support crew for one of Robby Gordon’s UTV entries in the dangerous and infamous Baja 1000 — a thousand-mile endurance race through the Mexican desert — with appearances by Top Gear’s Freddie Flintoff and 5x Baja winner Walker Evans.
(f) Contact