The Commoners release "More Than Mistakes" single and music video ahead of April 2023 UK Tour
THE COMMONERS
NEW SINGLE - "MORE THAN MISTAKES"
RELEASED TUESDAY 7 MARCH 2023
TAKEN FROM THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ALBUM
"FIND A BETTER WAY"
STREAM ALBUM & SINGLE | BUY CD & VINYL
THE COMMONERS & TROY REDFERN
APRIL 2023 UK TOUR
TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM
www.planetrocktickets.co.uk
www.alttickets.com | www.gigantic.com
www.thecommoners.ca | www.troyredfern.com
“More Than Mistakes is a rock and roll stomp with powerful drums and organ.
his 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.”
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.
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.
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.”
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.”
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A DHP PRESENTATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH GYPSY SOUL ENTERTAINMENT
THE COMMONERS & TROY REDFERN
CO-HEADLINE APRIL 2023 UK TOUR
TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM
www.planetrocktickets.co.uk
www.alttickets.com | www.gigantic.com
www.thecommoners.ca | www.troyredfern.com
London, The Grace
Thursday 13 April 2023
Tickets: alttickets.com
Sittingborne, The Bourne Music Club
Friday 14 April 2023
Tickets: Ticketsource.co.uk
Southampton, The Joiners
Saturday 15 April 2023
Tickets: Gigantic.com
Brighton, Komedia
Monday 17 April 2023
Tickets: Gigantic.com
Sheffield, Greystones
Tuesday 18 April 2023
Tickets: Gigantic.com
Oxford, The Bullingdon
Thursday 20 April 2023
Tickets: Wegottickets.com
Bristol, The Louisiana
Friday 21 April 2023
Tickets: alttickets.com
Birmingham, The Asylum 2
Saturday 22 April 2023
Tickets: Gigantic.com
Newcastle, The Cluny
Sunday 23 April 2023
Tickets: Ticketweb.UK
Edinburgh, The Voodoo Rooms
Monday 24 April 2023
Tickets: Gigantic.com
Glasgow, King Tut’s
Tuesday 25 April 2023
Tickets: Ticketweb.com
Manchester, Night & Day
Wednesday 26 April 2023
Tickets: alttickets.com
York, The Crescent
Thursday 27 April 2023
Tickets: Seetickets.com
Chester, The Live Rooms
Friday 28 April 2023
Tickets: Seetickets.com
Nottingham, The Bodega
Saturday 29 April 2023
Tickets: alttickets.com
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The Commoners photo by JC Polien
