CBC Searchlight contender, Canada Winter Games mainstage performer, ArtsWells Festival performer... it has been a busy year for Will Kuklis.
And that's just the musical side of his life.
He also holds a job in the chemistry trade at Chemtrade Logistics. He and wife Megan have a pair of kids under the age of five. He moved Vinyl Deck Studios from under their vinyl deck in Victoria when they moved to Prince George.
And after all those daily duties, he tries to find the time, energy and creative paths to write new music.
"There is never, generally for me, any intent when I sit down to write," he said. "I never sit down and say 'I'm going to write a song about... blank.' I just noodle around with my guitar, gibberish the lyrics, and eventually something will click. It comes together; it doesn't start with a pre-set form.
"I like to feel the music and the melody, and as a listener, too, I couldn't care less what you're singing, it is the melodic hook and how the song feels musically that keeps my interest."
His voice is one of those rare instruments that could sing a grocery list or the ingredients in a soup can and make it sound delectable. Specific words are less important in the hands of a voice like that. He projects vocal sound like an athlete projects balls over home run fences, the lyrics are clear and well enunciated but he can whip your hair straight back.
Think of David Gray, Matt Anderson or John Popper of Blues Traveller.
How a major talent like Kuklis ended up centred in the Prince George music scene is a long story, since he wasn't born into the location. He started by leaving his hometown of Surrey to pursue his dreams of singing and acting, with some consideration for his wife's University of Victoria studies.
That meant stints in Victoria, Barkerville for about four years, and now here to her hometown to be close to family.
"I left my job testing bovine tissue samples to go to Barkerville where (Prince George actor) Charlie Ross and I were the judges. As in, we portrayed Judge Matthew Baillie Begbie. And I did a waterwheel show as well," Kuklis said.
"Charlie was writing a solo show, and he got it to the point he was ready to work it, so he hit the road to perform One Man Star Wars and he dragged me along to be his stage manager and I was his opening act. I remember when he did it first as a fringe show and now he's been on Conan O'Brien and Craig Ferguson and yeah, he did the show for George Lucas's people, and he did it at Northern FanCon.
"We worked together like that about three years, off and on. I was at Barkerville for four years and in the off-season I toured Alberta schools doing children's theatre (Junk The Musical)."
Megan was doing a co-op term for university for the Friends Of Barkerville Society, she and Kuklis met, "and the rest is history," he said.
They have been in Prince George about six years now.
Kuklis has found Prince George to be a tough town in which to base a livable career as a performer. There are plenty of musical friends to collaborate with, but few places any of them can play for meaningful income. But there are a few opportunities always on his calendar and for a busy father, lab employee and recording studio entrepreneur, that is okay with him.
He is so busy he hardly has time to form any new tunes.
Instead he is looking at interesting new ways to perform covers. He recorded a version of Shirley Bassey's famous Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and enjoyed it so much a whole album of re-visioned James Bond theme songs is under his consideration.
Before he shakes himself that kind of martini, he will be on stage at one of those strategically placed local concert appearances.
On July 9 he is the headliner at Nancy O's Pub downtown. Showtime is 8:30 p.m., admission is $5.
