Interview: The Arkells Talk

Since dropping their debut album Jackson Square to much praise back in 2008, Hamilton indie-rock darlings the Arkells have spent a great deal of time carving out their place both on the road and on the airwaves. Having built their reputation on the back of a relentless number of well-crafted radio friendly hits like “Pullin’ Punches,” “Oh, the Boss Is Coming!,” “The Ballad of Hugo Chavez,” “Michigan Left,” “Kiss Cam” and most recently “Come To Light,” in addition to a stellar and widely talked about live show, the Arkells continue to prove that there is something to being a humble, working class indie rock band with heart.

In anticipation of the Arkells third studio album, High Noon, which dropped earlier this week and is full of classic heartfelt Max Kerman vocals, swingin’ melodies, brassy-guitars, tinkering keys and throwback soul, we caught up with the frontman to talk about writing the record in a 150-year old factory turned gay-night club at home in Hamilton, working with producer Tony Hoffer (Phoenix, M83, Beck), keeping their stage show fresh with covers of Iggy Azalea and the band’s one true love––performing live.