Full Bio

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 has acted as a creative advisor for Voxfactum, a software company that aims to support children with reading disabilities. In addition, Porteous has also organized concerts and art projects to raise money and awareness for non-profits and causes including 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.”

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.

One of Porteous' latest releases is THEIA, an EP that 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.

Porteous has also released Robber’s Joy, an EP which Porteous wrote in dedication of his father, musician and author James Porteous. “My Dad was the best Dad a musician could ever ask for,” said David. “He understood how difficult the art world is and he did whatever he could to help support my musical and creative ambitions - be it teaching me how to play guitar, being my roadie for many years hauling heavy gear into venues and always being encouraging.” Porteous wanted to write and record songs that his Dad would enjoy and the end result is a 4 song EP - Robber’s Joy.

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.

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.

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, Mr. and Mrs. Fox, Paul Massie and Cuesta are just a few of the artists who have routinely called 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.”

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.

An avid motorsports enthusiast, Porteous has released several motorsports documentaries and has been a motorsports photographer at Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR, IMSA and BAJA 1000 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.”

Porteous recently directed The Streets of Toronto, a motorsports documentary featuring Mac Clark, Indy 500 pole winner James Hinchcliffe, 2x Le Mans winner Ron Fellows, Nascar driver Sam Fellows  and legendary motorsports 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.

Drum Kit Donation in memory of Scott Johnson

As an avid Radiohead fan since he was a teenager, David Porteous felt compelled to do something positive after hearing the news Radiohead’s drum tech, Scott Johnson, was killed after the stage collapsed just hours before a Radiohead concert.

Porteous held a series of benefit concerts in Toronto and used the money raised to purchase an electronic drum kit which was donated to Fort York Library in Toronto. Now anyone with a library card can play the kit for free!

Philip Selway, the drummer of Radiohead, got wind of Porteous’ efforts and met up with Porteous in Toronto to announce he was going to do the same at Manchester Public Library in the UK.

Selway was joined by Guy Garvey (Elbow), Stephen Morris (New Order/Joy Division) and Jim James (My Morning Jacket) where they donated a drum kit in memory of Scott to Manchester Public Library, all of which was captured live on BBC Radio.

A Dollar a Lap to Stop the Gap Fundraisers

David Porteous volunteered his time and organized two fundraisers at IndyCar races in Toronto and mid Ohio to raise money for the accessibility charity StopGap Foundation.

In partnership with technology company Surgere and the race team Fatboy Racing, the fundraisers raised over $10 000 for the StopGap Foundation. This equates to the cost of building 40 single step accessible ramps!