Canadian classic roots and blues rock band The Commoners release “Too Much”, the second single from the forthcoming album Find A Better Way on Friday August 26th.  The single is available to buy and stream from https://lnk.fu.ga/thecommoners_toomuch. The “Too Much” music video can be streamed on You Tube .

The album is released on CD, limited edition vinyl and digital by Gypsy Soul Records on Friday 4th November and is available to pre-order from thecommoners.ca. and pre-save from https://lnk.to/TheCommonersFABW.

The band describe the Too Much single as follows – “Erupting with the growling vigour of an old Beaumont, Too Much drives The Commoners to the brink of surrendering their dreams for the comforts of home. A high horsepower performance peels out with rowdy riffs and lively organ in tow, delivering a relatable sentiment that never proves to be too much.”

Possessing a sound tapped from the oaken belly of a whiskey barrel, The Commoners are a four-piece Roots/Blues Rock band from Toronto, Canada.

Described as “a classic rock and roll affair,” the nine songs take the listener on a sonic voyage through the lives of the band, from the dusty back roads of rural Ontario to the bright lights of the big city. Offering their own blend of rock and roll, southern blues, and roots music, the Toronto-based four-piece band are known for their high-energy riffs, soulful vocals, and rich harmonies. The result is an authentic Southern-style rock experience. 

The group was cobbled together over the course of a decade, adapting through numerous obstacles to form the unit as it exists today: Chris Medhurst (vocals/guitar), Ben Spiller (bass), Ross Hayes Citrullo (lead guitar), and Adam Cannon (drums). Often joined by their friend, organist Miles Evans-Branagh, The Commoners unite under a shared dream: to write, perform, and share music that is an authentic nod to the greats who paved the way before them.

“The new album authentically embodies the rock and roll, soul, and blues rock experience,” says the band’s lead singer, Chris Medhurst. “That’s something we really wanted to bring back. That’s the roots. That’s what we listen to.”

“The Black Crowes are a considerable influence for us,” says Medhurst. “Derek Trucks, Marcus King, Led Zeppelin, and The Allman Brothers Band, too. These are the bands that we wear on our sleeves as we aspire to create our own music and sound.”

Find A Better Way is an album that demands attention from the first note. The opening lines “If I scream at the top of my lungs, and stamp my feet, ’til the floor comes undone,” immediately inform that a wild ride lies ahead. The album was recorded and produced at RHC Music in Toronto by the band’s guitarist Ross Hayes Citrullo. Ross collaborated with executive producer Renan Yildizdogan to strike the perfect balance of new and old recording treatments. The goal was to create something that felt new and original, yet still familiar to their target classic roots rock and blues rock audience.

“The vision from the beginning was to marry old and new southern rock together in a way that was unique to the band’s Canadian roots,” explains Citrullo. “By adding the soul and rock elements of the Black Crowes, and the southern blues rock undertones of the Allman Brothers to a production style akin to Blackberry Smoke and Rival Sons, I think we developed an authentic sound that compares sonically to some of our favorite records across all of those music genres.” 

The album’s lyrical themes drill into the essence of humanity: love, regret, ambition, and fear. Circling the forever challenge of doubt vs. desire, The Commoners place themselves into the shoes of the everyman. The result? Nine tracks that function as a comfort and companion through all of life’s trials and tribulations, with melodic solos, soaring organ, and a punchy rhythm section to drive the messages home.

Drummer Adam Cannon says – “Music, like so much in life, is about the exchange of energy.” and The Commoners make more than a fair trade. Striving to present an impactful, memorable, and downright exhilarating live experience that accurately represents their recorded works, the band carries the listener over spirited choruses and group chants, before returning them back to earth in need of a shot of something smooth. You can expect to leave fully satisfied, sweat drenched, and heart racing, a good time guaranteed—just what we all need.

The Commoners enlisted a handful of Toronto’s finest musicians to help bring their record to life. On the title track Find A Better Way, the band brought on keyboardist Jeff Heisholt (The Trews) to lay down an iconic organ track. For the rest of the album, keyboardist Miles Evans-Branagh performed organ, piano, and Rhodes.

To accompany Ben and Adam on backup vocals, The Commoners called upon three of Canada’s top backup singers. Tash Lorayne and Shezelle Weekes (The Arkells), and Chantal Williams joined in to arrange vocal parts and enliven the mix with their vivacious voices resulting in a spine-tingling performance. 

The Commoners also invited local legend Michael Eckert to lend his pedal steel talents on I Won’t and Alive. Adding the final cherry on top, renowned multi-instrumentalist Ben Healey treated Deadlines to a guitar solo worthy of the world’s greatest stadiums. Though these songs were all written by The Commoners, the contributions of these amazing guest musicians make the album something special.

“Every time we brought an outside player into the studio, they would offer their own unique instincts and interpretations of each song. This helped the album grow into a collaborative art piece that continues to surprise us with every listen.”

A rock anthem to its core, the title track, “Find A Better Way” carries a message that encapsulates the entirety of the record. With growing uncertainties, society faces challenges previously unseen, leaving the collective in a perpetual state of questioning, with doubt directed towards governments, public leaders, and our neighbors. From the aftermath of COVID-19, the increasing mental health crisis in North America, war crimes in Ukraine, and the explosion of social movements and protests, one thought unites us all—we need to find a better way to co-exist on this planet. Find A Better Way takes an inward look at confronting our tumultuous past and accepting personal accountabilities to uncover the strength needed to seek a solution.

“Find a Better Way” is the only track on the record to mixed outside of Canada. The band worked with legend Producer/Mixer Kevin Shirley (the Black Crowes, Joe Bonamassa, Led Zeppelin) at Caveman Studios in Sydney, Australia. Kevin’s mix helped set the perfect tone for the album, which Ross Hayes Citrullo was then able to follow for the rest of the record. Kevin’s involvement set The Commoners on the right path with this epic title track.

Mastering was also an important consideration for the band and their label. For this stage, the team sent their record all the way to Nashville, Tennessee to Pete Lyman (Tedeschi Trucks, Blackberry Smoke, Chris Stapleton, Rival Sons) at Infrasonic Sound. Pete’s specialty for mastering southern rock made the mixes come alive, making them sonically competitive to the band’s influences.

As a collective, we find ourselves emerging into a changed society, with uncertainty looming and shadowing the future. In their upcoming release The Commoners remind us that music has a unique ability to heal, a medicine of extraordinary merit, and balm for the soul during dark times. Every major movement in history gave rise to change makers, and The Commoners are taking their stand, here to lead and inspire us all to Find a Better Way.

TRACK LIST:

FIND A BETTER WAY
FILL MY CUP
MORE THAN MISTAKES
TOO MUCH
NATURLLY
I  WON’T
DEADLINES
HANGIN’ ON AGAIN
ALIVE

Chris Medhurst – Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Ross Hayes Citrullo – Lead Guitar
Ben Spiller – Bass, Vocals, Piano (5, 9)
Adam Cannon – Drums, Percussion, Vocals

Miles Evans-Branagh – Organ, Rhodes, Piano | Jeff Heisholt – Organ (1)
Michael Ekhart – Pedal Steel (6, 9) | Ben Healey – Lead Guitar (7)
Chantal Williams, Shezelle Weekes, Tash Lorayne – Backing Vocals

All songs written by The Commoners
Produced by Ross Hayes Citrullo and The Commoners
Executive Producer – Renan Yildizdogan
Recorded at RHC Music, Toronto ON

Album Photography by Lindsay White
Album Design by Emily Goguen

THE COMMONERS 2022 Tour Dates:

12/08/22 Toronto-Canada @ The Horseshoe Tavern
23/09/22 London-Canada @ Eastsides
12/10/22 Norderstedt-Germany @ Music Star
13/10/22 Hoganas-Sweden @ Garage Bar TBC
14/10/22 Varberg-Sweden @ Maja’s
15/10/22 Avesta-Sweden @ Kulturgaraget
16/10/22 Stockholm TBC
18/10/22 Malmo-Sweden @ Folk & Rock
19&20/10/22 Hamburg-Germany @ Cowboy und Indianer TBC
21/10/22 Asendorf-Germany @ Break Out
22/10/22 Singwitz-Germany @ Kesselhaus
23/10/22 Burglengenfeld-Germany @ RockStürbl
24/10/22 Bratislava-Slovakia @ Muzeum Ochbodu
26/10/22 Bremen-Germany @ Meisenfrei
27/10/22 Köln-Germany TBC
28/10/22 Rimsting-Germany TBC
29/10/22 Fiesch-Switzerland @ Inch Bar
30/10/22 Switzerland TBC
31/10/22 Solothurn-Switzerland TBC
03/11/22 Barcelona-Spain @ Sala Textil
04/11/22 Castellon-Spain @ Sala Because
05/11/22 Orihuela-Spain @ La Gramola
06/11/22 Valladollid-Spain @ Puerta Caeli
07/11/22 Leon-Spain @ Babylon
08/11/22 Ourense-Spain @ Cafe Auriense
10/11/22 A Coruna-Spain @ Sala Mardi Gras
11/11/22 Cangas-Spain @ Salason
12/11/22 Valles-Spain @ Bocanegra
13/11/22 Vitoria-Spain @ Urban Rock
15/11/22 Chambery-France @ Brin de Zinc
16/11/22 Besançon-France @ Bar De L’U
17/11/22 Metz-France TBC
18/11/22 Krefeld-Germany @ Kulturrampe
19/11/22 Ostend-Belgium TBC

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