The band’s latest visual brings its criticism of concentrated power to a hometown setting.
Arkells have released the video for “Handshake Thugs,” using Hamilton City Centre as its backdrop. The clip arrived November 6, three days after the single. The release announcement details the project.
Director Jack Harrison filmed inside and on top of the former indoor mall. The emptied-out location gives the performance a distinct connection to the band’s home city.
The video presents its title figures as faceless presences encountered through digital platforms. Its mix of analog textures and digital effects extends the song’s argument into the visuals.
Frontman Max Kerman describes the track as a response to people at the top protecting their own power. That is the band’s framing of the song, which turns its attention toward inequality rather than individual street-level villains.
Gus van Go produced the track, the band’s first new release since Between Us arrived earlier this year. Harrison had previously collaborated with Arkells on visual effects for “Dance With You.”
The release comes during the band’s continuing Canadian City Takeover shows. That format brings multiple performances into different local clubs, keeping the emphasis on smaller rooms while the new single enters their repertoire.
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