The band is currently made up of: Max Kerman (vocals, guitar), Mike DeAngelis (vocals, guitar), Nick Dika (bass), Tim Oxford (drums), and Anthony Carone (vocals, keyboard, guitar)
Originally called Charlemagne, the band changed their name when another band of the same name threatened to sue them. The band is named after Arkell Street in the Westdale neighbourhood of Hamilton, ON, near McMaster 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 the two discovered they had an identical taste in music.
In 2006, they signed with Dine Alone Records, and have since signed with Universal Records Canada and Last Gang Records.
Arkells' debut album Jackson Square was released 28 October 2008 on Dine Alone Records. In late 2008, Arkells toured Canada as opening act for Matt Mays & El Torpedo.
In April 2010, Arkells won the Juno Award for New Group of the Year, and on May 15, 2010, were picked to open for Them Crooked Vultures at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. They made headlines while playing a set at Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto after the 2010 Much Music Video Awards, when rapper Shad and pop singer Kesha joined them onstage to freestyle and sing along during a cover of Ms. Jackson by Outkast.
In 2011, the band wrote and recorded their second album Michigan Left, which was released on October 18 of that year. On 6 October 2011 it was announced that Dan Griffin would be leaving the band to go back to school. He was replaced by Anthony Carone.
In 2012, Arkells won the 2012 Juno Award for Group of the Year.
On May 13, 2014, the band released the single "Come to Light", and confirmed the title of the record would be High Noon. The record was released on Dine Alone/Universal Records, August 5, 2014. The band would go on to with the Juno Award for Group of the Year and the Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year at the 2015 Juno Awards. High Noon was also long listed for the Polaris prize in 2015.
On October 23, 2015, the band released a new EP, "Study Music", which they self-produced and released on Universal Music Canada/Dine Alone Records.
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.
At the Juno Awards of 2017, Arkells were nominated for Juno Award for Group of the Year and the Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year. They performed their viral hit "Drake's Dad" live on the television broadcast
The Arkells released their fifth studio album, Rally Cry, on October 19, 2018, accompanied by a Canadian tour featuring Lord Huron as the opening act. The tour featured the Arkells' largest arena show at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on February 16, 2019.
On February 25, 2020 the band released the new single and video "Years in the Making". Later that year, on July 30, they released the single "Quitting You", and announced the release of Campfire Chords, a full-length album featuring acoustic versions of earlier songs, on August 20. Each member recorded his part at home during the COVID-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 by K.Flay.
Blueprint
Arkells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And my heart beat like those drums
I wouldn't feel the weight of the New Year
I keep wishing time would stop
So I could figure some shit out
I'd make a blueprint of what I plan to do here
Then I ain't going about things the right way
I got a voice on my left, I got a voice on my right
Lately I've been falling on the devil's side
Hit the street, on your feet
Don't retreat, let's go
Never regret getting old
Hit the street, on your feet
Don't retreat, let's go
Never assume what you're told
Well, I ain't gonna fear the New Year
I ain't gonna fear the New Year
I ain't gonna fear the New Year
I ain't gonna fear the New Year.
The lyrics of Blueprint by Arkells express the singer’s desire to match their actions and emotions with the words they speak and the beat of the music. The weight of the new year seems to be weighing on the singer and they long for time to stop so that they can figure things out. The singer believes that having a plan or blueprint of what they want to do would make things easier. The fear of regretting another birthday and not going about things in the right way is mentioned. There seem to be conflicting forces around the singer with a voice on their left and another on their right, falling on the devil’s side of things. Nevertheless, the singer encourages themselves and listeners to hit the street on one's feet, never retreating and never assuming what we are told. The singer, in the end, declares that they are not going to fear the new year.
The song Blueprint seems to be a wake-up call to embrace change and plan for the futurity. The lyrics are about wanting to live a life with purpose and intentionality instead of just existing without direction. It’s also an invitation to not be afraid of making changes and stepping out of one's comfort zone to pursue a life that is fulfilling. The song encourages people to take control of their lives and be proactive towards achieving their goals.
Line by Line Meaning
If my moves could match these words
If I could act upon the things I say (in line with my moral values)
And my heart beat like those drums
If I could have the passion and enthusiasm to take action (towards my goals)
I wouldn't feel the weight of the New Year
I wouldn't feel the pressure to make changes in the New Year (if I already had a plan and took action)
I keep wishing time would stop
I wish I had more time to figure out my plans for the future
So I could figure some shit out
So I could plan and strategize (about how to achieve my goals)
I'd make a blueprint of what I plan to do here
I would create a detailed plan (of my strategies and actions) to achieve my goals
'Cause by next year, if I regret another birthday
Because if I continue to feel unfulfilled and unsatisfied, I will regret not taking action (towards my goals) by next year
Then I ain't going about things the right way
Then I am not taking the right actions or following the right path (towards achieving my goals)
I got a voice on my left, I got a voice on my right
I have two opposing forces (meaning, influences or choices) that I am struggling to balance
Lately I've been falling on the devil's side
Lately, I have been making decisions or taking actions that are not aligned with my moral values or goals (possibly influenced by negative influences or distractions)
Hit the street, on your feet
Take action and move forward
Don't retreat, let's go
Don't give up or stop moving forward, let's take action (and reach our goals)
Never regret getting old
Don't feel bad about growing older or not achieving everything at once
Never assume what you're told
Don't blindly believe what you're told or follow things blindly; question things and use critical thinking
Well, I ain't gonna fear the New Year
I am not going to feel scared or burdened by the New Year (because I have a plan and am taking action)
I ain't gonna fear the New Year
I am not going to feel scared or burdened by the New Year (because I have a plan and am taking action)
I ain't gonna fear the New Year
I am not going to feel scared or burdened by the New Year (because I have a plan and am taking action)
I ain't gonna fear the New Year.
I am not going to feel scared or burdened by the New Year (because I have a plan and am taking action)
Contributed by Savannah Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.