Jon Guerra

Singer and songwriter Jon Guerra is known for his sonically textural brand of devotional, alternative CCM. He came up in Chicago's rock scene before joining the worship collective Vertical Church Band in the early 2010s. He later launched a solo career as a faith-based singer/songwriter with crossover appeal and found chart success with his 2015 debut album, Little Songs. He also worked as a duo with his wife Valerie Guerra, releasing several singles and Christmas collections before returning to solo work with 2020's Keeper of Days, 2023's Ordinary Ways, and 2025's Jesus.Born in Los Angeles, and raised in Houston and later Wheaton, Illinois, Guerra grew up listening to the likes of Jeff Buckley, Bob Dylan, and Radiohead. Later basing himself out of Chicago, he and his wife Valerie played in a self-described "gypsy prog rock" group called Milano and spent some time writing jingles and music for commercials. He and Valerie also released a series of Christmas singles in the early part of the 2010s. Finding a home in the Christian music community, Guerra joined Meredith Andrews, Seth McConkey, and others in the songwriting and worship team Vertical Church Band. After appearing on their albums Live Worship from Vertical Church (2012) and Rock Won't Move (2013), he released a solo project under the name JAGUERRA, which appeared as part of the Vinyl Me Please subscription service. Signing with Sony's Essential Records imprint, Guerra launched a proper solo career under his own name as a faith-based artist with the 2014 single "I Will Follow." It landed on that year's Glass EP, and in 2015, he released his debut album, Little Songs. A crossover success, the LP made a strong showing not only on Billboard's Christian chart, but on its Heatseekers and Folk charts as well. That same year, he and Valerie released a full-length Christmas album as a duo and later began recording and performing under the name Praytell. Meanwhile, Guerra's solo career continued with the 2017 Working Demos 2 EP and the 2020 full-length Keeper of Days. Following contributions to projects by JUDAH. and Vertical Worship, he delivered his third solo album, Ordinary Ways, in 2023. Jesus, an album inspired by and in conversation with the four New Testament Gospels, arrived in 2025.
© Matt Collar & David Jeffries /TiVo