Billy Talent

As an integral part of Canada's independent rock scene since the early 1990s, Billy Talent consistently mixed heart-on-sleeve, punchy punk riffs with bouncy, singalong choruses and a relentless honesty and driving energy. Growing up in the suburbs of Mississauga, Ontario, school friends Benjamin Kowalewicz (vocals), Ian D'Sa(guitar / keyboards), Jonathan Gallant (bass), and Aaron Solowoniuk (drums) started out in 1993 under the name Pezz and grew from covering Rage Against the Machine, The Clash and Jane's Addiction songs, to self-releasing their debut album Watoosh in 1999. Forced to change their name, they picked the moniker Billy Talent from a character in the cult novel and mockumentary Hard Core Logo and began crafting a united sound and vision when D'Sa started writing the song lyrics and took on the role of producer. It turned them into a tight unit, and they rose from playing Toronto's dive bars to recording album Billy Talent in 2003 and winning the first of several Juno Awards for Best New Group of the Year. Their European fan base helped send follow-up album Billy Talent II to number 1 on the German Charts in 2006 and the singles “Devil in Midnight Mass” and “Rusted from the Rain” made the Canadian Top 10. Through years of hard touring for little money, they gradually became well-respected, DIY rock favorites with a loyal cult following. Later albums Billy Talent III (2009) and Dead Silence (2012) pushed them to even bigger audiences, both topping the Canadian charts. The band released their Hits album in 2014 and went on to open for Red Hot Chili Peppers and Guns N' Roses. Billy Talent released their acclaimed fifth album Afraid of Heights (2016) and encountered their first line-up change when drummer Solowoniuk went on hiatus and was replaced by Jordan Hastings. Their 2022 album Crisis of Faith reached number 8 in Canada but hit the top of the albums chart in Germany and Switzerland. In June 2023, the quartet released their third concert album, Live at Festhalle Frankfurt.