-Biography-

The history of “Billy Talent” can be pursued till the High School days of the four members. At that time they are still in other bands, but the four members met at a tape competition. The chemistry between them is so well, that they still decide in the same evening to go from now on together their way. Everybody gets out of his real band and tries to search an explosion in the rock with the new like-minded people.

Under the name Pezz singer Benjamin Kowalewicz, guitarist and songwriter Ian D'Sa, bassist Jon Gallant and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk play in her home town Streetsville, Ontario some gigs.

In 1998 the four Canadians take up an album called "Watoosh". Although 2000 copies are fast sold out, in the meantime, it is not exactly a musical wonderwork of which they are reminded with pleasure.

Because another punk group from the USA had also chosen the name "Pezz" and they wanted to avoid discrepancies, the band renamed itself as "Billy Talent". The name comes from the figure "Billy Talent" from the film "Hard Core logo".

However, not only the name had changed, from now on, also musically, quite an own style was developed - the music is arranged mostly somewhere between screamo, punk and alternative, “Billy Talent” call themselves, nevertheless, purely and simply rock band.

"For years we’ve tried in vain to find our own sound. Everything fitted together only to a whole when we’ve accepted ourselves, finally, simply in such a way as we are anyway. If you find your voice, everything follows completely by itself", explained Benjamin.

"When we have started, it was a matter rather of placing on our uniqueness, as that we copied other bands", says Ian. And exactly this make “Billy Talent” after their change. Nothing new, but the old songs thus well reworks that it wakes up enough interest in the biggest radio-rock show of Toronto. Their producer comes out as a big fan and gets a deal for the boys when she changes to “Warner Records”.

In 2001 “Billy Talent” publish their first EP "Try Honesty" and travel extensively through North America, among other things as a Support for Sparta and golden finger.

With her catchy punk rock melodies they get prices immediately by the dozen and fill concert halls in the whole world. After the big success of the debut "Billy Talent" they concern the thing a little more quietly: "We have taken for the moment a time out, and have remained with our friends, families and many people whom you needs thus around yourself," says singer Ben.

After the break, in spring 2005 they recorded the song "Red flag" and with that song they decided to record a second album.

With the long-desired second album with the simple title II (Roman numeral for 2) which has appeared on the 23rd of June, 2006 created Billy Talent also in Germany the breakthrough: the album landed directly on place 1 of the German album charts!

In autumn, 2008 "Billy Talent" report back with a download single and announce the works on the new album.

The long-desired third album of four Canadians appears on the 5th of July, 2009 and even in three different versions: the normal album version, a version with three bonus tracks as well as a deluxe edition with all guitar chords as a poster, a Play along-CD and a sweat tape. An extensive tour followed through Germany and Europe.

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