Thank you for the free e-book for review, @penguincanada @penguinrandomca. This book publishes tomorrow and although I read it on my kobo, I bet the audiobook narrated by Max will be great too!

We love Arkells in this house (one of about 10 bands my husband and I both love) and we've seen them live probably 6-7 times. They put on an incredible show and I was so excited to read this book which I presumed would focus on their creative process. And it did! But it was also funny, relatable, inspiring, and gave a lot of history about how the band came to be as well as how various songs and albums and even tours/ shows came to fruition. I sat down with this last weekend and read the entire thing in about three sittings and that's not typically the case for me and any type of non-fiction book.

I really think this one would appeal to anyone who wants to add more creativity to their life (in any format!) and of course, I definitely recommend it to fellow fans. Max specifically talked about a Halifax show at the forum years ago that we will never forget and I loved that.

Do you like to read the occasional non-fiction book? Do you have a favourite Arkells song! I have a loose top 10 but after noticing my reaction to Michigan Left at all the concerts I've firmly decided to label it as my true favourite closely followed by 11:11.

🇨🇦🎵🎷🎸🎹

• from the frontman of the canadian rock band arkells, max kerman writes a book that is part history & making of the band, part celebration of the canadian music scene, and part creative manifesto. in exploring his own storytelling and creative process, max illustrates the joy that can be found in collaboration and sharing your art with the world.
• as an arkells fan, i had a lot of fun reading this book. it’s like a peek behind the curtain into the creative life of my local neighbourhood musician (& i mean local, i see max everywhere).
• at times, this book felt a little self-serving, and sometimes i found myself asking what this book is contributing to a space already full of memoirs from musicians & other creatives. it’s one i’d recommend if you’re already a fan of the band, but not necessarily required reading for everyone.

Try Hard is a lovely mix of a band memoir and a love letter to living curiously. It reads like sitting down to a long conversation with that one friend who's always encouraging you to put yourself out there and do that thing you keep talking about doing. Kerman reflects on the career beginnings and success of the band Arkells and all the side projects and explorations they took along the way. The storytelling is conversational, honest, and often self deprecating in a way that endears Max to readers and makes his journey to success and fame feels relatable. This is an ode to anyone who, like Max himself, considers themself not necessarily exceptionally talented, but willing to always try hard.

Loved this book! As an Arkells fan, this was perfect to add to my collection of reads. I loved how Max spoke true & oftentimes without a filter. Thats how fans know him best!

It was inspiring to read about the creative process, and how much it helps to try things differently with new techniques to see what fits. We can all learn a lot from that - to work hard, pivot when you have to, and always, always surround yourself with good people.

The band insider info was great too. I still remember when my sister invited the band to party with us at her wedding, after they played a local show the same night. They couldn’t make it but sent a wedding card signed by every member. Who does that?

I also loved the chapter length. It was like listening to an artist talk at the MuchMusic Intimate and Interactive events.

The Advanced Review Copy (ARC) was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.