By Stevie Connor. Photo Credit: Scarlet O’Neill
Arkells release new album Laundry Pile. The release of the album is accompanied by a new music video for album closer-track “Quiet Love,” an intimate song about wanting to have a love back, but it being completely out of your hands. The song follows previously released title-track “Laundry Pile” and summer Americana-tinged singalong “Skin.” “Laundry Pile is our most raw, and intimate record yet,” says frontman Max Kerman. “It’s the most cohesive thing we’ve ever made. There’s imperfections on the album, but that was kind of the point. We wanted to make the album simply feel as honest as possible.”
Arkells celebrated the release of Laundry Pile early - holding the first of two surprise pop-up events coined “Arkells One Spin,” in Toronto. Fans lined the alleyways outside a local laundromat, waiting in line to be one of the first to take home Laundry Pile on vinyl, and be treated to a “one spin, one song” visit through the laundromat, where the band was set-up to play the new songs live for intimate groups of fans, as they passed through the experience. Arkells also brought the pop-up event to fans in their hometown of Hamilton. What became the new album Laundry Pile caught the band by surprise, as they weren’t actively planning the next record to come this soon. They fell into new and different material that lit a fire that quickly became all-hands-on-deck. “The more we meditated on the music, the more connected we became to the songs and to each other,” says frontman Max Kerman. “It was one of the most deeply creative experiences we’ve had as a band so far. It’s important to simply honour the moment you’re in, and that’s what we did." Much of Arkells’ most recognizable material aims to be spirited and anthemic, but this collection of songs are more personal, pensive, and reserved. It’s the kind of album that is one singular listening experience - in keeping with the spirit of the classic singer-songwriter tradition. “Laundry Pile is for the sentimental,” summarises Kerman. “It’s about having a wish that you know won’t come true. But all the things you learned along the way end up being the gift you really needed in the first place.”
Arkells continue to announce a steady string of tour dates, on their “At Your Service” fall tour. At their upcoming shows, fans can expect the unstoppable, high-powered set for which the band are known, with thoughtful nods to their new album that will leave fans wanting more. Arkells “At Your Service” Tour starts Sept 29th in Philadelphia, PA. All dates listed below and tickets are on-sale now.
TOUR DATES
w/ special guest Robert DeLong
w/ special guest K.Flay **
Sept 29 – Philadelphia, PA – TLA
Sept 30 – Jersey City, NJ – White Eagle Hall
Oct 2 – Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw
Oct 3 – Boston, MA – The Paradise Rock Club
Oct 5 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
Oct 6 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
Oct 8 – Chicago, IL – Metro
Oct 10 – Denver, CO – Meow Wolf
Oct 13 – San Francisco, CA – August Hall
Oct 15 – Seattle, WA – The Neptune Theatre
Oct 16 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
Oct 22 – Los Angeles, CA – The Regent Theater
Nov 9 – Guelph, ON – Sleeman Centre **
Nov 10 – St. Catharines, ON – Meridian Centre **
Nov 11– Peterborough, ON – Peterborough Memorial Centre **
Widely considered one of the most passionate, exuberant and in-demand live bands working today. They are the 2023 recipients of the JUNO Award for “Group of the Year”– making them the most decorated act in the category, having won the honour more than any other group. As radio mainstays, sports-sync shoe-ins and curious students of culture, Arkells have remained ever present – building awareness and personal community experiences around their live shows and albums at every turn. The band’s most recognizable material aims to be spirited and anthemic, and there’s been no shortage of new music from Arkells over the last few years - having released their Blink Once and Blink Twice projects, featuring collaborations with the likes of Cold War Kids, K.Flay, Tegan and Sara, Aly & AJ and Wesley Schultz of The Lumineers - ahead of the introduction to their brand-new album, Laundry Pile, due this fall. Fearless with their creative ambition, Laundry Pile best exemplifies what makes Arkells different. It's their most personal, pensive, and reserved collection of songs to date, guided by the spirit of the classic singer-songwriter tradition. It’s the kind of album that is one cohesive listening experience, revealing a rawness and beauty that will bring fans closer to the band than ever before.
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