Party-rocking Arcana Kings play for a higher cause

The Arcana Kings have joined forces with the Soldier On program, collaborating on a new song to support Canadian military members with PTSD.

Published Jun 21, 2023 • Last updated 3 hours ago • 4 minute read

The Arcana Kings recently completed a Canadian tour as the opening act for the Headstones. Supplied photo.

The Arcana Kings enjoy music about fast cars and wild parties as much as any red-blooded rock band.

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However, there’s something to be said for deviating from the tried-and-true formula to offer a deeper message. The Arcana Kings accomplished that goal through their latest single, Soldier On, which is named after a program that assists Canadian military veterans struggling with issues like PTSD.

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“We put our heart and soul into writing the music,” guitarist/vocalist Allan Morrison said from Indiana, where the Arcana Kings headlined a festival last weekend called the Bedrock Biker Rally.

“Everybody loves (the song), especially down here. (Americans) are very proud of their veterans and supporting veterans with PTSD. As soon as we pulled in here, they knew the song already because it has been out for a little bit now. We see them singing along in the crowd. It’s pretty well received here and in Canada.”

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It’s also helping the Arcana Kings lend their collective voice to a worthy cause. The initial idea was a donation of merch sales but that quickly evolved when four military vets from Soldier On’s creative writing program shared their experiences in the form of lyrics.

The band turned those powerful words into a song that’s “very close to our hearts.”

“Sometimes it can be tough if you’re just handed lyrics to put to music, but this one seemed to come right out,” said Morrison, who grew up in Davidson. “When we originally did the video and released it, Soldier On did a video showing the writers’ (response to the song). Seeing their reactions, what do you say? It’s almost a tear-jerker.”

The Arcana Kings (L-R): James Picton, Kevin Kyle, Johnny McCuaig and Allan Morrison. Not pictured: Graham Templeman. Supplied photo.

The Arcana Kings are returning to Saskatchewan this week for appearances at the Long Day’s Night Festival in Swift Current (Thursday), Saskatoon’s Black Cat Tavern (Friday) and Parade Days in Indian Head (Saturday).

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The band has deep Saskatchewan roots led by frontman Johnny McCuaig, who lived in Moose Jaw before relocating to B.C. Morrison and Graham Templeman (drums) both reside in Saskatoon while Kevin Kyle (bass) is from Regina. The band has military connections as well through grandfathers who fought in the Second World War. McCuaig’s sister also served in the air force and Kyle was personally in the Canadian navy, spending time as a young man on HMCS Regina.

Kyle can’t help but wonder how life may have changed if he’d stayed.

“I didn’t make a career out of it because music was calling, but I kept in touch with all my friends,” he said. “A lot of them saw combat. Hearing their stories kind of puts it in perspective. Some of these guys are struggling. It just seemed like an obvious choice of what charity to support.”

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The Arcana Kings hope their song sells 40,000 units, which is certified gold in Canada.

Half those proceeds would go to the Soldier On program.

“We’re certainly doing it because we believe in the cause but we’re also doing it because you have to think outside the box in the music biz,” noted Kyle. “(That’s) how you connect with communities and people. We’ve also done co-writes with people in certain communities that are marginalized. There’s a lot of different ways to connect with people through music other than just writing about Trans Ams and parties like we used to.

“It’s how you grow as an artist.”

The AK’s have added another new element to their music by incorporating Morrison’s gritty vocals with McCuaig’s trademark voice. Morrison, who joined the band in 2015, previously fronted his own metal group, Cold Filter.

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“(Soldier On) was my first song with the band that I actually got to sing on a recording,” he said. “We have a few more new ones (coming) that I’ve also been sharing the vocals with John. It’s just adding a new dynamic to our sound so it’s working out really good.”

This is a busy time for the Arcana Kings, who were hand-picked last year to tour with the Headstones. They also perform each spring on the Freemont outdoor stage in Las Vegas and have been invited back to the upcoming Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota. Recently, they had a showcase at Canadian Music Week in Toronto and an appearance in Nashville, with more festivals to come in Canada and the U.S.

The group plans to release more singles until a new album launches later this year. There has also been talk of performing in communities with military bases to promote Soldier On.

“We want to do whatever we can to help,” added Morrison. “We would love nothing more than to hand those four writers a gold record for their contribution. If we can hit that, great. Then we’ve done our job and we give the program some money.

“It’s a good program, good message. I don’t see how anybody could argue that.”

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