Prince of passion

William Prince set to release debut album

Singer-songwriter William Prince releases his debut album Earthly Days on Dec. 7.

Photo by Simeon Rusnak

The passion William Prince attaches to his music and songwriting earmarks the rich tunes found on his latest album, Earthly Days. The album was produced by local roots musician Scott Nolan. 

Prince is the first to emphasize that he is more of a songwriter than a singer. He earned the Songwriter of the Year award at the 2014 Indigenous Music Awards. 

“It all starts with the song itself being these tailored words to express a story. I am all about the storytelling. Rather than the sound, it is more about the style that I take approach to when I try to tell a story,” Prince says. 

His music has a modern folk sound laced with the vulnerability of baritone vocals and a notable gospel vibe. Prince’s versatility and musicianship stems from the works of his late father, Ed Prince. 

Ed Prince was an acclaimed gospel artist whose words and oeuvre inspired his son to find his own voice. Prince says he spent his youth watching his father craft beautiful sounds and sing on several stages. He learned the essence of honing one’s craft before anything else. 

“I can’t overstate the importance of who my dad was,” Prince says. His dad taught him to play guitar, sing and fit into church. 

“I just love that model of working hard and perfecting your craft before showing it off,” Prince says. 

His songs are much more than the melodies and fancy instrumentation. They have a resounding message, one that he is passionate about: to keep people connected. 

Prince says he likes the idea of connecting people and wants them to feel safe while listening to his music. 

“I have always viewed songs as a point of healing,” Prince says. 

“I think we are becoming far removed from our souls in a weird way; it has become such a social media driven age,” Prince says. “I want people to take the moment to just tap into letting themselves feel vulnerable” 

The album’s first single, “Earthly Days,” tells the story of his love for his fiancé and how he relishes the privilege to spend the rest of his days on Earth with her, Prince says. 

Themes of love, oneness, peace and the beauty of simplicity resonate throughout the album, Prince adds. The notions stem from his life experiences and his appreciation for the strengths that lies in humanity. 

He is celebrating the release of Earthly Days at the West End Cultural Centre on Dec. 7. The event promises to be a delightful showcase of live music. 

Richard Inman, a fellow singer-songwriter, will open the show and Prince says he will debut songs

Published in Volume 70, Number 12 of The Uniter (November 26, 2015)

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