Roots Rockers "The Commoners" release "More Than Mistakes" single and music video ahead of April 2023 UK Tour
NEW SINGLE "MORE THAN MISTAKES"
RELEASED TUESDAY 7TH MARCH 2023
WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO
TAKEN FROM THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ALBUM
"FIND A BETTER WAY"
STREAM ALBUM & SINGLE | BUY CD & VINYL
“More Than Mistakes is a rock and roll stomp with powerful drums and organ. This number is a standout.
You can easily see the band performing this live.” – Rock and Blues Muse
“‘More Than Mistakes’ proves something old, new, borrowed and
sourced from the blues can be a success story in classic rock.” – The Midlands Rocks
“Think Rival Sons before they went mystical.
The Commoners are the hardest working overnight sensations around.” – Maximum Volume Music
Photo Credit: © JC Polien
Canadian classic roots and blues rock band “The Commoners” release “More Than Mistakes,” the fourth single from the critically acclaimed sophomore album “Find A Better Way.” The single, released by Gypsy Soul Records on Tuesday March 7th, dovetails their April 2023 co-headline UK tour with Troy Redfern.
Stream the single and album HERE. Order the CD and vinyl edition of the album HERE.
The official “More Than Mistakes” music video is available to stream HERE
On the punchy and rollicking “More Than Mistakes,” the rock train rolls on full steam ahead. Bright tambourine accents a rhythm section to rival Motown, illuminating a track that instantly pushes listeners to the edge of their seats, raising them to their feet. Alive and free, “More Than Mistakes” affirms the album’s theme of self-empowerment with gusto.
“More Than Mistakes is a song written in self-defiance,” says the Commoners’ lead singer, Chris Medhurst. “It’s about taking on one’s own weakness with a sense of forgiveness for past transgressions, while enthusiastically searching for the limit.”
Possessing a sound tapped from the oaken belly of a whiskey barrel, The Commoners are a four-piece Roots/Rock outfit 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, Canada, to the bright lights of the big city.
Photo Credit: © JC Polien
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 electrifying and authentic Southern-style rock experience.
The line-up was formed 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). With their latest recruit, 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 favourite 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.
Photo Credit: © JC Polien
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,” says the band’s guitarist, Ross Hayes Citrullo. “This helped the album grow into a collaborative art piece that continues to surprise us with every listen.”
Photo Credit: © JC Polien
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 neighbours. 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 be mixed in Australia. The band worked with legend Producer/Mixer Kevin Shirley (the Black Crowes, Joe Bonamassa, Led Zeppelin) at Caveman Studios in Sydney. 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 contribution 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.”
A DHP Presentation By Arrangement With Gypsy Soul Entertainment Proudly Presents:
CO-HEADLINE APRIL 2023 UK TOUR
PLANET ROCK 48-HOUR TICKET PRE-SALE
STARTS 9AM ON WEDNESDAY 11 JANUARY 2023
BOOK PRE-SALE TICKETS
TICKETS ON GENERAL SALE FRIDAY 13 JANUARY 2023
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WWW.THECOMMONERS.CA | WWW.TROYREDFERN.COM
London, The Grace
Thursday 13th April 2023
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20-22 Highbury Corner, London, N5 1RD
https://www.thegrace.london
Sittingborne, The Bourne Music Club
Friday 14th April 2023
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T he Appleyard, Avenue of Remembrance,
Sittingbourne, ME10 4DE
www.thebournemusicclub.site123.me
Southampton, The Joiners
Saturday 15th April 2023
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1 St Mary Street, Southampton, SO14 1NS
https://joiners.vticket.co.uk
Brighton, Komedia
Monday 17th April 2023
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44-47 Gardner Street, Brighton, BN1 1UN
https://www.komedia.co.uk/brighton
Sheffield, Greystones
Tuesday 18th April 2023
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Greystones Road, Sheffield, S11 7BS
https://www.mygreystones.co.uk
Oxford, Bullingdon
Thursday 20th April 2023
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162 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1UE
www.thebullingdon.co.uk
Bristol, The Louisiana
Friday 21st April 2023
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Wapping Road, Bathurst Terrace, Bristol, BS1 6UA
www.thelouisiana.net
Birmingham, The Asylum 2
Saturday 22nd April 2023
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38-43 Hampton Street, Birmingham, B19 3LS
www.theasylumvenue.co.uk
Newcastle, The Cluny
Sunday 23rd April 2023
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34 Lime Street, Ouseburn,
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE1 2PQ
www.thecluny.com
Edinburgh, The Voodoo Rooms
Monday 24th April 2023
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19-a West Register Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2AA
www.thevoodoorooms.com
Glasgow, King Tut’s
Tuesday 25th April 2023
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272-a St Vincent Street, Glasgow, G2 5RL
www.kingtuts.co.uk
Manchester, Night & Day
Wednesday 26th April 2023
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26 Oldham Street, Manchester, M1 1JN
https://nightnday.org
York, The Crescent
Thursday 27th April 2023
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8 The Crescent, York, YO24 1AW
www.thecrescentyork.com
Chester, The Live Rooms
Friday 28th April 2023
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1 Station Road, Chester, CH1 3DR
www.theliverooms.com
Nottingham, The Bodega
Saturday 29th April 2023
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23 Pelham Street, Nottingham, NG1 2ED
www.bodeganottingham.com
