Arms Akimbo

Los Angeles indie rock four piece Arms Akimbo – comprised of Peter Schrupp, Christopher Kalil, Colin Boppell, and Matt Sutton – found each other as college students in southern California. With one self-release under their belt – their debut EP Vignette was released mere months after they formed – they’re back to capture your attention with their new single “Michigan”.

A tranquil transition in with gorgeous guitar cords sincerely brings this song to life. The lyrics are honest, with an insane depth to the vocals present in “Michigan”. It’s a song about loneliness, love – both for yourself and for the people around you – and a bittersweet anthem to adolescence. It’s got that end-of-summer punch to it as well, giving us adrenaline for days.

We’re not sure how these four guys found each other, but we are so glad that they did. - Impose Magazine

Arms Akimbo make emotional, full-throttle indie-rock propelled by galloping rhythms and sharp guitar riffs. The L.A. quartet — Peter Schrupp, Christopher Kalil, Colin Boppell and Matt Sutton — met as students at Loyola Marymount University, unveiling their self-produced EP “Vignettes” in 2015. Now they have followed up with a pair of singles, “Little Insensitive” and “Michigan,” the latter, Kalil says, a personal tribute to his late grandfather. “Little Insensitive” employs some Local Natives-type rhythmic complexity, along with call-and-response vocals, and both songs build to au courant gang choruses that make for excellent shout-alongs. One thing for sure: You’re not likely to have arms akimbo while watching Arms Akimbo. - BuzzBandsLA

Arms Akimbo, an emerging new indie rock band from Los Angeles, have released their second single, "Michigan". Incredibly catchy and reminiscent of the mid-2000 indie era, "Michigan" brings life to the genre. Full of great guitar riffs and raucous drums, Arms Akimbo are easily one of my favorite "to watch" bands right now. We were lucky enough to interview them:

GRRRL: How did you form Arms Akimbo?

AA: (Peter) We started out as a school project. Our guitarist, Chris needed to record a band for his thesis project and I had written some songs that seemed to fit the bill. Around that time, Colin (our drummer) and I had just started writing songs together, and our bassist Matt was studying in Spain. We had to just hope he would be willing to join the band when he got back to the states. Sure enough, we started putting shows together. In just under a year, we have put out an EP, recorded 2 new singles, and played quite a few shows around California. We're stoked :)

GRRRL: Where does the name come from?

AA: There was a character in the animated show "Freakazoid", named Arms Akimbo. He just resonated with us.

GRRRL: What has been your proudest moment as a band thus far?

AA: (Chris) Well, I'm gonna cheat and give two answers. The first was when we finished producing Vignettes. It was the first project we ever did as a band and being able to say we did everything on our own - from the production to the album artwork - was really cool. The second was when we sold out The Study after the release of our first new single, "Little Insensitive". We worked so hard to make sure everything came together with the single release and the show was basically our huge celebration. It was the first time we had a line of fans wrapped around the corner of the venue. And to cap it all off, Matt had been in the hospital all day and still somehow managed to make it in time to play the show.

Oh and opening for Walk The Moon was pretty cool too.

GRRRL: Best concert you've been to recently?

AA: (Peter) Colin and I just saw Matt Corby in January. One the best musicians, entertainers, and true talents in the world. He's also humble beyond belief. I find myself struggling to really connect with a lot of music these days. I think the novelty of discovering new acts has worn off...not with Matt Corby though. He kinda cuts through the bullshit. And he whipped a flute out of nowhere during the set!

GRRRL: What is your favorite LA venue to play at and see a show at?

AA: (Matt) I love going to shows at the Fonda. The ambiance is great and the acoustics are fantastic. Playing there is a definite goal of mine. My favorite venue we've played so far is probably The Viper Room.

GRRRL: Tell me about your upcoming single, "Michigan", are you working on a full length album?

AA: (Chris) Michigan is a song I wrote about 3 years ago after my grandpa passed away, so it has always been really special to me and it was a song that I kept to myself for a while. All I had was a raw, acoustic version, so when I finally had the opportunity to bring it to the band, I really had no idea what it to expect. In just a couple hours, the boys helped me turn it from a bare-bones idea into a completed vision. I've been waiting to hear the song for a long time, so recording with Stephen Gomez (The Summer Set) and finally hearing the mastered track was an absolute dream come true. Its got a Portugal. The Man meets The Black Parade vibe and energy to it and we could not be more excited to share it with everyone! As of right now we are more focused on putting out singles that we can put all of our effort into, but we do have plans to make a full length sometime in the future. - GRRRL Music

The blend of emo rock together with traditional indie, makes Arms Akimbo’s Michigan impossible not to fall in love with.

A fair well to all of our pasts, Michigan’s guitar work draws towards an unknown future surrounded by optimistic scopohloblia, as the California group gaze back upon their early years.

A coming of age track by simple definition, Michigan arms itself with the emotional prowess of mid My Chem’ and Smashing Pumpkins, as the near five minute track summons up a variation of raw emotions, from pure joy to anxiety loaded fear.

As self warnings turn into depleted hope, Michigan summons up a final foley, with an emphatic chorus of gut punching chords thrown together with anthem worthy lyrics, turning Arms Akimbo’s momentous break through, into an eventual old favourite and teen classic. - Velvet Independent

To stand with arms akimbo—hands fixed imperiously at the hips—is akin to being brash, presumptuous, and intimidatingly dominant.

At least that’s what any book on body language will tell you.

Yet, Arms Akimbo band members—Chris Kalil, Colin Boppell, Peter Schrupp, and Matt Sutton—collectively stand with humility, but no less the purpose and drive required to break through the glass ceiling of superstardom.

The four, aged 20 to 21, converged at the institution they currently attend, Loyola Marymount University, where individual projects soon gave way to unity. Commonalities like attending the same open mikes, having membership to the same fraternity, being a recording artist major, all favorably influenced cause-and-effect matrices, enabling the four to become a super sum of individual parts.

And in only the last two months since they’ve been performing live, including opening the prestigious KXLU Fest II on campus grounds on Sunday, April 26th, peers have begun to take notice of a certain, intangible, hard-to-put-into-words greatness developing.

“I honestly feel like they’re going places. They remind me of the band Arctic Monkeys, but with a certain niche and appeal that can go even further. They would not look out of place at Coachella, maybe even headliners one day,” says KXLU Fest attendee and LMU freshman student-singer-actress, Natalie Sharp.

“Even if you don’t find their type of music to match your tastes, you still have to admit that their work is smart, soulful, and catchy,” says festival attendee and LMU senior, Taylor Wong.

As evidenced by fans Natalie and Taylor, it’s easy to compliment, but it’s difficult to compliment insightfully and pointedly. To do so, the vibe of what is being watched or judged—in this case, a band—has to complement the eyes and ears of the audience, piquing its curiosity with perfect pitch.

The band’s 20-minute set at the KXLU Fest did just that, having the cumbersome task of setting the tone for the rest of the six-and-a-half-hour extravaganza, and doing so in the kind of memorable fashion that begets the prideful statement, no different than a parent proudly ruminating on the growth of his/her child, of “I was there before Arms Akimbo became huge.”

With Peter taking on mostly the duty of lead vocals, Chris the lead guitar, Matt the bass guitar, and Colin the drums, the band covered four out of five songs from its new digital album, “Vignettes.”

The first three songs—“Shakin’,” “Simmer,” (perhaps the most radio-ready) and “A Part Apart”—answer existential answers and pose new questions about the vagaries of love, passion and, well, life.

Brilliant lyrics aside, as in the latter song, like, “You can reach inside of me, you can pull at all the strings, once the sweetest part of me has soured in the rain,” the band members worked ingeniously toward body-tingling crescendos that built from a foundation of crowd participation, fervently gritty singing, moving guitar-playing, and spiritually soothing drum beats.

All that being said, however, it was in the band’s final song of the day, and its favorite one to perform, “Seven Mirrors,” when jaws dropped and ears ‘gasmed. The reaction transpired the very moment all four members worked a row of Conga drums in ceremonial unison before lead singer Peter Schrupp erupted with waves of a repeated wistful wail of “Oh you gotta let me know, won’t you let me know.”

Oh, we know.

These guys are going to be stars.

For more information on Arms Akimbo’s album and how to purchase it, visit: armsakimboband.bandcamp.com/releases

For upcoming appearances and to keep tabs with the band, visit: facebook.com/pages/Arms-Akimbo/1555730188027809

Photos courtesy of Chris Braun. - SoCal Life

Get to Know: Arms Akimbo

February 1, 2016
A few days back, I was told I’d been given the opportunity to interview the lead singer of Arms Akimbo, only to be pleasantly surprised with the whole band once the time came to ask my questions. The band hasn’t even been together a full year and I found their compatibility and long-term thinking to be extremely impressive. With their EP Vignettes released in Spring of 2015, it’s about time the boys released new music, and they tell us about their new single and plans for the coming year. Their smart rock sound is one LA Locals can be proud of—learn about their new endeavors below:



Tell us about your roles in Arms Akimbo.

Peter Schrupp: I’m Peter, and I do lead vocals and lead guitar.

Chris Kalil: I’m Chris, and I also do vocals and guitar.

Matt Sutton: I’m Matt, and I handle vocals and guitar, as well—kidding, I play bass and drums.

Colin Boppell: Colin, and I also play bass and drums.





Where does the name “Arms Akimbo” come from?

Peter: So, there was this cartoon I really liked growing up called “Freakazoid,” and one of the villains in it was called Arms Akimbo and he could only have his hands on his hips, which is what “arms akimbo” means, by the way. But yeah, I really like that animator—his name is Bruce Timm—and it felt like the right name for us.



In one word, describe what 2015 was like for Arms Akimbo.

Matt: Polishing

Colin: Preparation

Chris: Learning

Peter: Refreshing



Tell us about the new single, i.e. writing/recording process, timeline, etc.

Peter: We hadn’t really done any shows when the EP first came out—we were just getting started and everything was self-produced, so this single is kind of the first real step forward for us. This past year has just been us laying some good groundwork for this point and this single is the first fully collaborative experience for us, too—everyone had a part in writing this song. Like, Chris came up with the lick and I kind of put vocals over that and then with the bass and drums… It was just really the first sign of us working as a full, cohesive unit.

Matt: For the recording process, though, we got to work with Stephen Gomez from The Summer Set, and we linked up with him after seeing him work with our buddies in False Puppet. He produced their album Gibraltar and just seeing the difference he made for them—like, seeing how polished and professional they were after working with him, excited us. He seemed to fill in their missing pieces and we were looking for that next step, so we’re excited that we’ve gotten to work on two singles with him.
"Little Insensitive" by Arms Akimbo comes out February 2nd
"Little Insensitive" by Arms Akimbo comes out February 2nd



Should we expect similar sounds to the EP or something new?

Peter: This song is just a great launching point from Vignettes— it’s a slightly new direction, but it feels like more like growth on what we’ve already been doing. It’s a little bit bigger sounding and like I said before, this next step has just made this feel like a cohesive unit of a band and not just a college thing, and that’s where this sound is going.



Plans for the single release?

Chris: The single is being released on February 2nd, and we’ll be having a huge release show at The Study in Hollywood to celebrate. It’s really become one of our favorite venues and we’ve been dying to play there, so it only makes sense.



What has been your favorite show you’ve played together?

Chris: Definitely when we got to open for Walk the Moon at Fallapalooza—being able to experience that was amazing, it was a dream come true.

Colin: For me, it was when we played Molly Malone’s. I didn’t actually get to step foot inside until we went on, so I had no idea how it was inside or how the crowd had been, so getting on stage and getting this crazy warm atmosphere was so great. So, yeah that show was a really fun one-- totally worth having to use the bathroom at Jack in the Box.

What song(s) have you been listening to most in 2016 so far?

Peter: Monday by Matt Corby

Matt: Chris actually showed it to me, but Sasquatch .22 by Bay Faction—really awesome song, super raw.

Colin: Multi Love by Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Chris: Sunday Candy by Chance the Rapper. I probably watched his SNL performance around a thousand times—he’s also just one of my favorite artists, in general.



Where do you see Arms Akimbo this time next year?

Peter: This is all incredibly new territory for us and this really marks the new chapter. Everything up to this point has felt like really good groundwork. We just want to expand ourselves. We really want to hit the road and see people in cities that aren’t our own and maybe they’ll already know us and maybe they won’t, but they will when we leave.



If you’re 21+, come see Arms Akimbo headline at The Study in Hollywood this Tuesday, February 2nd to welcome their new single the proper way.



Keep up with them and their ambitions on social media:

SoundCloud: Arms Akimbo

Facebook: Arms Akimbo

IG: armsakimbo_official

Twitter: @ArmsAkimboBand - Broken Entertainment

Hello all, and welcome back to Hopped on Pop for another music review! Today I’m covering the debut EP of Arms Akimbo, an indie “student band” hailing from the Golden State. The lineup features Chris Kalil, who released The Low E.P. last year as Kilimanjaro, which I reviewed around this time a year ago.

1. Shakin’
2. Simmer
3. Seven Mirrors
4. Baby Doses
5. A Part, Apart

The EP opener is sunny and upbeat, with lilting vocals that at once mesmerize and energize the listener. True to the EP’s name, Shakin’ sounds – more than anything else – like the prologue to a deep and weaving story, whose chapters are told in discrete and self-contained selections (in other words, in vignettes). The diversity of the ensuing tracklist supports this theme as we go forward, from the hoppin’ rock beats of Simmer to the grand finale in A Part, Apart.

Arms Akimbo’s Vignettes is a decidedly different effort from band member Chris Kalil’s previous work; obviously this is a band effort now, so it reflects that collective creative vision. The only unmistakable remnant of Kalil’s Kilimanjaro period is the beautiful, Tyler the Creator-esque Baby Doses (even the title sounds like that of a Tyler song). It’s an entrancing piano (and trip-hop-esque) track that represents the only radical departure from what the rest of the album has to offer. That’s not to say it’s out of place; in fact, it flows so naturally from the end of Seven Mirrors that I almost didn’t notice I was listening to a new track. Instead, think of it as a gear change as the story prepares you for the end.

The rest of the album reminds me of a mash-up between early Rolling Stones, a sound that seems to be popular in indie rock circles these days, and the clean, sophisticated (read: dapper cool) production of such pop rock bands as The 1975 (see also this). Then add in a dash of Californian sensibility, at once chilled out and chock-full of happy energy – if you listen real carefully to the Afro-beats in such tracks as Seven Mirrors, you can almost hear some Surfaris bleeding through.

The harmonies are fantastic, their infectious percussion takes a page right out of Stomp’s playbook, and the songwriting is tight. It’s clear that Arms Akimbo got together a skilled and versatile group that loves the music for its own sake. That love comes out in the beauty and fun of the tracks, individually and collectively. As usual I don’t rate music on Hopped on Pop, but give this one a spin. It’s going to make a great soundtrack for summer driving, perhaps with a sparkling diamond ocean rushing by your side.

You can grab Vignettes from their Bandcamp page (click the album art above) and preview it on Spotify, but as usual I urge you to support the artist. After all, this is the first indie band I’ve reviewed whose work is now also available on iTunes! Check them out today. Thanks for reading all, and I’ll see you next week. - Hopped On Pop

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