RAPIDLY EXPANDING THEIR CIRCUIT:

POPULAR CANADIAN BAND PRIMED TO ROCK AMERICA WITH A TOUCH OF
‘EAU DE HUMANITY'

 

“Complicated,” The First Single From The Ottawa Based
Sixsome's Debut Disc Produced, Recorded and Mixed By
Dale Penner (Nickelback), Is Quickly Gathering Steam
On CHR And Hot AC Stations Across the U.S.

 

Circuit Averages Over 100 Shows Annually In Its
Native Country, Including Opening Spots with
Finger Eleven, Jeff Healy, Vince Neil
And Fellow Canadians The Headstones

To borrow a song title from the famed South Park movie, we can “Blame Canada!” for all the new blisteringly honest and emotional modern rock vibes coming from CHR and Hot AC stations around the U.S. who are quickly jumping on “Complicated,” the explosive single from Eau de Humanity , the debut CD by the Ottawa, Ontario based Circuit.

The highly anticipated 11-song collection—which includes five tracks the band had been selling as an exclusive EP at their concerts as the disc was in production—is due for release January 24 through Top Sail Productions and WEA Distribution at a developing artist price of $9.99. Eau de Humanity was produced, recorded and mixed by Dale Penner, who has worked his cutting edge magic for years with artists like Nickelback and Canadian faves Holly McNarland and Matthew Good.

Receiving airplay everywhere from Sioux City, Iowa to Grand Junction, Colorado (CHR), from Joplin, Missouri to St. Croix, Virgin Islands (Hot AC), the popular six-piece band—which was introduced to the principals at Top Sail by legendary radio personality Casey Kasem-is primed to share with the States the energy and excitement its thousands of fans North of the Border have experienced for the past five years, when Circuit's current lineup came together. They've also just shipped copies of their exciting new video for “Complicated” to more than 200 outlets, including MTV, VH1 and Much Music.

Averaging well over 100 dates a year, Circuit was handpicked by Finger Eleven to open select Canadian dates, in addition to opening shows for Vince Neil, Jeff Healy, 80s rockers Platinum Blonde and Canadian rockers The Headstones. They've performed at Ottawa's prestigious 18,000-seat Corel Centre (where bands like U2 and Coldplay have headlined), played for 30,000 at Ottawa's Hope Beach Volleyball Tournament and were the “house band” for the Ottawa Senators hockey team during the playoffs of the 2003-2004 season. This year, they performed for thousands before the team's opening game. Circuit is scheduled to perform in Montreal for the first time in January.

“We've definitely had the opportunity to play some amazing gigs in Canada, and are really grateful for all of our fans there,” says lead vocalist and band lyricist Michael James, a compelling and charismatic presence at 6'4”. “We've had so much fun meeting people and seeing the way our songs inspire them. Music is just our way of getting a simple message across, and that's to be yourself and have fun. Having this success in Canada has given us the confidence to get out there and let our music be heard in the U.S., and we're excited about working with the team at Top Sail Productions.

“Eau De Humanity is less a concept album than a collection of some of the best songs we've written about the life lessons you are taught, about learning things the hard way,” he adds. “I'm a pretty well-balanced guy and don't have many issues, but when I have them, I get through them by writing lyrics, and then the band and I create the music. These eleven tunes are snapshots of what we are. Because our sound tends to be all over the spectrum, it's sometimes hard to define…sometimes we're doing sweet ballads, then we're kicking it. So we like to call ourselves a straight ahead rock band that can make girls cry!”

The band's appropriately named website www.circuitrocks.com features personal stats, likes and dislikes and personal influences of each member. James' distinctive voice, impeccable feel for melody and impassioned lyrics make him a singer to be reckoned with. Lead guitarist Jobber (one name only) sets off the stage energy like a scorching ball of fire, while rhythm guitarist Woody lays down solid blues-influenced riffs which give Circuit a grass-roots flavor that few other modern rock bands have. On bass, Dave MacDonald locks down an infectious groove and pours out the subtle, hooky background vocals. Drummer Jadon Bailey's intense dedication and rhythmic grooves form the band's solid foundation. Guitarist/keyboardist Jason Woodley began his Circuit life as a fan and technical roadie for the band before joining officially and completing the lineup.

The title of the band's debut was a cool twist of phrase based on the radio announcer's cry of “Oh, the humanity” regarding the tragedy that occurred when the Hindenberg went down. Although the members of Circuit chose it simply because it sounded cool and unique, James soon began to realize that that it was appropriate for an album whose songs were about basic human issues like love, loss, hatred and anger--a full cross section of emotions.

“The song ‘Complicated' is about me being in love with my girlfriend who lived 25 miles away, and how it was worth every trip, no matter the distance to see her,” he says. “The better part of our brain tells us such intense devotion is too much, but the heart will tell you anything that's wrong is really right. There's always the battle going on. ‘Helen of Troy' refers to the mythical woman whose face launched a thousand ships and applies that to your perception of a flawed lover as the perfect one. Other songs go even deeper, like ‘Just Like Heaven,' whose title is ironic considering it's an anti-drug song which offers an analogy of the damage heroin does to you. You can't understand it until you or someone you know has been personally affected by it. I have never done serious drugs before, and I never plan on it because of this experience.”

James is a lyricist who clearly enjoys turning phrases designed to intrigue his listeners even as they rock, sway, dance and sing along. Some of his other titles include “Style To Be” (about “wearing” the person you love), “Broken Window” (compared to a shattered heart), “Try To Try” (which he borrowed from a Simpsons episode) and “The Lee Side,” applying a nautical term to a person's inability to face troubling issues.

Even the band's name started originally as a joke about “the crappy circuit of dives we had to play at the beginning,” James says. “It's great that we broke that chain and the gigs have gotten so much better over the years. I always say I have the best job in the world, being able to control the audience for an hour while not doing anything fancy, just singing and performing the songs we love. It's so exciting to look out there and see so many people singing songs that they haven't even heard before on the radio. We really feel like we're connecting, and I personally love interacting with the audience. If you can touch one person's life through music, it's all worth it.”