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Arkells fan harnesses power of social media, scores unreleased copy of new album - here in the Sault (4 photos)

Korri MacDonald was travelling across Canada when he asked the well-known Canadian rock band for some new tunes. He ended up with an unreleased copy of the new Arkells album - and a CD player to listen to it on - thanks to some Sault connections

Korri MacDonald thought it would be appropriate to listen to some Arkells tunes while travelling through Ontario during his move from Alberta to Nova Scotia - but he wasn’t banking on the adventure that was about to unfold in Sault Ste. Marie. 

On Aug. 17, MacDonald sent a message to the popular Canadian rock band via Twitter in hopes of maybe scoring some new music from Arkells’ forthcoming album, Campfire Chords.

The very next day, he had an advance CD copy of the unreleased album in his hands after waking up in the Sault.    

“Basically we were driving from Kenora into Sault Ste. Marie - and right around Thunder Bay, I kind of had the idea, just jokingly with my roommate here to tweet out and see if we could get a copy of it,” he said. 

MacDonald lost cell phone reception for about two hours while heading to the Sault, but when he did finally get some reception, he realized that he had received a message from the band on social media. 

Arkells wanted to know his route through Ontario so they could help the longtime fan out with some new material for the long road trip. As it turns out, the parents of the Arkells’ manager, Ashley Poitevin, were heading back home to the Sault from Toronto.  

“It just so happened that I was going to be in Sault Ste. Marie that night. They had given a burnt copy of it to their manager’s parents who were driving from Toronto to Sault Ste. Marie that same day, and they got in contact with them and figured out my itinerary for the evening and coordinated to drop it off,” MacDonald said.

The next morning, MacDonald woke up to discover that the CD copy of Campfire Chords had been delivered to the front desk of the hotel he was staying at in the Sault. 

But there was one catch. 

“The truck we were in didn’t actually have a CD player, so I had tweeted out about needing a CD player or Discman or something to hook it up to - and that in itself took on its life on the internet,” MacDonald said. 

Saultites answered the call on social media, offering a number of suggestions. Village Media Account Strategist Brianne Veale and her partner, Daniel Shunock, offered to help MacDonald out with a CD player that Shunock had located in his parents’ basement.  

“I got in contact with Bri [Veale], and she had confirmed with me that there was one that they had that worked. They dropped it off that same morning at the hotel for me,” MacDonald said. 

MacDonald says he’s extended thanks to the Arkells team, and plans on sending a special ‘Nova Scotia care package’ to Veale and Shunock for their generosity during his stop in the Sault.   

At first, MacDonald was hoping to score a digital copy of Campfire Chords. He says that acquiring the new Arkells album - in CD format, no less - ultimately became the adventure.  

“I had the joke that once I got it here, once we get home, I have to frame it - it’ll be a piece of Canadian music history, and I think I’m in possession of the most famous boombox east of Ontario,” he said. 

Arkells’ new album Campfire Chords will be released Aug. 20.  


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James Hopkin

About the Author: James Hopkin

James Hopkin is a reporter for SooToday in Sault Ste. Marie
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