Today, Arkells release their new studio album Laundry Pile via Universal Music Canada, alongside the music video for the new single Quiet Love.
"Anyone who keeps a journal will tell you that writing is one of the best ways to work through the chapters of your life," says frontman, Max Kerman. "Our new album Laundry Pile is a chapter that documents some of the messy parts that end up teaching you a lot: love, regret, desire, shame, and the longing to get it right. The title track is out first, and it's a memory honouring the little moments that represent a true partnership."
A brand-new album was not in the works for Arkells. Having been steadily releasing new music over the last few years, the band wasn't actively planning the next record to come this quickly. What became Laundry Pile caught the band by surprise and began to take shape.
At the top of the year, Arkells got together with a goal to work on acoustic renditions of recent material, jam and hang out, but very quickly started ruminating on other little ideas. "I brought in some demos I had been working on - they were little conversations with myself," continues Kerman. "I had no expectations to do anything with the material, but then the band came to the rescue. It was very all-hands-on-deck. The more we meditated on the music, the more connected we became to the songs and to each other."
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 cohesive listening experience - in keeping with the spirit of the classic singer-songwriter tradition.
"After a few weeks, we took a look at the white board with the growing number of songs scribbled on it and became excited to share these songs immediately," Kerman adds. "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."
Laundry Pile is available now for streaming or download.