Although Billy Talent drummer Aaron Solowoniuk was diagnosed with MS in the late 1980s, it hadn’t affected his professional life performing with one of the most popular Canadian bands today (responsible for hits like “Try Honesty” and “River Below”), but in recent months, he’s entered a more aggressive stage of MS, forcing the band to choose a new temporary stand-in drummer – Alexisonfire drummer Jordan Hastings.
Hastings and his band had previously been on tour with Billy Talent, making him more familiar with the band and, according to reports, he was also a good friend to the bandmates of Billy Talent. “We collectively had to make the decision to move forward,” lead singer Ben Kowalewicz said to The Canadian Press. “That was the hardest decision, because morally and ethically it didn’t feel right…”
He then said about the addition of Hastings to the band, “It was weird… But it was the best case of a really (crappy) scenario. We tried to make it as normal as possible.”
Together they released a new Billy Talent album, Afraid of Heights, which has been doing well on the charts. The band wrote on their website: “Well the day is finally here. Can’t believe it. We couldn’t be more happy to share this record with you. It was made with blood sweat and tears. It was made with purpose. It was made with love. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do. We’re very proud of it and can’t wait to take it around the world and play it live! Thank you so much for you dedication to this band. You really are the best fans in the world. Now sit back, turn it up and enjoy!”
