| Not By Choice | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | Ajax, Ontario, Canada |
| Years Active: | –; – |
| Label: | Linus Warner MapleMusic Universal |
| Current Members: | Mike Bilcox Glenn "Chico" Dunning Liam Killeen AJ Bovaird |
Not by Choice is a Canadian punk rock band from Ajax. They have released two albums, Maybe One Day in 2002 (Linus Records/Warner Music Canada), and Secondhand Opinions (Maple Music Recordings/Universal Music Canada) in 2004.
In 2002, Not By Choice signed with Linus Entertainment.[1] That same year, the band released their debut album, Maybe One Day. The band earned a MuchMusic Video Award for "Best Independent Video" ("Now That You Are Leaving"), a CASBY award for "Best Independent Album",[2] and inclusion on two Big Shiny Tunes compilations (Now That You Are Leaving and Standing All Alone). In 2003, the band was nominated for "Best New Rock Group" at the 2003 Canadian Radio Music Awards.[3] In November 2003, the band signed with MapleMusic Recordings.[4] Maybe One Day was released in Japan in December 2003, selling over 25,000 records in the country.
The band's October 2004 release of their second album, Secondhand Opinions, presented a different direction from the pop-punk roots of Maybe One Day with a more mature-sounding musical approach. The album was not well received by commercial radio, and did not meet the expectations set by the success of their first album. Despite a heavy push from Much Music with their video for the first single Days Go By, the band did not tour outside of Southern Ontario for more than a handful of sporadic dates. They were given the opening band slot for Avril Lavigne's 2005 summer tour in Southern Ontario, but the effort came almost 8 months after the release of Secondhand Opinions.
The band did prove to have a faithful following in Japan, and Secondhand Opinions did manage to receive a great deal of attention. The band was able to tour Japan in March 2005, performing a week of headlining shows followed by a week as the opening band for Simple Plan.
After the departure of bassist AJ Bovaird during the summer of 2005, Not by Choice took a break from touring and began writing songs for a new album. However, the band later stopped progress on their third studio album and took an indefinite hiatus.
On April 10, 2017, Not By Choice announced that the classic lineup would be reuniting to play live as the main support for Simple Plan's No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls 15th anniversary tour stop in Toronto. This show occurred on September 16, 2017.[5]
In 2018, Not By Choice performed at the Sound of Music Festival in Burlington, Ontario.
| Year | Single | Chart peaks | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MM Countdown [6] | ||||
| 2002 | "Standing All Alone" | 11 | Maybe One Day | |
| 2003 | "Now That You Are Leaving" | 4 | ||
| 2004 | "Days Go By" | 16 | Secondhand Opinions |