JUNO-nominated and Maple Blues Award winner Spencer Mackenzie is pleased to release his new album, Empty Chairs, via Gypsy Soul Records.
The CD and vinyl edition of the album is available from www.spencermackenzie.ca.
The digital edition of the album is available on all streaming platforms HERE.
Watchthe live video of title track “Empty Chairs” on YouTube.
Produced by 2X JUNO-nominated producer and Emmy Award-winning mixer Ross Hayes Citrullo, guitarist of The Commoners, the album captures Mackenzie’s signature blend of gritty, introspective blues rock.
Drawing on the legacy of blues legends while channelling the energy of modern blues rock, Empty Chairs fuses electrifying guitar, punchy riffs, soaring organ, dynamic vocals, and a powerhouse rhythm section. The album promises to be Mackenzie’s most personal and explosive work yet.
“If blazing guitar with no holds barred blues rock is your kind of thing,
then this album should definitely become a part of your life.” – Guitarist Magazine
“Still only in his mid-twenties, Empty Chairs proves he carries the triple threat of a great voice, gifted musicianship and superior songwriting craft to become an international force.” – Blues Matters
“Spencer Mackenzie demonstrates why he’s considered one of the most promising names in blues-rock. Soulful vocals, fiery guitar, and songs that linger.” – Blues Magazine NL
“A lively rock ‘n’ roll explosion. The guitar bubbles like acid on a brand-new Corvette’s paintjob, while the voice is jackshaft oil and grit. Giant, spirited and refreshingly super brisk!” – Raw Ramp
Citrullo brings a distinctive approach that blends artistry with technical mastery. With multiple accolades for albums that have topped charts and garnered millions of streams worldwide, he infuses Empty Chairs with energy, precision, and a live-feel intensity.
“What we caught on this album is honesty and fire,” says Citrullo. “Spencer’s playing is fearless, his voice wide open, and every take breathes like a live show you don’t want to end. Producing it was about chasing moments you can’t fake—tone that tells the truth, stories that cut deep, and performances that live in the room. It’s the blues, lit up with a rock edge—hitting with a modern bite and a timeless feel.”
EMPTY CHAIRS – ALBUM TRACK LISTING
1. Empty Chairs (4:29)
2. Trip (3:25)
3. What You Do (4:28)
4. Don’t Know Where I’m Going (3:11)
5. Till I Get to You (3:57)
6. Frozen Hearts (4:09)
7. Helping Hands (3:18)
8. Why (3:58)
9. Shoot Me Down (4:08)
10. Won’t Find Her (3:18)
11. Evil (3:57)
PRODUCTION & WRITING CREDITS
All songs written by Spencer Mackenzie and Co-Writer Richard Mackenzie on tracks 1,2,6,11
Exception on Track 4 – ‘Don’t Know Where I’m Going’ music and lyrics by Rory Gallagher
© BMG Rights Management (US) LLC d/b/a BMG Firefly / BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited / Strange Music Ltd. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Spencer Mackenzie – Guitar and Vocals
Miles Evans Branagh – Piano, Hammond Organ, Keyboards
Stacey Shopsowitz – Bass on tracks 1-5 and 8-11
Steve Pelletier – Bass on tracks 6, 7
Adam Canon – Drums on tracks 1-5 and 8-11
Matt Burns – Drums on tracks 6, 7
Sandra Bouza and Chantel Williams – Background Vocals
Ross Hayes Citrullo – Background Vocals on track 2
Recorded at RHC Music, Toronto, Canada
Produced, Mixed and Engineered by Ross Hayes Citrullo – RHC Music
Assistant Engineers – Gavin Sharman, Marc Pallascio, Andrew Champion
Mastered by Kristian Montano
ALBUM TRACK BY TRACK
1 – Empty Chairs
A soulful blues rock song that expresses anger and frustration from the perspective of friends and families, who have lost innocent people they love due to gun violence. This can’t be the new normal! It’s got to change!
2 – Trip
An upbeat, guitar heavy anthem for the people who just want to be noticed and for people who are crying and screaming trying to get out! Whether it’s a dream or reality, let’s go on a trip!
3 – What You Do
When we say that we’re fine. Are we really? Or are we just trying to save others over ourselves? ‘What You Do’ is a high energy blues rock song that’s meant to bring your attention to the guessing game we all play.
4 – Don’t Know Where I’m Going
A nod to one of the greatest guitar players to ever do it, this rendition of Gallagher’s acoustic blues folk number cranks up the volume and takes you down a road with deep, gritty guitar and an exciting fast rhythm section.
5 – Till I Get to You
All the pressure you carry is lifted when you get to the one you love with this soulful acoustic style song about the person that is always there for you, understands you, gets you, and helps you through it all.
6 – Frozen Hearts
This heavy blues rock song is a tribute to the victims of residential schools, who were taken from their way of life, family, culture and stripped of their identity. May the story of the ones who never made it home forever be heard and remind us to carry their memory with love and respect.
7 – Helping Hands
In life there are people who only do something because it benefits them. Sometimes they are the closest to us. “Helping Hands” is a funky blues rock song about moving on from the person that thinks you need them, but they need you more than you need them!
8 – Why
You can do the best job you can, but for someone who doesn’t know themselves, it often becomes a thankless job. “Why” is a sad song filled with soulful licks and harmonies that’s about doing everything right and getting hurt in return. You can solve all their problems just to be thrown out and left behind wondering why.
9 – Shoot Me Down
How can you hold up both ends if you’re the only one? A relationship has two sides. This bare bones slide guitar song is about coming up with every idea for someone, them saying no, then never telling you what they really want. You can’t spend your life making up someone else’s mind if all they do is shoot you down.
10 – You Won’t Find Her
It’s not you, it’s all me. We both know that’s a lie. This heavy riff driven blues rock song leaves you questioning how someone you once loved could go so wrong. You’re left confused, searching for answers, until you finally realize you’re better off without them.”
11 – Evil
No matter how many people tell you to stay away or tell you, you’re wrong, sometimes we won’t listen, and we find out for ourselves. “Evil” is a song with a punchy rhythm section and an in-your-face guitar sound, that’s about learning how much someone can twist your mind or how blind love can really be.
BIOGRAPHY
With fluid phrasing, resonant tone, and expressive performances, Spencer Mackenzie may have been born on Beale Street in spirit, though he hails from Southern Ontario. Over nearly a decade, the JUNO-nominated, Maple Blues Award-winning guitarist has earned international acclaim for his raw, soulful blues-rock. His high-energy live performances—Canadian, European, and US stages including Montreal International Jazz Festival, Festival d’été de Québec, Moulin Blues Ospel, Ribs & Blues Raalte, and Kulturring Schöppingen Blues Festival—showcase his mastery of the guitar and his infectious stage presence.
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