Information AboutBilly Talent |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT BILLY TALENT | |
| canadian punk rock groups | |
| juno award winners | |
| later punk groups | |
| 2000s music groups | |
| pop punk groups | |
| taper-friendly musical groups | |
| quartets | |
Billy Talent is a Juno Award -winning Canadian rock band formed in 1993 in Mississauga, Ontario . The band consists of Benjamin Kowalewicz ( Vocals ), Ian D'Sa ( Guitar / Vocals ), Jonathan Gallant ( Bass / Vocals ), and Aaron Solowoniuk ( Drums / Percussion ). Although they are often described as having . Retrieved on July 12 , 2007 . The band existed for almost a decade before hitting mainstream success. The members met and played in high school under the name Pezz, and remained underground in Music, June 15 , 2007 . Retrieved on July 9 , 2007 . HISTORY Origins as Pezz: 1993–1998 The band originated in , 2005 on CFNY . The two bands started playing local pool halls and bars together. Eventually Kowalewicz asked D'Sa about starting a new band with him, Gallant, and Solowoniuk. He wanted to make a band that focused more on creativity, and D'Sa agreed. This merger would bring on the name "The Other One" for a short time, and eventually Pezz. Pezz began writing, performing songs, and gaining attention and credibility at first locally, and soon in , 2007 . Eventually the boys left High School and had to move onto other head spaces. D'Sa studied classical animation at Sheridan College , and even worked on Angela Anaconda as an animator. Gallant almost finished a business degree. Kowalawicz was inbetween jobs, one which included working at 102.1 The Edge . Solowoniuk worked at Chrysler Canada . But during all this, the each member found the time and finances to max-out their Credit Cards , and record their first full-length album in 1998. They laid down twelve tracks at a studio called "Great Big Music", collaborating with Juno -nominated Music Producer Brad Nelson . Kowalawicz started singing in melody with D'Sa. The music began to transform from a "raw rap-rock" songs into "catchy and angst-ridden pop punk anthems". With that, '' Watoosh! '' was born and independently released. While popular within Toronto's indie scene, it did not reach large mainstream sales levels. Billy Talent and mainstream success: 1999–2004 In 1999, Pezz ran into some legal trouble over their name. A punk band from Memphis, Tennessee used the same name, and had released their first record under that name in 1990 (however, their first full-length was not released until 1995). At first, the Canadian Pezz's management threatened a , June 23 , 2006 . Retrieved on July 8 , 2007 . Now known as Billy Talent, their sound began to move in a more aggressive, punk rock direction. During this time, Kowalewicz ran into a co-worker, Jen Hirst, at 102.1 The Edge , the Toronto radio station he worked at. She had previously seen the band perform as Pezz, and he asked her to check out the band's performance at a club. This would prove to pay off, as Hirst was later hired by Warner Music Canada to work in A&R . This connection would get the band their producer Gavin Brown , and a demo deal with the label. Before the demos were recorded, a local manager called Atlantic Records A&R executives, who were already in Toronto, to see the band perform in its tiny rehearsal space. The demos were recorded and released as a four song EP, '' Try Honesty '', in September 2001. In 2002, the band met with record executives, and ended up signing a co-venture agreement with Atlantic Records and Warner Music Canada . In the fall of 2003, the band released their full-length self-titled album, '' Billy Talent ''. The album found considerable mainstream airplay and sales success. "Try Honesty" was a successful first single, and was followed by other singles "The Ex", "River Below", and "Nothing To Lose" into late 2003 and 2004. The band played sold-out shows in Canada and the United States and had success in Europe as well. The band received Juno and MuchMusic Video Award nominations and awards, and spent late 2004 and most of 2005 touring. ''Billy Talent'' went on to be certified 3x Platinum in Canada. The album achieved minimal success in the United States, despite the band's participation in the Warped Tour 2006 festival. A track from the album was titled "This Is How It Goes", and it was about one of Kowalewicz's friends who had , 2006 ). Retrieved on September 2 , 2007 . ''Billy Talent II'': 2005–present Billy Talent's second album was mostly recorded at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver , British Columbia , again working closely with good friends Gavin Brown and Chris Lord-Alge . This time however Ian D'Sa got a chance to try his hand at producing. The band also recorded cover songs of John Lennon 's "Cold Turkey" and the Buzzcocks "Ever Fallen in Love?" during these sessions. Beginning in the fall of 2005, songs from the new album were purposely leaked by the band to gain publicity. A demo of "Red Flag" circulated across the internet, even though it had already appeared on the Soundtrack s to '' Burnout Revenge '', '' Burnout Legends '', '' SSX On Tour '' and EA Sports ' '' NHL 06 '', and on the Atlantic Records compilation '' Black By Popular Demand ''. "Devil In A Midnight Mass" and "Surrender" were available for download on the official website exclusively on Christmas Day, 2005 and Valentine's Day, 2006, respectively. '', January 31 , 2007 . Retrieved on July 8 , 2007 . It also enjoyed significant success in Germany, where it also debuted at number 1 in the album charts in its debut week, and was one of the top 10 selling albums in the country, achieving platinum status with 200,000 shipped units. Database for German Record Awards However the success did not duplicate itself in the U.S., where the disk came in at #134, selling only 7,231 units in week 1. However, the album has sold almost 700,000 units worldwide, 215,000 of them in Canada, which has made it certified 2x Platinum. on August 8 , 2006 . This is the band's second international tour, but this time they will play in countries like Finland , Norway , Luxembourg , and Belgium for the first time.]] The album has less anger and language than their previous Self-titled Album , as they had mellowed out and matured as men and as a band. More of the songs dealt with real-life issues, to the praise of fans and critics.
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