As Canadian roots-rockers The Commoners arrive in the UK to headline 10 dates, lead guitarist and producer Ross Hayes Citrullo gives us the lowdown on the band’s third studio album, set to be released in 2026.
The Commoners seem to be spending a lot of time in Britain.
One of our earliest tours there was with Troy Redfern, and that whole experience really opened our eyes to what a great place the UK is. Canada is such a huge country, but because the towns and cities of Britain are so close together it feels like a real network. The place really is starting to feel like our second home.
You recently toured here supporting The Sheepdogs. Apart from a shared nationality, was there a strong bond between the bands?
Yeah. They’re really cool people, and we have a lot of shared influences like the Allman Brothers Band and The Black Crowes, so there was an immediate rapport.
Earlier this year you released the album Live In The UK. Where was that recorded?
We were rolling on the entire tour, primarily for our archiving purposes. But the more we listened to the recordings, we realised how on fire we were. We purposely tried to keep the locations secret, but most of the album was made during the final run of the tour.
What does Live In The UK say about the band that the two studio records don’t?
It’s a great question. Unlike the first two records, it’s just the five of us – no female back-up singers or guest pedal steel players. It’s raw, live energy. In the studio we like to add a little extra magic, but Live In The UK is the essence of The Commoners.
Is that a goal of the band for further down the line – to be able to present a bigger, more detailed show?
To get to that point would be incredible. I would love it if, based on the show or the venue, we could decide the type of vibe that we would like to present.
A brand new single, Just Watch Me, is available for the tour and as a signpost to what comes next.
Just Watch Me was the first song we wrote for the record, and I’m so proud of it. As a guitarist, there are some country licks in there, but it’s also a huge rock thing, and in the middle there’s a section that reminds me of Presence Of The Lord by Blind Faith.
What is the timeline for a third Commoners album release?
As everyone knows, the third album has to be better than the first two, so we’ve been writing like crazy. Some of them were even played on the last tour. My expectation is that the new record will be coming out in the spring, at which point we hope to come back across the pond and see you all again. I hope so, anyway.
The Commoners UK tour kicked off last night in Southend and continues until a Portsmouth date on December 14. For full dates and tickets, visit the Commoners website.
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