'Any old fool can do it': Max Kerman is pulling back the curtain on the music industry
Arkells frontman Max Kerman thinks that people make the music industry seem more complicated and out of reach than it actually is. That's why he's just published his first book, Try Hard: Creative Work in Progress, which is a compilation of his best advice on how to survive and thrive as a musician. He hopes it'll help dispel the common myths and misconceptions about what it takes to do what he does.
"People ask me in just daily conversations … 'How did you start writing songs in the first place?'" Kerman says in an interview with Q 's Tom Power. "They think there's this mystical thing that happens because, you know, that's what people think of artists in some cases. But when I pull back the curtain, people immediately go, 'Oh, OK.' And I really love this idea that any old fool can do it."
Since forming in 2006, the band has released platinum-selling singles and albums. They've also picked up multiple Junos — in fact, they hold the record for the most wins in the group of the year category. But Kerman says their success is more about tenacity than pure talent. He thinks being a "try hard" can be creatively rewarding.
"I don't think Arkells are better songwriters than some of our peers that aren't in bands anymore," Kerman says. "I don't think we're better performers. I really don't. I think we've just found a way to keep the energy alive.
"I can imagine there's a lot of bands out there that have so many good songs that are on their phone.… But the challenge of going, 'OK, how are we going to pay for this? Do I really want to get together with the guys? OK, even when we do record it, we're going to have to make some stupid TikToks.' … I think there's so many reasons to slow down."
Kerman doesn't want to be negative or lose motivation. He just wants to learn more and move forward. That's why he decided to write Try Hard as a guide, not a memoir — a format that he says often features "a lot of complaining."
"That's not interesting to me," Kerman says. "What's interesting to me is like, oh, what can I take from those experiences? How could I do better next time? How can I be a better listener? How can keep momentum alive within the band? So, I wanted to write a book that was reflecting on just things I picked up along the way, like little lessons."
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For two decades, the Canadian rock band Arkells have been making music, winning Junos and touring the globe. Now, lead singer Max Kerman offers an inside look at life in a band and breaks down the nuts and bolts of building a music career in his debut memoir, Try Hard: Creative Work in Progress. The book dives into the often-overlooked effort behind a musical career — from songwriting and show prep to the business of marketing a band. Part memoir, part self-help book, it breaks down the creative process — and reveals that trying hard is often the secret to success. Kerman joined Antonio Michael Downing on The Next Chapter to speak about Try Hard and recommends some books that he's found helpful for his creative process. Antonio Michael Downing: The first thing right off the top, is the title of the book is Try Hard. Can you expand on the title? Max Kerman: I think of myself as a try-hard and in the early days, I was insecure about it, because I think I was a little too smiley, a little too enthusiastic. I'd see other people in bands and they seemed so cool and kind of aloof and a little distant. But then the older I've gotten, I've realized the people that kind of get anywhere and have some longevity aren't afraid to be enthusiastic and aren't afraid to reach out, so I wanted to take the name back because being a try hard could be a pejorative, right, like [it] could be bit of an insult. But I was like, you know, I realize anybody that gets anywhere is exactly that. "The older I've gotten, I've realized the people that kind of get anywhere and have some longevity aren't afraid to be enthusiastic and aren't afraid to reach out." We talked a bit about being a try hard and how you modified that perception. Is the book kind of part of taking that back? The book is an attempt to pull back the curtain on just what my daily life looks like. People over the years have said, "Max, you should write an autobiography about tales from the road," and I really have no interest in that — in sex, drugs, rock and roll — because we don't really have a lot of that in our band to be honest, but what I am interested [in] is just talking about how one goes about their daily life. So whenever anybody's asked me, "Max, how did you find the band? Or how did he start writing songs? Or how do you think about marketing? Or how do you think of money? Or how did you guys pull off the Grey Cup halftime show? Or how do you guys think about touring?" — whenever I can get into those really matter of fact, sort of nuts and bolts conversations with people, eyes would light up. And I'm like, "Oh, this could be the beginning of a book, having those kind of conversations." What would you like a creative person, a young person starting out to take away from this book? You just have to think about, "How do you make today good?" So I hope, to answer your question, when people read the book, they see it as an opportunity to solve problems in their own creative life and to find solutions in their creative life, because nothing about being in a band is inherently easy or fun. There's nothing about the long hours of preparing for a big tour that's inherently fun or good. But you kind of have to figure out how do you want to feel invested? How do you wanna feel good about it? How do you want to feel like you're growing and evolving? I feel like each chapter is a meditation on that — [it's] a mediation on how do I make today feel really fruitful? I feel like each chapter is a meditation on that — [it's] a mediation on how do I make today feel really fruitful? - Max Kerman You also brought some books to recommend that speak to the creative process like your book, Try Hard. What are they? The Creative Act by Rick Rubin The Creative Act distills the wisdom that renowed music producer Rick Rubin has gathered throughout his career, offering insights on how to connect with creativity. It shows that creativity has a place in everyone's life — and that each of us can expand that space. Rick Rubin is an American record producer, co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings and former co-president of Columbia Records. Max Kerman says:"Rick Rubin [is a] famed record producer — he's worked with everybody from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to the Beastie Boys. He says things in very philosophical terms. The book is short chapters, they're like a page and a half each, they're very meditative. When I was reading it, it felt like a big warm hug." What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is a memoir that explores the impact of running on author Haruki Murakami's life, his passion for music and his successes and failures in writing. Haruki Murakami is an acclaimed Japanese writer. His previous works include Norwegian Wood, Kafka on the Shore, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and 1Q84. He has won several awards for his work, including the Franz Kafka Prize, Noma Literary Prize and the Jerusalem Prize. Max Kerman says: "[Murakami] has this great metaphor about running a marathon and training for marathons and how the first 15, 16 miles of a marathon are always kind of great and fun. You're feeling it. And then miles 17 through 21, you ask yourself, 'Why did I ever sign up for this?' And then the last few miles of the marathon, you're feeling good, and when you get to the finish line, you don't feel euphoria, you just go, 'Huh, I did it.' And that is a great metaphor for writing a book."
