By Will McGuirk

Hammer homers Arkells are making a trip across Hogtown to the Shwa for a headlining gig at the Tribute Communities Centre Thursday Nov 28 2024. Its always a trip to have the band in town as they are amongst the best live acts on the cold Canadian road these days. They’ve been on that road for some time touring their Big Feelings, Oshawa is one of the last. Valley open. Arkells have been in this city previously of course and we have always tried to have a quick chat so of course we checked in with lead man Max Kerman.

Slowcity.ca: The Tribute Communities Centre is just blocks away from the Dungeon which I believe was your first gig in Oshawa (the Dungeon is open again and a new venue which is great for us here) what feelings does that evoke for you as you revisit towns and see the ladder you climbed, and what are your thoughts on how these all ages community venues can be supported?

Max Kerman: “We learned the craft of performing on those all-ages stages. I played my first Battle of the Bands when I was 16, and I've always had a reverence for all the promoters and venues who were cultivating live, original music. And that's what "scenes" really come down to. They come down to individuals in each city who are passionate about the grind of it all. Who work hard to make relationships and create a community for bands. Because when you have a few people with belief, it becomes contagious, and then it becomes really fun. And the best way to support it is to happily buy a ticket to see your friend's band play.”

SC: Your shows have become celebrations of joy - welcome respite; How do you as a band keep that level of energy and enthusiasm going?

MK: “Ha, you know, it's not all that hard to keep up the energy when you have people singing and smiling back at you. But I think we're always miming each other, and that's my job. The harder I go, the more permission it gives the audience. And when I see them go hard, it puts more wind in my sail. We have one night in each town, and then we're not back for a couple of years. So I don't want to leave anything on the table.”

SC: Laundry Pile has been out for a while, but it was I think quite a departure for the band; low key, softer, pandemic times songs maybe - I'm curious how you approach albums in your songwriting - do you start songs small and then blow them up for arena size shows or do you begin with an idea of big songs for big crowds?

MK: “We don't have a "process," and I've been very mindful to keep it that way. Songs can start from all kinds of places. Sometimes, the guys in the band will send an idea. Sometimes, I'll start something on the piano. Sometimes, it starts with a funny thing a friend said that becomes a lyric. The sound of Laundry Pile just fit how we felt at that moment. We just want to move towards whatever idea feels most true and exciting.”

SC: Life Is - "I was lost and didn't know til I turned around" - the BIG feelings, the BIG personal issues, are not things you shy away from in your songwriting - 'Its ain't worth discussing if it can't get deep' - How difficult is it for you to be so honest and earnest? Where does that courage come from for you?

MK: “That's the best part of songwriting, or any kind of writing for that matter. You get to explore your emotions by jotting them down. There's a good line I heard, "Don't think to write. Write to think."

Some details to note on the gig in Oshawa. Kops Records had an Instagram draw for two tickets and a signed album, and Bond St Events Centre is hosting a pre- and post-show Arkells party at the TwoTwoTwo, formerly known as the Dungeon, yes as above. So a bit of a red carpet for the fellows this time out and maybe if we’re lucky we will see the fellows out and about as they do like to stretch prior to a gig.