Arkells | |
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 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Hamilton,Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Alternative rock |
| Years active | 2006 (2006)–present |
| Labels | Universal Music Canada |
| Members | Max Kerman Mike DeAngelis Nick Dika Tim Oxford Anthony Carone |
| Past members | Dan Griffin |
| Website | arkellsmusic |
Arkells is a Canadianrock band, formed inHamilton, Ontario. In 2006, they signed withDine Alone Records,[1] and have since signed with Universal Music Canada.[2] They have released nine albums:Jackson Square (2008),Michigan Left (2011),High Noon (2014),Morning Report (2016),Rally Cry (2018),Blink Once (2021),Blink Twice (2022),Laundry Pile (2023) andDisco Loadout, Volume 1 (2024). The band has been nominated for over 15Juno Awards; winningRock Album of the Year forHigh Noon andRally Cry, and six times forGroup of the Year.[3]
During their first few live shows the band called themselves Charlemagne but changed their name when another band of the same name threatened to sue them. The band is named after Arkell Street in theWestdale neighbourhood of Hamilton,[4] nearMcMaster University, where they lived and would practice their music. All five original band members attended McMaster where lead singer Max Kerman graduated with an honours BA in political science. Kerman met guitarist Mike DeAngelis at a McMaster Welcome Week event where they discovered they had an identical taste in music.[5]
Arkells' debut albumJackson Square was released 28 October 2008 on Dine Alone Records.[6] In late 2008, Arkells toured Canada as opening act forMatt Mays & El Torpedo.[7] Later that year, on November 22, they performed the halftime show at theVanier Cup in their hometown.[8]
In early 2009 they toured withWaking Eyes across Canada.[9] Arkells were featured onAux.tv's Alt Sessions where they performed their full EP.[10] In October, 2009, Arkells won a favourite new artistCASBY Award (short for Canadian Artists Selected by You) from Toronto radio station102.1 The Edge at a ceremony and concert atToronto'sKool Haus.[11] The band also performed at the event.[11] In April 2010, the band won theJuno Award forNew Group of the Year,[12][13] and on May 15, 2010, were picked to open forThem Crooked Vultures at theAir Canada Centre inToronto.[14]
In 2011, the band wrote and recorded their second albumMichigan Left, which was released on October 18 of that year. The first single, "Whistleblower", was released on July 5, 2011. The band also released a second song, "Kiss Cam", in July. On 6 October 2011 it was announced that Dan Griffin would be leaving the band to go back to school.[15] He was replaced by Anthony Carone.[15] In 2012, Arkells won the2012 Juno Award forGroup of the Year.[16]
On April 7, 2014, Arkells released the first track, "Never Thought That This Would Happen", from their third album, which was produced by Tony Hoffer (Beck, The Kooks, M83). One month later, on May 13, the band released the album's first single "Come to Light", and confirmed the title of the record would beHigh Noon. The record was released on Dine Alone/Universal Records, August 5, 2014.[17]
The band toured extensively, including tours in the United States withLights,Tokyo Police Club,The Postelles,X Ambassadors, andLydia; European touring withBilly Talent,Augustines,British Sea Power, andAnti-Flag as well as Canadian touring withMetric,the Tragically Hip,Hollerado, andSam Roberts. At theJuno Awards of 2015, the group won theJuno Award for Group of the Year and theJuno Award for Rock Album of the Year.High Noon was also long listed for the Polaris prize in 2015.[18] On October 23, 2015, the band released a new EP, "Study Music", which they self-produced and released onUniversal Music Canada/Dine Alone Records.
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Arkells began teasing new material from their forthcoming album on tour in the spring of 2016. The fourth album,Morning Report, was released on August 5, 2016.[19] The first single, "Private School", debuted on May 6, 2016, and charted at number 1 that summer.[citation needed] The video features cameos fromLights, Dave Monks ofTokyo Police Club andSteve Jocz (formerly ofSum 41), who also directed the video.[20]
At theJuno Awards of 2017, Arkells were nominated forJuno Award for Group of the Year and theJuno Award for Rock Album of the Year.[21] They performed their viral hit "Drake's Dad" live on the television broadcast.[22] They released a new single on April 7, 2017, entitled "Knocking at the Door".[23] The track shot to number 1 on the Canadian alt/rock charts, where it spent 14 weeks at #1.[24] It also became their first #1 Active Rock single. They performed the track live that summer on the 2017 NHL Awards in Las Vegas and the2017 iHeartRadio MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto. In the summer of 2017, the band toured the festival circuit, playingCoachella Valley Music and Arts Festival,[25]Osheaga Festival,[26] andSasquatch! Music Festival.[27] Later in the year, the track cracked the US ALT chart, peaking at #39.[citation needed]
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In February 2018, the band was invited toSouth Korea to perform for the Canadian Olympic team during the2018 Winter Olympics.[28] In June 2018, the band played atTim Hortons Field in their hometown of Hamilton for a crowd of 24,000 people. It was the largest crowd for an outdoor show in Hamilton sincePink Floyd drew 50,000 toIvor Wynne Stadium in 1975.[29][30] On August 15, 2018, the band announced that their fifth studio album,Rally Cry, would be released on October 19, 2018.[31] On June 23, 2018, Arkells hosted a major hometown concert, dubbed "The Rally", at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario. The concert was paired with several events across the city including a market outside the stadium, a bike ride to the show, and featured Ellevator,Bishop Briggs, andCold War Kids.[32] Arkells released their fifth studio album,Rally Cry, on October 19, 2018, accompanied by a Canadian tour featuringLord Huron as the opening act. The tour featured the Arkells' largest arena show yet, at theScotiabank Arena in Toronto on February 16, 2019.
On February 25, 2020, the band released the new single and video "Years in the Making".[33] On July 30, they released the single "Quitting You", and announced the release ofCampfire Chords, a full-length album featuring acoustic versions of earlier songs, on August 20.[34] Each member recorded his part at home during theCOVID-19 quarantine and sent it to Carone, who then edited, mixed and produced the pieces into complete songs.
On March 25, 2021, the band released the new single and video "You Can Get It", featuring guest vocals byK.Flay.[35] The single was featured in the trailer of the video gameForza Horizon 5, as well as in one of the in-game radio stations.[36] The single “All Roads” was later released. Both of these singles were included on the band's sixth studio albumBlink Once, which was released on September 22, 2021.[37] On December 12, 2021, the band performed at thehalftime show of the108th Grey Cup atTim Horton's Field in Hamilton.[38]
On June 23, 2022, the band announced that their studio albumBlink Twice will be released on September 23. The album features collaborations withCold War Kids,Aly and AJ,Tegan and Sara andBeatrice Martin.[39] After two years of postponements due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the band held the second edition of "The Rally" at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario on June 25, 2022. The show featured similar events to the first event in 2018, with a market, bike ride to the show, as well as the unveiling of a collaboration with several organizations to renovate a local basketball court as an effort to improve sport in the community.[40][41] The concert was their largest yet with 27,000 fans in attendance and featured openersHaviah Mighty,K.Flay, andMt. Joy.[42]
On September 21, 2023, the band released their eighth studio album (Campfire Chords excluded)Laundry Pile, featuring pre-released singles "Skin" and "Laundry Pile".[43] The album was written and recorded informally during fall of 2022, without the explicit intention of making an album.[43] The songs take on an acoustic form that stay true to each band member's raw musical identities, often with the first takes recorded making the final cut with little production.[44] To celebrate the release of the record, the band held two free pop-up shows at laundromats inToronto andHamilton, where they played individual tracks for small group audiences of fifteen people.[43] The band played the album at their "At Your Service" tour across theUnited States andSouthern Ontario in fall of 2023.[45]
Arkells prominently feature political motivations in their music. This includes "Knocking at the Door," which was written about The Women's March on Washington.[46]
The band has also spoken about their diverse musical influences from Top 40 to Motown.[47]
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Certifications | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [48] | ||||
| 2008 | Jackson Square | — | Dine Alone Records | |
| 2011 | Michigan Left | 5 |
| Universal Music Canada[50] |
| 2014 | High Noon | 3 |
| Universal Music Canada /Dine Alone Records |
| 2016 | Morning Report | 3 |
| Universal Music Canada /Last Gang Records |
| 2018 | Rally Cry | 12 |
| Universal Music Canada / Last Gang Records |
| 2020 | Campfire Chords | 35 | Universal Music Canada | |
| 2021 | Blink Once | 43 | Universal Music Canada | |
| 2022 | Blink Twice[51][52] | — | Universal Music Canada/Virgin | |
| 2023 | Laundry Pile | — | Universal Music Canada | |
| 2024 | Disco Loadout, Volume I | 73 | Universal Music Canada |
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [53] | |||
| 2008 | Deadlines[A] | — | Dine Alone Records[54] |
| Live Session (iTunes Exclusive) | — | Dine Alone Records[55] | |
| 2012 | iTunes Live from Montreal | — | Universal Music Canada[56] |
| 2015 | Study Music (Songs fromHigh Noon) | 55 | Universal Music Canada |
| 2016 | Arkells onAudiotree Live | — | Audiotree Music[57] |
| 2019 | Arkells on Audiotree Live (No. 2) | — | Audiotree Music[58] |
| 2021 | The Last Christmas (We Ever Spend Apart) | — | Arkells Music Label[59] |
| 2022 | Apple Music Home Session: Arkells | — | Arkells Music Label[60] |
| Year | Song | Peak Chart Positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [61] | CAN AC [62] | CAN Alt [63][64] | CAN CHR [65] | CAN Rock [66] | |||||||||||||
| 2008 | "Oh, the Boss Is Coming!" | — | — | 4 | — | 8 | Jackson Square | ||||||||||
| 2009 | "Ballad of Hugo Chávez" | — | — | 12 | — | 12 | |||||||||||
| "Pullin' Punches" | — | — | 14 | — | 32 | ||||||||||||
| 2010 | "John Lennon" | — | — | 42 | — | 48 | |||||||||||
| 2011 | "Whistleblower" | — | — | 5 | — | 4 | Michigan Left | ||||||||||
| "Michigan Left" | — | — | 7 | — | 12 | ||||||||||||
| 2012 | "On Paper" | — | — | 15 | — | 25 | |||||||||||
| "Ticats are Hummin'" | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |||||||||||
| 2014 | "Come to Light" | 81 | — | 2 | — | 2 |
| High Noon | |||||||||
| "Never Thought That This Would Happen" | — | — | — | — | 46 |
| |||||||||||
| "Leather Jacket" | 88 | — | 1 | — | 2 |
| |||||||||||
| 2015 | "11:11" | — | — | — | — | 12 |
| ||||||||||
| 2016 | "Private School" | — | — | 1 | — | 4 | Morning Report | ||||||||||
| "Drake's Dad" | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| "My Heart's Always Yours" | — | — | 3 | — | 4 |
| |||||||||||
| 2017 | "Knocking at the Door" | —[B] | 43 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Morning Report (Deluxe) | |||||||||
| 2018 | "People's Champ" | — | — | 2 | — | 3 |
| Rally Cry | |||||||||
| "Relentless" | —[C] | 38 | — | — | 1 |
| |||||||||||
| "Only for a Moment" | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| 2019 | "Hand Me Downs" | —[D] | 33 | — | 34 | 3 |
| ||||||||||
| 2020 | "Years in the Making"[69] | — | — | — | — | 4 |
| Blink Once | |||||||||
| "Quitting You" | — | — | — | — | 8 |
| Campfire Chords | ||||||||||
| 2021 | "You Can Get It" (featuringK.Flay) | — | — | 1 | — | 5 |
| Blink Once | |||||||||
| "All Roads" | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | "Arm in Arm" | — | — | 6 | — | 9 | |||||||||||
| "Reckoning" | — | — | 15 | — | 16 |
| Blink Twice | ||||||||||
| "Past Life" (featuringCold War Kids) | — | — | 1 | — | 4 | ||||||||||||
| "Dance With You" (featuringAly & AJ,Cœur de pirate) | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| "Human Being" (featuringLights) | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| "Teenage Tears" (featuringTegan and Sara)[70] | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| "Floating Like" | — | — | 19 | — | 34 | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | "Laundry Pile" | — | — | — | — | — | Laundry Pile | ||||||||||
| "Skin" | — | — | 9 | — | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | "Big Feelings" | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||||||||||
| 2025 | "Come On, Teacher" | — | — | — | — | — | Songs from the Gang | ||||||||||
| "What Good?" | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||||||
| International | |
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| Artists | |
