An honourable mention

Local rock outfit, A New Honour, on the fast-track to fame

William O’Donnell, staff

For A New Honour, what started as simple online promotion turned into charting on two “Top 10 unsigned rock bands lists,” including the number one position, from 2006 to 2008 (on MySpace.com and Purevolume.com). What started as a contest to appear on the radio turned into several singles being released on three local radio stations daily rotations compilation (Power 97, Freq 107 and CHVN) as well as two compilation CDs. What started as a jumble of U of M students playing a free show outside our very own Manitoban office has turned into a rock band that not only placed as a runner-up in the first ever Hard Rock Café/ EMI Great Canadian Band Challenge contest (with over 500 entrants) but garnered nationwide attention, sparking them to record their debut album.

With their debut album The Untitled Truce launching, their March 14 CD release party (then onto CD Plus and other such record stores), the whole group is indescribably excited. I had a chance to speak to William Prince, the band’s lead vocalist and guitar player, as well as the primary song composer for the group.

I asked him about the band’s plans for after the album debuts. “We’re hoping to shoot a video. That way we can tackle more of the market of the YouTube generation . . . then maybe a spot somewhere on Muchmusic. Just one spot on Much could reach 10,000 people which helps when you can’t tour all the time . . . but it will help us get a chance to tour when people can recognise us from the video.”

Three out of the four members of this group are students at the U of M, and all have busy lives outside of the band. Prince is in the midst of medical school while plans for a tour are in the works.

“It’s a back-and-forth battle sometimes. I always put school first . . . but there’s an itch I’ve got to scratch, about what might happen if I put full attention into the band.” Prince went on to talk about how a cross-Canada tour is being proposed for sometime in July, with hopes of hitting most all the major cities a few times. “You’ve always got to return to a town you’ve played . . . for once the word of mouth spreads . . . we made some good friends in Toronto during the (Great Canadian Band) competition, so we know that we can play many clubs there.”

Despite the excitement over the achievements they’ve met after only existing as a band for a year-and-a-half, Prince does not mind the idea of success coming after some time. “I’m all about paying my dues. I’d rather make a gradual climb and have a career with some longevity.” I asked the inevitable question about tapping into the American market and Prince seemed realistic about it; “America is kind of a Goliath. Even major signed bands from Canada have a hard time making it there. We’d rather sew some roots in Canada before thinking about the U.S.”

A New Honour has been labelled as a “Christian rock band” on many occasions, and I asked about what this means to the group. “That more represents who we are as people than our music . . . it’s not preachy . . . it’s like bands Switchfoot or Underoath. These guys are Christians, but play regular rock music.” Prince also revealed that a well-known Christian music label offered to sign them, but expressed that this band does not want to get pigeonholed with that sort of reputation of being exclusively Christian. A New Honour has hopes of touching the mainstream, and if people wish to investigate their lives further, they are free to do so. As Prince said, “They can always check out our thank you notes in the album.”

When asked further about Prince’s musical inspirations and aims, “I try to take in everything I can from every angle . . . I might write a country song then try to make it more ‘rock anthemy’ . . . so many bands put out stuff about gloom and suffering . . . I write about a hope of climbing back up . . . about a good side to life. The antithesis to emo,” He replied.

Prince and the rest of the band are coming from humble beginnings, but, with such leaps and bounds being made already, who knows what is on the horizon? Prince tells me he is not striving for fame, “I’m kind of shy to even have my picture taken.” But he is setting out to have his dream of having an audience sing his music back to him come true. Simple dreams and humble beginnings may just spawn big things.

The Untitled Truce premieres at the West End Cultural Centre on March 14, where A New Honour will play along with the Kamin Project.