William Prince‘s rich baritone voice resonates with amazing warmth, light, and wisdom. Along with the poetic songs and stories that it delivers, his voice just seems to have a way of instantly finding a place in people’s hearts. It’s no wonder that William’s voice and songs have taken him all the way from the small Manitoba community where he grew up, to great acclaim all across Canada.
In a way, William Prince has spent his whole life exploring the ways that music can be a source of connection, communion, and healing. As a kid growing up in Southern Manitoba’s Peguis First Nation, he played guitar with his father, who was as singer and songwriter in a gospel/country vein. After that up-close apprenticeship, he embarked upon a career of his own. He hit home almost immediately with his powerful 2015 debut album Earthly Days, which won him a Juno Award right out of the gate, signalling the arrival of a major new figure on the singer-songwriter scene. In the years since, he’s garnered increasing international recognition for his work with his sophomore album Reliever, and an homage to his dad and his roots with Gospel First Nation.
Spring 2023 sees the release of Stand in the Joy, a triumphant collection of bittersweet yet hopeful songs. It’s an album that William says, “acknowledges pain but does not give it power. What I hope comes through are feelings of love, peace, and strength.”
On tour through Alberta, William Prince stopped by CKUA’s Edmonton studios for a visit, bringing his guitar, his brilliant songs and, of course, that incredible voice.
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