Rattlesnake Choir
Live Music
now available through maplemusic.com
Rattlesnake Choir available on iTunes
Rattlesnake Choir on iTunes

Rattlesnake Choir was assembled in 2006 as an extension of John Borra (vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica) and Sam Ferrara's (cheese grater, slinky, saw, spoons) popular Sunday matinee at The Communist's Daughter in Toronto ON. With the addition of Tony Benattar on bass and Treasa Levassuer on piano and accordion the Rattlesnake Choir was born. They played The Paddock every Wednesday for a year and a half. After the first year Miranda Mulholland (violin) replaced Treasa. They are currently playing every Monday night at The Dakota Tavern.

Live Music, their debut album was recorded the way they know how to play best, live off the floor, all in the same room, all together. The record was recorded and co-produced by Walter Sobczak in The Studio at Puck's Farm, ON. They did one session with Treasa and one session with Miranda. The band released "Live Music" on February 22, 2008. The record is being distibuted on-line by Maplemusic.com and will be available on iTunes.

John Borra who is the principal songwriter for Rattlesnake Choir, played his first bar at age 16 at Toronto's Turning Point in 1982. Since then he's played bass with dozens of bands including A Neon Rome, Change Of Heart, Groovy Religion Ron Sexsmith, Kyp Harness, Viletones, Greg Keelor, The Cash Brothers and Serena Ryder to name a few. He's put out three records of his own since 1997 and continues to play as a duo with Sam Ferrara, his own John Borra Band, The Screwed, The Swallows as well as Rattlesnake Choir.

Sam Ferrara began his musical career in the early 1970's in a band called The Marquee's playing six niters in taverns across Ontario. They were on the road constantly for five years and never left the province. In 1976 he helped form the seminal punk band The Ugly before joining the legendary Viletones in 1978. In 1980 he formed his own band Screamin' Sam and The Problems who played until 1997 and released one album "Dust" in 1995. It was around this time that he started playing his unique kitchen percussion and has been at it ever since playing with John Borra, Frank Nevada and The Cameron Family Singers. Sam is also a celebrated metal sculptor who's had dozens of solo and group shows as well as commissions and major installations.

Tony Benattar began his musical career in Peterborough, ON in the late 70's playing guitar in The Mad Shadows and The Deadbeats. In 1986 Tony started a cowboy boot company called Tony Benattar Boots. In 1993 he retooled and renamed the company Liberty Boots dealing exclusively in high-end cowboy boots. His customers include Madonna, Kid Rock, ZZ Top, Steve Jones, Brooke Shields and Aerosmith to name but a few. These days there's a good chance someone in the top 40 is wearing Liberty Boots. In 1997 he started playing music again when he picked up the upright bass and discovered bluegrass music. Since then he's played with The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, The Cameron Family Singers, Rancho Mysterio, The Backstabbers and Rattlesnake Choir.

Miranda Mulholland is classically trained on violin and voice but cut her rock and roll teeth playing her way through university in the Celtic bars of Montreal and London. Since then she has toured extensively in Europe and North America with the Celtic rock bands The Mahones, The Peelers, and the alt-country band Luther Wright and the Wrongs. She was a member of the Canadian cast of Barrage and was the vocal and fiddle soloist for the Irish dance show Spirit of Ireland. In addition to playing with the Rattlesnakes she fronts her own group The Roaring Girl Cabaret that has just completed it's first record, tours with The Paper Boys and has formed a new group called Mulholland Drive.