Jonathan Edward Borrell (born 4 April 1980) is an English guitarist and singer, currently the frontman of the rock band Razorlight, of which he is the only consistent original member.
The band recorded an EP and started to gain some recognition before splitting acrimoniously live on stage at Dublin Castle in late '97 .
In 2002 he went on to form his own band which played house parties, rehearsing at a Hackney warehouse called Unit 13, comprising Carl Dalemo, Shïan Smith-Pancorvo (later replaced by Andy Burrows) and Björn Ågren.
Razorlight performed "Golden Touch" with a gospel choir in front of the Parkinson studio audience and guest Tom Cruise.
French fashion brand Dior's creative director Hedi Slimane based his 2005 Autumn/Winter collection on Borrell and Pete Doherty and chose Razorlight to write music for the Paris show.
In the Spring of 2005 Razorlight played two sold-out shows at London's Alexandra Palace with Noel Fielding from The Mighty Boosh as their support act.
Q Magazine called it: "A punk rock symphony, a thrilling change in direction", and high-profile support slots with U2, Queen, The Who and Oasis and the band's appearance at Live 8 kept Razorlight occupied through the rest of the year prior to entering the studio for their second album in early 2006.
The Razorlight singer next emerged in October, duetting with The Kinks' Ray Davies on "Sunny Afternoon" for the BBC Electric Proms at London's The Roundhouse.
Two round the world tours, including first visits to Australia, a move to a new label, Mercury Records/Island Def Jam and major festival appearances in the UK and across Europe took Razorlight to the end of the decade, finishing with a December headline at XFM's Brixton Academy Christmas show where they donated their fee to Borrell's charity of choice, Anno's Africa.
The film also features bonus material including Borrell's charity hovercraft crossing of the English Channel and drummer Andy Burrows' trials and tribulations whilst giving up smoking while on tour.
[9] Borrell has sometimes been regarded as having a very arrogant attitude towards the press and is famous for his proclamations of his own abilities such as claiming he thinks he's the greatest songwriter in the world on MTV's Gonzo hosted by Zane Lowe.
Razorlight recorded 'Kirby's House' for the 2005 Warchild album and played London, Royal Albert Hall shows in 2006 and 2008 for The Who's Teenage Cancer Trust events (in 2008 the band performed 'Summertime Blues' with Roger Daltrey).
Borrell is one of "The Dalston Set", a clique of indie notables connected to the early days of The Libertines, along with Dominic Masters of The Others, Pete Doherty, Carl Barât, John Hassall, and the Queens of Noize.
It began on 6 September 2009 with Borrell playing a broad range of records spanning Jamaican dancehall, blues, rock'n'roll, krautrock and spoken word.
Borrell has appeared twice on The Mighty Boosh, once alone as a giant rapist rabbit in the 2006 stage show and once with Razorlight in the episode "The Priest and the Beast".
[citation needed] Borrell appeared on the front cover of the May 2007 issue of Vogue magazine, alongside supermodel Natalia Vodianova, in his trademark skinny white jeans and topless.
[16] In July 2022, Borrell performed at Standon Calling festival in Hertfordshire alongside Jack Flanagan of Mystery Jets under the name Jealous Nostril.