Johnny Borrell

Johnny Borrell (born Jonathan Edward Borrell, 4 April 1980, in Muswell Hill, London, England) is an English singer and guitarist, and the frontman of Razorlight.

Borrell is notorious for his arrogant attitude towards the press and is famous for his proclamations of his own abilities. However, like many other artists who come across negatively in NME interviews, Borrell and supporters have accused the magazine of misrepresentation and emphasising quotes out of context. Interviewers have recently alluded to tension between Borrell and the two Swedish members of the band, one of whom claims Borrell spends little time with them.

Borrell is one of "The Dalston Set", a clique of indie notables connected to the early days of the London scene of the early 2000s, along with Dominic Masters of The Others, Pete Doherty, Carl Barât, John Hassall, and the Queens of Noize. It has been reported that he was briefly a stand-in bassist for The Libertines before they were signed, but in recent interviews he has claimed that this is not true. In Pete Welsh's Kids in the Riot, it is alleged that Borrell was sacked as The Libertines' bassist for unreliable behaviour and not turning up to gigs, but in general there is little animosity between the two bands, and Borrell remains friends with Carl Barât.

The Libertines' song "The Boy Looked At Johnny" is reputedly about Borrell, and Razorlight album track "Don't Go Back To Dalston" is reputedly directed at Pete Doherty, telling him to curtail his drug habit. Another Razorlight song talking about curtailing a drug habit is "Up All Night" which is largely misinterpreted as being a love song. However, Borrell's former friend Pete Doherty headbutted him backstage at the Leeds Festival in 2005.