The Commuters

The Commuters might hail from New York, but their kinetic, personally revealing anthems capture an alt-rock essence that aspires toward worldwide appeal. Their debut album Rescue was released in mid-2012. The video for the first single “As I Make My Way” was added to mtvU’s rotation and received extensive airplay at college radio stations throughout the US. As their name suggests, the Commuters have traveled through a lifetime of musical influences, but it’s their own personal global journeys that have guided the foursome to something universal but prevailingly intimate. Before forming the Commuters in 2010, Canadian-born, Philippines-raised frontman Zeeshan Zaidi (whose parents were born in Pakistan and India) spent many years in the music industry. His early accomplishments included producing and engineering Grammy-nominated artist Ryan Leslie’s first demo, and he subsequently worked in the marketing departments of major labels in New York helping to develop the careers of other versatile artists, including OutKast and Cee Lo Green. During this time, Zaidi was also honing his craft as a singer, songwriter and musician, performing around New York’s open mic circuit. When the time arrived to put his own abilities as a performer front and center, he immediately shared a dozen demos of his songs with childhood friend, New York-based producer and soon-to-be Commuters guitarist Uri Djemal, who was also raised in the Philippines (by parents of Israeli and American descent). The two got to work co-producing Zaidi’s songs at Djemal’s Madpan Studios in Manhattan, where Djemal had produced many well-known artists in New York’s indie-rock scene. Says Zaidi: “Uri’s studio was a few blocks from my apartment and he was telling me for years to come work on my songs there. One day — when I knew it was time — I just walked over and we started.” Soon, they were joined by Djemal’s previous collaborator, Ben Zwerin on bass and Paul Amorese behind the drums, solidifying the current lineup. The band is signed to Zaidi’s New York-based label, Communal Records. They’ve established themselves at noted hometown venues in Manhattan and Brooklyn, including Arlene’s Grocery, Lit Lounge and Spike Hill. The Commuters have also received blog acclaim in the U.S. and abroad, and features on major outlets such as GuitarWorld, PureVolume, and DAWN.com (Pakistan’s largest English newspaper). The band is now eager to build their US presence and also extend their experiences outward to an international audience. As Zaidi explains, the already-dynamic tracks on Rescue “sound energetic and alive” on stage. “We love creating songs in the studio but performing them for live audiences is even more exciting,” he continues. “A lot of our online fans in different countries ask when we’re going to play in their hometowns – and we want to make it to all those places.” And while every band aims to last, the Commuters’ unique combination of its members’ personal histories and creative backgrounds leading up to this moment foreshadows a longer and brighter future than most. “Our hope and our goal is to be around for as long as possible,” says Zaidi. “We want to build this over time — the first album is just the start. Rocking the globe, one stop at a time. www.thecommuters.com