The Commoners Talk New Album, July 2024 UK Tour And More
Words by Glenn Sargeant
Photo Credit: Paul Wright
Canadian rock band The Commoners will release their new album ‘Restless’ on Friday 5th July 2024 which they will support with a July 2024 UK Tour. They kindly chatted to JLTT:
Who is in The Commoners and what do they play?
In The Commoners you got Chris Medhurst (Lead Vocals), Adam Cannon (Drums, BG Vocals), Ross Hayes Citrullo (Lead Guitar), Benjamin Spiller (Bass, BG Vocals), and Miles Evans Branagh (Keys, BG Vocals)
Last year was a very busy year for you touring with Troy Redfern and Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton. Did you have any particular highlights of 2023?
Oh man.. all of it. In Spring 2023 we went to the UK for the first time for a co-headline tour with Troy Redfern. It was an incredible time… Troy and his band Keira and Finn were top notch company, and we were blown away at the reception considering it was our first time over there. Played a lot of cool clubs around England and Scotland.. met a lot of cool people. Really it was just a consistently good time. Then in the Fall we had the pleasure of opening the Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton tour, and that was pretty incredible. It felt like a masterclass on performing, crowd-work, musicianship, they are the real deal. We played some legendary theatres, like The Manchester Ritz, and the Glasgow Barrowlands, and the Birmingham O2 Institute. Hard to pick a highlight when every day feels like the coolest day of your life.
Your new album ‘Restless’ is released in July 5, 2024. How did you want to approach the making of this record?
Restless is the product of two years of touring together.. where we had some life-changing experiences. Major highs and lows culminating into a record that we all hold dear to our hearts. Technically-speaking we always try to approach our record with as much authenticity as possible, recording parts together, using classic studio gear that made all our favourite records great, and trying to capture a genuine sound that translates to our live show. It needs to sound like us, and I think we’ve found the perfect balance on this album.
Where did you record the album and who produced it?
We recorded this album at RHC Music in Toronto, Canada. The record is produced by our guitarist Ross Hayes Citrullo, and The Commoners, alongside executive producer Renan Yildizdogan. Ross is a technical wizard and has a great understanding of the roots-rock genre, and his studio is amazing. He also mixes all of our material. Renan is a creative confidant, an outside perspective who also has a great understanding of the genre. And of course the rest of the band contributes greatly in production decisions, it’s a collaborative effort.
Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals etc?
On tour we’ve all been running the Neural DSP Quad Cortex pedals. It’s kind of the best-kept secret in the band. We use them to capture the exact tones we use on the records, amplify with Seymour Duncan power amps and push air through our favourite Hi-watt or Marshall cabs. Compact, portable, and a great sound. Ross and Chris play a myriad of Gibsons.. your Pauls, SGs, ES’s, it’s a good show for guitar lovers.
Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?
We are all from different parts of Ontario, Canada. Chris and Ross are from Toronto, Adam is from Hamilton, Miles from Waterdown and Ben is from St. Thomas.
Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the album recording sessions?
It’s always a good time recording together… seeing the songs take life, doing what we can to keep the mood light. Our vocal booth door can only be opened from the outside. So after a long vocal session with Chris, we always thought it was pretty funny to leave him in there for a while. Gives us a break from that singer energy – you know?
You have also released the single ‘The Way I Am’. What was the story/inspiration behind the song?
The Way I Am is one of those tunes that came together jamming in the garage. Ross shot us the riff, and we were off to the races. It was less than an hour before we had the whole tune mapped out. I think that off-the-cuffness really translates to the recording. It’s a snappy, feel-good rock and roll number, not trying to take itself too seriously. But I guess in contrast to that – Chris’ lyrics are pretty personal. We’ll let listeners crack the code on what he’s trying to say.
Do you have any plans for live shows in Europe/UK in 2024?
Absolutely.. so far we’re booked to play the Maid Of Stone festival, and the Steelhouse Blues fest in July. We’ve also announced we’ll be headlining the Moulin Blues fest in the Netherlands in May. We are also touring the UK from July 19th to July 28th.
How do you look after your voices?
Drink less (or more…depending on who you ask), and get good sleep while we can. We go into a bit of a survival mode on the road, and all have our different ways of coping with it.
Which tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?
a) Shake You Off, Who Are You (Ain’t Knocked Down)
b) The Way I Am, Devil Teasin’ Me, Gone Without Warning
c) Restless, See You Again, Too Soon to Know You, Body And Soul
Was it a difficult album to write?
Yes and no. We were under a time crunch with this one – so in a sense that was a challenge. But we had a lot to say, lived a lot of shared experiences, and our hands were hot coming off a couple tours, so we had good energy, and the ideas came quickly.
Who created/designed the album artwork?
The album artwork was designed by Justin Weiss. We had the rough idea and Justin brought it to life. A lot of our single artwork is made by Emily Goguen, who’s also a valuable creative asset to the band.
Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?
Depending on who you ask, you’ll get a myriad of different answers. But in terms of band influences.. We love the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Marcus King, Lukas Nelson and the POTR, Black Crowes, Rival Sons… legends like Zeppelin, Free, Bad Company, Temperance Movement.. the list goes on.
What makes The Commoners happy and what makes you unhappy?
We’re pretty happy on the road, but also have meaningful lives back home. I know we’re all trying to find that balance right now. As long as the gears keep turning.. It’s enough for us.
Feature Image Photo Credit: Paul Wright
The Commoners new album “Restless” is released on July 5th by Gypsy Soul Records via https://thecommoners.ca/. The band tour the UK from July 19th – 28th. The UK tour includes festival performances at Maid of Stone and Steelhouse, plus club dates.
THE COMMONERS – JULY 2024 UK TOUR
19th – The Grace, London
20th – Maid of Stone Festival
21st – Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
23rd – KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton
24th – Arlington Arts Centre, Reading
25th – Night & Day Cafe, Manchester
26th – The Caves, Edinburgh
27th – Belgrave Music Hall, Leeds
28th – Steelhouse Festival
Tickets available from Friday April 5th via https://thecommoners.ca/
