Gracing Austin City Limits Music Festival with their Canadian rock flare, Arkells is ready to take the big stage at the second weekend of ACL. The five-member band gives listeners the perfect roll down the windows, scream at the top of your lungs jam in “American Dream” off their unreleased album “Rally Cry,” coming out on Oct. 19.

You can catch Arkells’ at 5:45 p.m., Friday at ACL on the BMI stage.

Story by Hayli Rudolph

ORANGE Magazine spoke with lead singer, Max Kerman about tour stories, fan tattoos and more.

1. In your latest single “Relentless,” you sing you “have gas in the tank to go all night long.” If you did had a full tank, where would you go?

I like a good road trip. I’d head south. Hit up some college hoops in North Carolina. Then some college football in Alabama. Pop over to NOLA for some tunes. And then end up in Miami for some beaches.

2. You’ve played multiple music festivals before ACL. How do you prepare for that kind of experience?

Typically it’s a “throw and go” situation. There’s no soundcheck or time to be precious. You immediately dial back your expectations for how it might sound on stage. But you also play the festival for the opportunity to win over some new folks. So you keep your eyes on the prize.

3. What can fans expect with your latest album “Rally Cry”?

It’s always hard to predict how a new piece of music will be received, because we’re so inside the process. Something to us might sound like a very obvious direction, might seem very unexpected. But we’re very excited about this record. It’s our most focused effort yet. 10 songs. There’s no meandering about. Lyrically and production wise, the intention of the song should be very apparent.

4. What’s your favorite tour story?

We were playing in Sheffield, UK, opening for Frank Turner. The crowd was awesome, and very spirited. And then at the end of the set they started chanting “YOU’RE SHIT, YOU’RE SHIT…”

This kind of thing has never happened to us. So we’re on stage and very confused. We played our final number and got the hell out of there. After the show, the locals clarified that they were singing “YORKSHIRE, YORKSHIRE,” the name of the area we were in. They could tell by the look in my eyes I was very confused.

5. What do you do five minutes before show time?

Just try to project positive vibes out in the world. If anyone in the band is stressed or anxious, it can mess with the mood.

6. Your songs have been played at weddings and fans have started getting your lyrics tattooed on them. What’s it like to be a part of people’s lives in such an intimate way?

It’s pretty amazing. The music is meant to be shared, so to know we’ve made our way into some stranger’s life, is truly a gift. It reminds me that we’re all connected.

7. What song can you not stop listening to right now?

I really like Electricity by Silk City and Dua Lipa.

8. What is your go-to karaoke song?

Probably something by Britney or BSB. “She’s so lucky…she’s a star!”

9. If you could be one other band member for a day, who would you be?

I’d probably be Tony cuz I would kill to be that good at the piano.