2002–2003: Debut album and acclaim In 2002, Not By Choice signed with
Linus Entertainment. 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", 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. In November 2003, the band signed with
MapleMusic Recordings.
Maybe One Day was released in
Japan in December 2003, selling over 25,000 records in the country.
2004–2005: Second album, Bovaird departure 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.
2017–2018: Reunion 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. In 2018, Not By Choice performed at the Sound of Music Festival in
Burlington, Ontario. The band then became inactive again.
Death of Mike Bilcox On June 21, 2025, Not by Choice's lead singer Mike Bilcox died at the age of 48. ==Discography==