It’s been a long three years since Hamilton indie rockers The Arkells put out their debut album, Jackson Square.
In that time, the band logged in a lot of hours touring around Canada, and while they made an impression on fans and critics, winning the Juno Award for new group of the year along the way, those three years were often filled with uncertainty.
“Especially those times where you don’t really know what to expect,” says guitarist/vocalist Mike DeAngelis, “and then you go to the show, and even if there are not really a lot of people, they are really enthusiastic. Those are the sorts of experiences that really affect us the most.”
The band’s new album, Michigan Left, finds The Arkells out to prove themselves, as they’re hoping it will demonstrate how they’ve developed and matured musically.
“I would say that we’ve definitely taken in a few more influences since Jackson Square, and have found an appreciation for a different sound and textures that weren’t really on our musical map when we put out Jackson Square,” says DeAngelis.
In the process of making Michigan Left, The Arkells were able to keep a large portion of the assembly of the record within the band. This process created a genuinely unique album; from the music, to the production, to the cover art, members of the band did it all.
“The ability to keep everything in house made it so we can be honestly proud of the things we do and take responsibility for them,” says DeAngelis.
There have already been questions over what the phrase “Michigan Left” symbolizes, with people creating their own meaning behind it. The Arkells took a lot of time coming up with the title, and have given it a significance of their own.
“It’s a particular traffic system in Michigan where in order to make a left turn, you have to make a right, and then a U-turn,” explains DeAngelis. “So it’s kind of an interesting analogy for how sometimes you need to go in a different direction to get where you need to go.”
The Arkells
9pm, Saturday November 12
Sugar, $18
arkells.ca