Arkells: ‘We’re as hungry as ever’
It’s 20 years and album No. 11 for Hamilton’s beloved indie rockers. Between Us comes out April 17 and kicks off a tour in Canada, U.S., and Europe.
The release of Arkell’s 11th album Between Us is a nod to their first, Jackson Square.
The 11-track record, which will be released April 17, features album art by Boston-based photographer Pelle Cass. Shot on the roof of Jackson Square, it is a composite of shots of the band – playing instruments, throwing balls, riding bikes – taken from above over three hours.
“We wanted a photo that had this kinetic energy,” Arkells singer Max Kerman tells HCM. He’s a fan of the mid-century Brutalist architecture of Hamilton’s downtown mall. Cass set up a tripod and took thousands of frames of the five Arkells moving about the space.
“It's a good canvas, I think. And so, yeah, we spent a few hours up on the roof of Jackson Square.”
Three singles from the record have been released, including the super-hummable “Next Summer.” The album features guest appearances from Grouplove, Portugal The Man, and Poolside.
“I think the album is about looking for connection and meaning,” says Kerman. “With songs like, ‘What Good?’ and ‘Money,’ we're sort of questioning the people in power and the merchants of chaos and division that have a lot of sway in our world. And it's sort of asking ourselves: Who do we want to be? How do we want to operate?”
Though none of the Arkells were born or raised in Hamilton and most don’t live here now (Kerman returned to his hometown of Toronto a few years ago), they still consider themselves a Hamilton band.
“Hamilton means so much to us,” Kerman says. “ You know, it's been the city that nurtured us right from the beginning. And what I love about the band being from Hamilton is that when I meet people in Hamilton and from Hamilton, you know, there's a sense of pride,” he says.
“We have this platform and we're able to talk about what an amazing place it is and we're able to just shine a light on the people that actually do the heavy lifting in the city. I'm talking about social service workers and I'm talking about teachers. I'm talking about healthcare professionals.”
Arkells were born at McMaster University in 2005 and have gone from hustling to sell tickets to shows in cramped bars to building a loyal local fan base to serving as openers to The Tragically Hip and The Who, playing esteemed festivals like Coachella and Bonnaroo, and then headlining tours of their own.
(The Rally, Arkells’ day of music at Hamilton’s football stadium, won’t happen this year, but Kerman promises it will be back.)
Their sound is hard to define because they are influenced by all kinds of music. What is clear is their popularity as a live act. Their shows are fun and positive, and each guy has a big on-stage personality. Kerman is a naturally charismatic frontman.
As their catalogue gets deeper, Arkells continue to search for ways to keep shows fresh and alive.
“I feel like we take such pride in our live show and delivering a one-of-a-kind live show. But as you kind of reach the end of a record cycle, I think there's always that itch to kind of tear it all down and start again. And so that's what we've been working on: how do we reinvent the live show? How do we make the show feel exhilarating to us? And I think that's something that every artist needs to do every couple of years. And if you're not doing it, then things become pretty sleepy for the audience and for the crowd.”
With 10 albums already under their belt, it’s a bit tricky to tour with a new album, especially in bigger venues, says Kerman.
“It's actually almost irresponsible to play like half of a new album when you're trying to play for thousands of people who are there to sing along to the songs they know. So that kind of left us with the question, like, how do we honour this new album while also offering fans an amazing experience?”
The answer showed itself when Arkells played three shows of different sizes over a few days in Calgary last summer.
“I said, ‘What if we stayed in every town for a few days or a bunch of towns for a few days? And what if the venues changed and we started in a small venue where we could play whatever we wanted because there's a handful of diehards there. And then what if the venues grew in size with each show?”
So as part of the tour for Between Us, Arkells will play tiered shows in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto. The latter will feature shows at Lee’s Palace on June 17 (about 600 people), History on June 18 (about 2,500), and RBC Amphitheatre on June 19 (about 16,000).
The first two shows sold out quickly.
“It'll allow us to really stretch out in each town,” says Kerman. “It'll allow us to get to lots of different songs within the catalogue. And most importantly for us, it'll allow us to play the new record top to bottom when we're in the smaller rooms, as well as our other hits. So it feels for fans that are really deep into the catalogue, they can come to the smaller shows and experience the new material the way we want it to be heard, which is in a cramped club. And then if you just like Arkells and want to sing along to the bigger stuff, then you can come to the bigger shows.”
Kerman says the band is always touched by stories from longtime fans who remember hearing deep cuts in small spaces years ago. And while their following is large, they still think about, in their words “converting the unconverted.”
“We're hungry as ever,” says Kerman. “It feels like we’ve totally got something to prove with every show. And it is very satisfying to hear from someone that ‘a friend brought me to your show. I wasn't really that familiar, but now I'm a fan.’”
Ahead of their appearance at the JUNOS on March 29, the band will perform shows in Germany, Netherlands, and the U.K. This tour will take them across Canada and the U.S., too, and Kerman reflects on what it means to be out there as a Canadian.
“When you think about the problems in the world today, and there's plenty of them, you ask yourself, OK, what can I do about it?”
He could “yell into the ether that is social media about how angry we are and how fucked up everything is. Or we can do the thing that is literally our job, which is to bring people together in a safe place and have them off their phones for a few hours and remind them of each other's humanity and how good it feels to see art and to move your body and to leave with a hoarse voice because you can sing along. And just remind people of those simple pleasures.”
Anytime they put out a new record, Kerman is curious about how fans will connect with the songs. For instance, he never expected “And Then Some” to become a wedding song or that “Knocking at the Door” would help someone get through chemo treatments.
“Those connections are really one of the best parts of the job.”
When you’ve been around for 20 years, released 11 albums, racked up many awards, and played huge shows like the Grey Cup half-time and the JUNOS multiple times, there is inevitable talk about legacy.
Arkells don’t spend time thinking about that, says Kerman.
“We do know that if we work in earnest, and if we pour all of ourselves into the songs, into our live show, then good things usually happen. And when I say good things, I don't mean like fame or money or success. I just mean like purpose, you know? We want to honour that.”
Arkells Ontario dates
May 30 – Fergus, Meadows Music Festival
June 17 – Toronto, Lee's Palace (sold out)
June 18 – Toronto, History (sold out)
June 19 – Toronto, RBC Amphitheatre
Canada dates
May 7 – Vancouver, The Penthouse
May 8 – Vancouver, Hollywood Theatre
May 9 – Vancouver, Commodore Ballroom
May 14 – Edmonton, The Buckingham
May 15 – Edmonton, The Starlite Room
May 16 – Edmonton, Midway Music Hall
May 19 – Calgary, The Palomino
May 20 – Calgary, The Royal Canadian Legion
May 21 – Calgary, The Palace Theatre
U.S. dates
April 17 – Buffalo, NY, Town Ballroom
April 18 – Buffalo, NY, Town Ballroom
April 26 – Chicago, IL, Bottom Lounge
April 28 – Detroit, MI, Shelter
April 30 – Washington, DC, Atlantis
May 1 – Philadelphia, PA, Foundry
May 2 – New York, NY, Racket
