William Prince

Straddling intimate folk and gospel-tinged country, William Prince crafts voice-forward, personal storytelling within a stripped-down acoustic palette. Born in 1986 in Manitoba and a member of the Peguis First Nation, the Winnipeg-based artist situates his work within the North American songwriter tradition shaped by roots music and Americana. He broke through with Earthly Days (2015), which established him on the Canadian folk scene and led to festival slots and national touring. He followed with Reliever (2020), delving deeper into themes of family, grief, faith, and belonging, and later that same year with Gospel First Nation, a project more directly informed by hymnody and the musical culture of Indigenous communities. In 2023, Stand in the Joy affirmed Prince’s move toward a broader sound where folk ballads, country influences, and soul inflections intersect. Frequently invited as an opening act for North American folk and rock artists, Prince appears live primarily solo or with a small ensemble, foregrounding his deep timbre, plainspoken narrative writing, and attentive rapport with audiences, while maintaining a steady connection to his Manitoban roots and Indigenous grounding.