Joe Cool works hard for the money on his latest single Company Man — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The Toronto folk-rocker is back, calloused hands and all, with the lead single from his third EP Blood, Sweat & Beers. Company Man is a blue-collar anthem for anyone who’s ever punched a clock, buried their dreams for a steady paycheque, and tried to keep their head above water in a world that doesn’t make room for poets and pickup trucks. Written by Joe Cool (aka Joseph D Coulas) and produced by longtime collaborator Jack Wiktor, the track is the first sip of a record that goes down like a cold beer after a long shift.
Built on ringing acoustic chords and the kind of worn-in vocals that only come from life experience, Company Man captures the quiet resignation of working-class life, laced with just enough hope to keep going. Think Jason Isbell if he clocked in at a factory. Think Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska if it had a Canadian postal code. It’s a song that doesn’t flinch — it tells the truth, straight-up, no chaser. The lyrics read like pages torn from a hard-luck diary — honest, unvarnished, and aching in that way only truth can be:
“Too much, too late
I’m gonna stick to the plan
Out of touch and out of date
But i’m just a company man.”
Joe Cool’s songwriting has always leaned into the everyday — the busted pickups, the backyard beers, the silent goodbyes — but Company Man takes that ethos and distills it to its purest form. It’s not just a song for the working man. It’s a song for anyone who’s ever felt stuck, unseen, or underappreciated. Fans of John Prine, The War on Drugs, Steve Earle and even The Hold Steady will find themselves in good company here.
Blood, Sweat & Beers was recorded in late summer 2024 at Toronto’s beloved Cadence House — a studio that’s been the beating heart of the city’s Bloorcourt scene for over a decade. With the studio closing its doors shortly after the sessions wrapped, the EP took on added emotional weight. “It felt like one last shift before clocking out,” says Joe. “We weren’t just making a record — we were closing a chapter.” Wiktor, who also engineered and produced, steered the sessions with the ease of someone who knew both the artist and the space like the back of his hand.
Alongside Joe and Jack, the EP features a trusted crew: Dan Wiktor on drums, Jason Wolowicz on electric guitar, and Jack on bass. It’s a lineup that brings just the right mix of sweat and sweetness — tight where it needs to be, and ragged in all the right spots.
Check out Company Man above, listen to the rest of Blood, Sweat & Beers below, and keep Joe Cool company on Instagram.
