Rock 'n' Roll is not quite what it used to be with technology evolving to more electronically produced songs from bands like The 1975, M83, and Walk The Moon, but, one band did not want to let go of the grittiness that classic rock music was known for. Arkells came "Knocking At The Door" with deeply rooted rock sound mixing powerful rock music with lyrics that deal with modern era issues.
Formed in the golden era of indie rock music, band members Max Kerman, Nick Dika, Mike DeAngelis, Tim Oxford, formed Arkells in 2006 during their college years in Hamilton, Ontario. During that time, they took inspiration from Canadian rock bands Arcade Fire, Wintersleeps, and Sam Roberts. While inspired by these bands, their first album Jackson Square, released in 2008, was authentic, raw, and a unique collaboration of ideas that each band member wanted to sing about.
Some of their first songs, like "Deadlines" and "The Ballad of Hugo Chavez", were the foundation to their future success. Their tastes grew as their understanding of other musicians' styles increased. Lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter Max Kerman reflected how he came to taking parts and pieces of Hall & Oates on the second album Michigan Left, "I think with each passing record, our pallet has expanded.
There were musical influences on Michigan Left that we wouldn't have take seriously when we made Jackson Square. Hall + Oates for example. I didn't understand or like Hall + Oates in 2008, but by 2010 I was in love with that band." With an open mind, their 2011 album was an instant hit! Their "no bull-shit rock 'n' soul" was capturing national attention that other bands had failed to do in the past.
The band learned some lessons with the exponential growth that they were experiencing. Max reflected on creating a unified, successful tour during their first years on the road, "Touring is a tricky business to navigate, but everyone is a team player and takes the job seriously. The main lesson is to be patient with each other. Respect everyone's quirks. Appreciate that there are good days and bad days, and overall be grateful for this very precious thing we have."
The precious gift that the band had led them to four Juno awards and a gold record after their 2014 release of High Noon. Did the band think that their 2006 college band would reach such great heights?
"Hell no," says Max, "Success is a relative term, so each time we've checked off a "bucket list" thing, we're pleasantly surprised."
Reading this gave me a true sense of humility shared amongst the band, as they were more focused on creating music that would last rather than making the charts.
Circa 2016, and Arkells produced an album that would capture a wider audience's attention. Morning Report would ultimately reflect their changing tastes in music even more while holding onto what had made the band successful in the past. "I think the record has a few different sides to it. There's some pretty somber stuff. There's some jovial parts. I think it represents the breadth of human experience..." reflects Max, "There are love songs, stories of friendship, some social commentary. All things I think about regularly."
Songs like "Savannah" and "Passengers Seat" were unlike most of the songs in the band's past. In a way, each album expressed a new point in the band's life. Every lyric has a deeper meaning.
In a previous interview Max reflected on the album more in detail, "A lot of the songs are about me and characters in my life: my friends, my family, my girl," Max said. "I find all those people really compelling and I like writing about them. And a lot of times, they’re songs about what happened the night before. So that’s why it’s called Morning Report: you text your friend the next day and it’s like, 'Give me the morning report!'"
Arkells has an unforgettable presence to top the sundae of talent. Their performance at Nashville's Live On The Green was a deep, fun, and emotional experience for the thousands of people present. Everyone can relate to Arkells because they are writing about stuff that everyone can relate to.
So, the next time you need to dance, cry, and belt out a song on the way to work, open your music streaming service of choice, type in Arkells, and push play. Start with "Knocking At The Door" to become hooked.