Arkells are a Canadian rock band, formed in Hamilton, Ontario. They have re… Read Full Bio ↴Arkells are a Canadian rock band, formed in Hamilton, Ontario. They have released five albums, two EPs and a number of singles that have charted in Canada. The band has won multiple Juno Awards, including one for their album High Noon in 2015.

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.

Deadlines
Arkells Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

They're sitting up in the board room
and you see it like a fly on the wall.
You can hear the man in the suit say
we don't have time to stall

We got deadlines to meet.
Oh We got deadlines to meet.

'Cause time equals money and money's alright
so I'll be working past nine
and those fucking Europeans who vacation from September
they ain't in the right mind

We got deadlines to meet.
Oh We got deadlines to meet.

We need a fire
'cause fire fire
is something we love
We need the time to try try
'cause it's never enough.

We got deadlines to meet.
We got deadlines to meet.
Oh oh

We got deadlines to meet.
We got deadlines to meet.

Overall Meaning

The verses of Arkells's song "Deadlines" describe scenes in the boardroom, where decisions are being made and ultimatums are being set. The singer is an observer, almost like a fly on the wall, able to listen in on the conversation of the man in charge, who declares that they do not have the luxury to waste any time. The repetition of "we got deadlines to meet" underscores the urgency of the situation and the pressure that everyone is under to accomplish their tasks.

The lyrics contain a certain amount of disdain for those who do not share the work ethic of the people in the boardroom. The mention of "those fucking Europeans who vacation from September" suggests that there is a cultural divide between those who prioritize leisure time and those who prioritize getting the job done. The line "time equals money and money's alright" encapsulates the attitude that the work itself is not particularly fulfilling or enjoyable, but the rewards it brings make it worthwhile.

The chorus of the song conveys a desire for more freedom and a break from the pressure of the deadline. The repeated phrase "we need a fire" serves as a metaphor for the energy and passion that the singer feels is lacking in their work environment. The call to "try try" implies that the work is not easy, and that the people involved are putting in a great deal of effort to meet their deadlines.

Line by Line Meaning

They're sitting up in the board room
The decision makers are in a meeting discussing important matters.

and you see it like a fly on the wall.
You observe the meeting discretely.

You can hear the man in the suit say
You overhear the person in charge speaking.

we don't have time to stall
There's no time to waste.

We got deadlines to meet.
We have time constraints that we must abide by.

Oh We got deadlines to meet.
The urgency is high, and we must meet the deadlines.

'Cause time equals money and money's alright
The time is valuable and directly correlates to wealth.

so I'll be working past nine
The artist will stay up late working diligently.

and those fucking Europeans who vacation from September
The Europeans have a different work ethic and lifestyle.

they ain't in the right mind
Their perspective is not reflective of the current situation.

We need a fire
We require energy and motivation.