Juno Award wins are quite an accomplishment, but sometimes they come with the perception the recipient has reached his or her peak in terms of creative output quality.
In April 2017, William Prince left Ottawa with the Juno Award for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year. Presented in recognition of his 2015 debut album Earthly Days, that honour came shortly after Prince was named Aboriginal Artist of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards, and also Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.
In answer to the question “Does the Selkirk, Manitoba native have more to give after such a resounding debut?”, the folk-country singer and songwriter’s trajectory has since been pointed decidedly upwards.
On Wednesday (July 2), Prince will take to Peterborough Musicfest’s Del Crary Park stage still riding high from the success of his 2023 album Stand in the Joy — his third studio release since his remarkable debut breakthrough, and featuring the single “Tanqueray.”
Better still, he comes not alone, with longtime singer and songwriter Missy Knott from Curve Lake First Nation joining him as a special guest for the 8 p.m. show.
Raised on Peguis First Nation in Manitoba, Prince accompanied his preacher-musician father Edward when he played gigs across the province’s north. That experience no doubt shaped what was to come.
VIDEO: “Breathless” by William Prince
Gifted with a powerful baritone voice that commands instant respect and attention, Prince embarked on his own music career in 2012, the aforementioned Earthly Days released in late 2015. It took some time, but the single “Breathless” from that album reached number 22 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
In 2020, Prince released two albums: Reliever in February and, in October, Gospel First Nation. The former was nominated for a 2021 Juno Award and the latter featured a mix of original songs, traditional gospel tunes and, as an homage to his early influence, songs penned by his father.
Prince put any questions about his continued creativity well to rest in 2024 when Stand in the Joy won the Juno Award for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year. In addition, he was in the running for Songwriter of the Year on the basis of his songs “Broken Heart of Mine,” “Easier and Harder,” and “When You Miss Someone.”
Shortly after, at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, Prince took home three honours: Contemporary Album of the Year, Solo Artist of the Year and, for “When You Miss Someone,” Single of the Year. If that wasn’t enough, Stand in the Joy was nominated for Alternative Country Album of the Year at the 2024 Canadian Country Music Awards.
Interestingly enough, Prince arrives in Peterborough just a few days after Millbrook native Serena Ryder headlined the summer festival’s opener.
For the 2021 pandemic-restricted Juno Awards ceremony, the pair performed a memorable duet of Prince’s 2019 song “The Spark” at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Toronto. That success ringing in their ears, the pair collaborated anew the following year, recording and releasing the singles “Sing Me A Song” and “River of Tears.”
VIDEO: “The Spark” by William Prince with Serena Ryder
Also jumping out from Prince’s resumé are performances at the storied Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and the Rhode Island’s Newport Folk Festival, where he received the John Prine Songwriting Fellowship.
In an April 2023 interview with Helen Jerome of Holler country music magazine, Prince spoke to the title of his latest album.
“I started out playing music because it brought me joy, and it continues to do that,” he said. “I know there are a lot of people working hard who’d love to be in my position; putting out more records, finding an audience, and getting to play bigger and bigger shows.”
“Standing in the joy — that’s what this record is about,” Prince added. “Choosing to see the good, to be positive. When we are grateful, there’s not as much room to be anxious, sad, worried and doubtful.”
As for songwriting, Prince said he’s not “a sit-down, formal songwriter.”
“I try to pick up the guitar and do something musical every day. I love it when the story really hits me and almost writes itself out of thin air. You have to be open to receiving. I’m just a vehicle for messages that are given to me.”
“There are songs I’m working on that have been around for years, and ones that just write themselves. I’m thankful for those; it feels like weeks of work done in minutes. Then I have free time to go golfing! I think as I get more balance in life, it’s going to provide more of those songs. All I used to do was obsess about writing and feel bad if I wasn’t doing more. I’m learning to do less, so the quality can always be going up.”
VIDEO: “When You Miss Someone” by William Prince
Prince added that “it took a while” for him to trust his trademark baritone voice, which was so unlike the higher-pitch voices of singers usually heard on the radio.
“When you don’t hear voices that sounds like yours — especially when you don’t see a lot of Indigenous or First Nations performers — you can feel insecure. So, it was really leaning into all the stuff that I thought would make me an outcast that has brought me to this place of being memorable.”
“I spent the first decade wondering if I belonged and almost half apologizing for being here, when I now realize that I do. This record marks the step into a whole new decade of trusting my voice and my song style, and leaning into it rather than doubting it.”
Missy Knott, meanwhile, comes to Del Crary Park less than two years after her appointment to the Ontario Arts Council — the first Peterborough-area appointee in more than 50 years and the first ever from Curve Lake First Nation.
An award-winning singer-songwriter who received a career development grant from the Ontario Arts Council in the past, Knott — known professionally as Singing Wild Rice Girl — is an known for her rich vocal tone and blend of country, pop, and folk songs.
She was the 2009 recipient of the Peterborough Folk Festival’s Emerging Artist Award and, in 2017, she was nominated at the Indigenous Music Awards for her EP My Sister’s Heart. In 2021, her single “Our Song Acoustic” made it to number three of the Indigenous Music Countdown on Sirius XM.
In 2018, Knott founded the not-for-profit Wild Rice Records label. She also worked as an afternoon drive and weekend live radio personality at ELMNT FM in both Ottawa and Toronto.
VIDEO: “Corrigan Hill” by Missy Knott
Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 16 free-admission concerts during its 37th season, each staged on Wednesday and Saturday nights until Saturday, August 16th.
Overseen by executive director Tracey Randall and staff, a board of directors, and numerous volunteers, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission remains “to provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.”
For more information on this concert or the 2025 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a headline sponsor of Peterborough Musicfest’s 2025 season.
