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.
John Lennon
Arkells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Head on the wall
And my piss hardly makes the stall
And this time it's not an act
This time I swear it's fact
Now I ramble on
About that girl who's gone
Now she's standing at the bar
She tells me her favorite song
And I say: "Yeah, that's a good one"
She says it follows her around
No shit, it's by the Beatles
I'm so lost
And I live just around the corner
Well here's a thought
Get Frank McCourt to write the forward
[Repeat x4]
Well I'm John Lennon
It's sixty seven
The above lyrics are from the song "John Lennon" by Arkells. The song opens with the singer describing a moment of frustration and despair, as evidenced by the repetition of "head on the wall" and the suggestion that he is so messed up that he can barely urinate. The singer then launches into a rambling monologue about a girl who has left him, who he once tried to teach guitar to, but who is now elsewhere, likely drowning her sorrows at a bar. When the girl tells him her favorite song is by the Beatles, the singer is struck by the coincidence that he is "John Lennon" and that the year is "sixty seven."
Line by Line Meaning
Head on the wall
I am standing with my head against the wall, feeling frustrated.
Head on the wall
I am physically pressing my head against the wall to vent my emotions.
And my piss hardly makes the stall
My emotional state is so low that even my bodily functions are affected, making it difficult to use the bathroom.
And this time it's not an act
Unlike other times, this display of emotions is genuine and not a performance.
Now I ramble on
I continue to talk aimlessly and without structure.
About that girl who's gone
I reminisce about a girl who is no longer with me.
And I tried teaching her guitar
I attempted to share a skill with her, but it did not work out.
Now she's standing at the bar
She is now standing at a bar instead of being with me.
She tells me her favorite song
She shares with me the music she enjoys.
And I say: "Yeah, that's a good one"
I agree with her taste in music.
She says it follows her around
She feels connected to the song and it comes up often in her life.
No shit, it's by the Beatles
I am not surprised that a song by the Beatles holds such significance to her.
I'm so lost
I feel completely disoriented and unsure of where I am.
And I live just around the corner
Despite being nearby, I still feel far away from where I want to be emotionally.
Well here's a thought
I introduce a new idea to the conversation.
Get Frank McCourt to write the forward
I suggest that we involve a well-known author for some reason, perhaps to offer new insights or perspectives.
Well I'm John Lennon
I say that I feel like John Lennon, which could mean I feel as creatively inspired as he did or as lost in life as he was.
It's sixty-seven
I am making a reference to the year 1967, which was a significant year for music and culture.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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