“He projected as a sweet, humble man, and had the entire audience rapt from the first seconds of the set opener. And, my goodness, that voice…” Those were the words of David Morrison, recalling his first introduction to William Prince in 2017, when Prince supported Tanya Tagaq at Port Theatre in Nanaimo, BC.
In his review of Reliever (2020), David described Prince’s music as “straddling folk and country music in, as he (Prince) states, ‘a gospel framework’…he is a compelling storytelling songwriter that has justifiably been compared to John Prine, Townes Van Zandt and Kris Kristofferson, relating his tales in an expressive, lived-in baritone…”
William Prince released his debut album Earthly Days in 2015, which scooped the Contemporary Roots Album of the Year Juno Award in 2017. David notes that while based in Winnipeg, as a born-and-raised member of Manitoba’s largest First Nation, the Peguis – 190 km north of Winnipeg – Prince was also nominated in the Indigenous Music Album of the Year category.
His Reliever album was swiftly followed by Gospel First Nation, also reviewed by David Morrison, whose final comments were most telling:
“…speaking simply as a human being, Gospel First Nation is probably the most relatable record I’ve heard all year.”
Earlier this year, Prince released his new album, Stand in the Joy. It was produced by GRAMMY-winner Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile) at his studio in Savannah, Georgia.
Stand in the Joy is described as a graceful work shaped by Prince and Cobb, lead guitarist and frequent Prince player Mike T. Kerr, and a roomful of talented musicians, including Chris Powell (drums), Brian Allen (bass), Paul Franklin (pedal steel), Lee Pardini (keyboard), and the exquisite backing vocals of fiancée and album inspiration Alyshia Grace. Stand in the Joy was mixed and recorded by Brandon Bell and mastered by Peter Lyman.
Prince William said: “This record acknowledges pain but does not give it power. What I hope comes through are feelings of love, peace, and strength. The strength to stand in the goodness of what you have, rather than sit in what you have lost.”
In February, he made his Grand Ole Opry debut in Nashville, and he has been nominated for Emerging Act of the Year by the Americana Honours & Awards 2023. Riding on the back of a rapidly growing fanbase, he performed his Cambridge Folk Festival debut recently and returns to the UK and Ireland later this year as part of his 14-date European tour:
William Prince European Tour Dates
November 02 — Utrecht, Netherlands – Club Nine
November 03 — Amen, Netherlands – De Amer
November 04 — Groningen, Netherlands – Take Root
November 06 — Berlin, Germany – Fluxbau
November 07 — Stuttgart, Germany – Im Wizemann Studio
November 08 — Frankfurt, Germany – Nachtleben
November 09 — Munich, Germany – Strom
November 11 — Hamburg, Germany – Kent Club
November 12 — Leverkusener, Germany – Leverkusener Jazztage
November 14 — London — Bush Hall
November 15 — Manchester — Deaf Institute
November 16 — Bath — Moles
November 18 — Dublin — Workman’s Club
November 19 — Glasgow — King Tut’s
Tickets: https://www.williamprincemusic.com/