Billy Talent
Billy Talent | |
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Mississauga, Ontario , Canada | |
Genres |
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Years active | 1993 | –present
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Members |
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Website | billytalent |
Billy Talent is a Canadian rock band from Mississauga, Ontario. They formed in 1993 with lead vocalist Benjamin Kowalewicz, guitarist Ian D'Sa, bassist Jonathan Gallant, and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk. There have been no lineup changes, although Solowoniuk has been on hiatus from the band since 2016 due to a relapse of multiple sclerosis. In the three decades since their inception, Billy Talent has sold well over a million physical albums in Canada alone and nearly 3 million albums internationally. During their most successful period, they were ranked as one of the top 10 best-selling native bands in Canada.[1]
The band existed for almost a decade before mainstream success. The members met and played in
History
Origins as Pezz (1993–1999)
The band got together during a high school talent contest. Pezz began writing, performing songs, and gaining attention and credibility at first locally, and soon in Toronto's broader indie music scene. Their first recording was a cheap 4-track demo. It was recorded in Ian D'Sa's basement in July 1994 and was named Demoluca, after a friend of the band named Jason Deluca had stopped by the house, banging on a basement window while the band was recording. Soon after, in January 1995, they all put in money to record another demo of better quality with engineer/producer Dave Tedesco at the "Signal to Noise" studio which they called Dudebox.[6] Originally, two tracks from Demoluca and four newly recorded tracks were compiled onto it, but a year later the band recorded four more tunes live in the studio and re-released it. After these releases and their continued performances in the immediate area, Pezz was gaining a following in Mississauga and it continued to spread.[5]
D'Sa studied classical animation at
Billy Talent and success (1999–2004)
In 1999, the Canadian Pezz received documentation from an American band named Pezz proving that the latter had held the name internationally since 1989. The Canadian band had no legal claim to their old name and thus changed it to Billy Talent, inspired by the guitarist "Billy Tallent" from Michael Turner's novel Hard Core Logo. The film adaptation by Bruce McDonald would be the inspirational medium for the band.[2][6] This, however, still led to fans mistaking Kowalewicz as being named Billy Talent.[7]
Now known as Billy Talent, their sound began to move in a more aggressive, punk rock direction. During this time, Kowalewicz ran into Jen Hirst, at
In 2002, the band met with record executives, and ended up signing a co-venture agreement with
A track from the album titled "This Is How It Goes" was about Aaron Solowoniuk's fight with
Billy Talent II (2005–2007)
Billy Talent's second album was mostly recorded at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia,[8] which was produced by Gavin Brown again with Ian D'Sa co-producing for the first time, and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge.
Billy Talent II hit the shelves on June 27, 2006. It fared very well in Canada in its debut week, landing in at number 1 on the Canadian charts.[8] It also enjoyed significant success in Germany, where it also debuted at number 1 in the album charts in its debut week,[8] and was one of the top 10 selling albums in the country.[9] As of June 15, 2007, the album has sold almost 700,000 units worldwide, 215,000 of them in Canada[9] making it certified 2× Platinum,[3] and 200,000 shipped units in Germany achieved it platinum status there.[10] Since then, the record has gone on to be certified 4x platinum in Canada and 2x platinum in Germany, putting the album over 1 million units sold worldwide. However, the success did not duplicate itself in the U.S.[9] The band has expressed that they know they are a new band there, and they are choosing to concentrate their attention on Canada, Europe, and other places overseas instead.[11]
The album contains less anger and profanity than their previous self-titled album. More of the songs dealt with real-life issues, to the praise of fans and critics.[8]
We wanted to do something completely different from the first record because we had changed dramatically and had learned a lot from personal relationships. Everyone in the band is partnering up and dealing with those issues. The general theme of this record is trust, the lack thereof or breaking up. That seemed to fuel the record.
— Jonathan Gallant, Ottawa Sun[8]
The band ventured off on another UK tour in support of Billy Talent II, but this one would include more shows in countries they had not performed in before.[9] During this tour leg, the gigs at London and Manchester, on September 8 and 16, respectively, were recorded live. Limited edition CDs were released as the band's only live album to date, Live from the UK Sept./2006.[12] Also during the tour, the band had to miss their Southampton show "due to a death in the family".[13] The whole band returned the following month to play the show.[14]
The band started their first Canadian arena tour with the bands Rise Against, Anti-Flag, and Moneen, performing in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec and ending in Ontario. Following the Canadian tour, the band ventured onto their first US club tour.[15]
The band went on a large overseas tour, beginning on June 1, 2007. They temporarily came back in mid June to play shows at the
In 2008 they opened for American group My Chemical Romance in the US with a smaller group Drive By and attended several festivals and held concerts in Canada and Europe later on. Vocalist Benjamin Kowalewicz stated on July 1, on Billy Talent's official forum, that they are staying put in Canada until the album is finished, and that their promotional tour for II has come to an end. Their song "Red Flag" was featured in Burnout Revenge, Burnout Legends, SSX on Tour, and NHL 06.
Billy Talent III (2008–2011)
The single for "Turn Your Back" (a collaboration with the band Anti-Flag) was released on September 15 in the UK and most of Europe, on September 16 in the U.S. and Canada and September 20 in Australia and was also featured in the video game NHL 09.
The band entered the studio in November with
During summer 2009, Billy Talent toured North America with
Their third album, Billy Talent III was released on July 10, 2009, in Europe, July 13 in the United Kingdom, and July 14 in Canada. The album was released on September 22 in the United States on the Roadrunner Records label.
Billy Talent kicked off their 2009 European tour on October 19, commenting before the tour that they "can't wait to come over to Europe and the U.K.".[22] They followed the European tour with a Canadian tour in March 2010, with Against Me!, Alexisonfire and Cancer Bats supporting. On February 1, "Saint Veronika" was released as the third single from Billy Talent III.[23]
On February 16, 2010, Billy Talent released iTunes Session, over iTunes, a 7-track EP with songs from all three of the Billy Talent albums.
In August 2010, Billy Talent played 3 tour dates in South Africa, one in
Dead Silence (2012–2014)
In April 2011, Kowalewicz stated that "At this point there is no time frame for touring, as our main priority is finishing writing and recording this new record". Kowalewicz also stated "the songs this far is unlike anything we've ever done before yet it still seems to capture the urgency of our first record". Kowalewicz stated, in an interview, that the first three albums would form a trilogy and that the new album would not be named Billy Talent IV.[24] In August 2011 it was announced in an interview with the band that their new album will be recorded in November. The album was produced by Ian D'Sa and engineered by Eric Ratz and Kenny Luong who worked on Billy Talent II. The album's first single "
The band embarked on a Canadian tour with Sum 41, Hollerado, Indian Handcrafts, and Monster Truck (replaced Sum 41 when they dropped out of the tour for the last show in Halifax due to medical reasons).[27][28]
On August 22, 2014, the band announced Hits, a compilation album of their most successful singles to date, plus two new songs. On September 25, 2014, Billy Talent released one of the two new songs as a single, titled "Kingdom of Zod".[29] The single did not receive a lot of promotion upon release but did peak at #5 in Canada the following January, making the single a sleeper hit. On November 4, 2014, Hits was released.[30] The same day, the other new song, "Chasing The Sun," was released as a radio single, but did not chart until May 2015.
Afraid of Heights (2015–2018)
On May 9, 2015, the band announced at SiriusXM Indies that they have been in the studio for the past few months, writing and demoing an upcoming album. They also announced that the album will be released in 2016.[31] On November 26, 2015, Kowalewicz announced that they will be entering the studio to start recording January 4, 2016, and should release their new album before summer 2016.[32] On January 15, 2016, Aaron announced via the Billy Talent YouTube channel that he would be taking a hiatus from the band due to an MS relapse.[33] Jordan Hastings from Alexisonfire, Cunter, and Say Yes was announced to be filling in and doing the drum work on the new album in his place.[34] Official band photographs in promotion of the new album feature both drummers.
On May 12, 2016, the band announced their album
Crisis of Faith (2019–present)
On November 26, 2019, the band released "Forgiveness I + II", which would later be revealed as the opening track on their upcoming record.[39] The song was a stylistic change for the band, showcasing elements of progressive rock, along with the use of synthesizers and a saxophone solo. This was also the band's longest released song to date, clocking in at just under seven minutes. Later, on January 24, 2020, the band released their first radio single since 2016, called "Reckless Paradise".[40] This single was more typical of band's signature post-hardcore sound. The single hit #1 in Canada on February 22, 2020.[41] On April 3, 2020, the band released another new single called "I Beg to Differ (This Will Get Better)".[42] Not originally intended to be a single, the band released it as a hopeful, yet bittersweet response to the delay and cancellation of many scheduled tour dates due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[43] The band also posted a list of crisis hotlines for fans in need of moral support, using this song as a motif.[44] The song peaked at #1 in Canada on October 3, 2020.[41]
Almost a year later, after being mostly inactive on social media, the band released the single "End of Me", featuring Weezer vocalist Rivers Cuomo on September 10, 2021, and subsequently announced that their sixth studio album, titled Crisis of Faith, would be released on January 21, 2022.[45] In support of the album, the band announced that they will be touring Canada with PUP and Rise Against in February and April 2022.[46] On November 13, 2021, "End of Me" reached number one on the Canadian Rock chart, making every promotional single for Crisis of Faith a number-one hit. This made for the band's most successful rollout of singles in their career.[41]
The band was joined by Anti-Flag & NOBRO for the first Canadian leg of their "Crisis of Faith" tour. This leg was played entirely with a substitute drummer, as Hastings returned to Alexisonfire in the wake of their reunion.
Musical style
Billy Talent's musical style has been described as
Band members
Current members
- Benjamin Kowalewicz – lead vocals (1993–present)
- Ian D'Sa – guitar, vocals, keyboards (1993–present)
- Jonathan Gallant – bass guitar, backing vocals (1993–present)
- Aaron Solowoniuk – drums, percussion (1993–present; on hiatus 2016–present) [34]
- Jordan Hastings – drums, percussion (2016–present)
Touring members
- Loel Campbell – drums (2022–present)
Awards
Billy Talent has received a significant amount of recognition in Canada, winning 10 awards from 32 nominations at the
Discography
- Studio albums
- Billy Talent (2003)
- Billy Talent II (2006)
- Billy Talent III (2009)
- Dead Silence (2012)
- Afraid of Heights (2016)
- Crisis of Faith (2022)
See also
- Canadian rock
- Music of Canada
- Music of Ontario
References
- ^ "NIELSEN MUSIC & BILLBOARD PRESENT CANADA 150 CHARTS" (PDF). bdsradio.com. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 2, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Karen Bliss (February–March 2003). "Billy Talent". Access. Archived from the original on June 12, 2010.
- ^ a b c
"CRIA Gold and Platinum Certifications for January 2007". Canadian Recording Industry Association. January 2007. Archived from the originalon May 26, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2007.
- ^ "New album planned for July 2012". March 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
- ^ a b c Bowman, Trevor. "BIO". billytalent.com. Archived from the original on September 17, 2007. Retrieved September 4, 2007.
- ^ CFNY. November 11, 2005.
- ^ Wood, Sherry. "Billy Talent proud of new album". Toronto Sun. June 23, 2006. Archived from the original on May 24, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2007.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c d e f Armstrong, Denis. "Billy Talent mellows out". Ottawa Sun. January 31, 2007. Archived from the original on June 5, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2007.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c d e f Bliss, Karen. "75,000 sing Billy Talent". Jam! Music. June 15, 2007. Archived from the original on May 24, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2007.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - IFPI.de. June 9, 2007. Archived from the originalon September 27, 2007. Retrieved June 25, 2007.
- ^ "Aubin". "Interviews: Billy Talent". Punknews.org. January 30, 2007. Retrieved September 17, 2007.
- ^ "Exclusive Live Billy Talent CD". September 6, 2006. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved September 17, 2007.
- ^ "Southampton, UK show postponed". September 6, 2006. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved August 7, 2007.
- ^ "Southampton GIG rescheduled". September 7, 2006. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved August 7, 2007.
- ^ Wood, Sherry. "Billy Talent nervous about tour". Toronto Sun. February 1, 2007. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved July 9, 2007.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Billy Talent flyers". The Billy Club. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved October 18, 2007.
- ^ Said by Ben on the official message boards (July 1, 2008). Retrieved July 23, 2008.
- ^ "Billy Talent Embrace The Number of the Beast In New DVD/CD Set". ChartAttack.com. October 24, 2007. Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. Retrieved October 28, 2007.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Billy Talent". Accessallareas.net.au. Archived from the original on March 1, 2011. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
- Idiomag. March 4, 2009. Retrieved March 4, 2009.
- ^ "Interview With Billy Talent". Upvenue.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
- ^ "Billy Talent can't wait to come over to Europe and the UK". GiggingNI.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2010.
- ^ "News". BillyTalent.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
- ^ "Billy Talent News". billytalent.com. April 28, 2011. Archived from the original on July 9, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
- ^ "Billy Talent Release 'Viking Death March' Music Video". Mersion Media. July 14, 2012. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
- ^ "Dead Silence by Billy Talent on SoundCloud - Hear the world's sounds". Soundcloud.com. August 29, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
- ^ "Sum 41's Pain In The Back". The Huffington Post. April 12, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ "Monster Truck Replace Sum41 on Billy Talent Dead Silence Tour | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ "Billy Talent Release New Single "Kingdom of Zod." Listen Here! - Riffyou.com". Riffyou.com. September 25, 2014.
- ^ "Billy Talent to Deliver the 'Hits' on New Compilation". exclaim.ca. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
- ^ SiriusXM talks to Aaron and Ian of Billy Talent at the INDIES. YouTube. May 12, 2015. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021.
- ^ Ben talks to Fred at 102.1 The Edge about the new album. The Edge. November 26, 2015. Archived from the original on December 11, 2015.
- ^ "Billy Talent's Aaron Solowoniuk Announces Hiatus: "I Just Need To Focus On My Health"". ET Canada. January 15, 2016. Archived from the original on April 16, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
- ^ a b "A Message From Aaron". YouTube. January 15, 2016. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
- ^ Rabab Al-Sharif (May 12, 2016). "Stream Billy Talent's first single from upcoming album 'Afraid of Heights' (exclusive)". Alternative Press.
- ^ Clay, Chris (July 12, 2016). "Mississauga's Billy Talent to open for Guns N' Roses". The Hamilton Spectator. The Spec. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
- ^ Rayner, Ben (February 28, 2017). "Billy Talent's confidence, egoless bravado holds down the stage in Toronto". The Star. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
- ^ Bax, Mike (March 1, 2017). "Billy Talent (w/ Monster Truck, The Dirty Nil) @ The Air Canada Centre (Toronto, ON) on February 27, 2017". Pure Grain Audio. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
- ^ Chad Childers (November 27, 2019). "Billy Talent Take Musical Journey With New Song 'Forgiveness I & II'". Loudwire. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
- ^ "Listen To Billy Talent's New Single, Reckless Paradise". Kerrang!. January 29, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
- ^ Bobkin, Matt (April 3, 2020). "Billy Talent Share Hopeful New Song "I Beg to Differ (This Will Get Better)"". Exclaim!. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
- ^ "Billy Talent's Instagram Page: "It Is With A Heavy Heart..."". instagram.com. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
- ^ "Billy Talent's Instagram Page: "These Are Trying Times..."". instagram.com. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- ^ Morton, Luke (September 10, 2021). "Billy Talent announce new album, release new single featuring Rivers Cuomo". Kerrang!. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
- ^ Gregory, Allie (September 27, 2021). "Billy Talent Plot Canadian Tour with PUP, Rise Against". Exclaim. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
- ^ Loftus, Johnny. "Billy Talent". AllMusic. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
- ^ Jagger, Juliette (October 15, 2014). "Retrospective Reviews: Billy Talent - 'Self-Titled'". Vice. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
- ^ Reyes, Ted (July 30, 2015). "Blow Your Mind With The Canadian Punk Rock Of Billy Talent". VH1. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
- ^ Heisel, Scott (July 29, 2016). "Billy Talent gets political on the surprisingly mature Afraid Of Heights". AVMUSIC. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
- ^ Young, Alex (May 27, 2009). "Check Out: Billy Talent's "Rusted from the Rain" & "Turn Your Back"". Consequence of sound. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
- ^ Stevenson, Jane (April 6, 2013). "Billy Talent finds Toronto "Home sweet home"". Toronto Sun. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
- ^ MuchMusic.com. Archived from the originalon September 26, 2007. Retrieved July 12, 2007.
- ^ "Official Bio at Atlantic Records website". Atlantic Records. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved April 6, 2008.
- ^ "Roberts Leads MuchMusic Nominees". Billboard. May 25, 2004.
- ^ "K-os, Billy Talent win at MuchMusic Video Awards". CBC. June 26, 2005. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
- ^ "MMVA06". MuchMusic. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
- ^ Mudhar, Raju (June 18, 2007). "MMVAs take it to the street". Toronto Star. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
- ^ "MMVA08". MuchMusic. Archived from the original on May 4, 2009. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
- ^ "MMVAs Throwback Thursday: Billy Talent Invade Red Carpet In Tank". HuffPost. June 16, 2014. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
External links