{"id":778,"date":"2020-05-25T12:55:29","date_gmt":"2020-05-25T12:55:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/?post_type=feature&p=778"},"modified":"2021-03-08T14:11:14","modified_gmt":"2021-03-08T14:11:14","slug":"the-academic","status":"publish","type":"music-features","link":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/music-features\/the-academic\/","title":{"rendered":"THE ACADEMIC"},"author":1,"template":"","tags":[358],"category_post":[13],"acf":{"intro_copy":"It\u2019s been five years since we first heard their music, and The Academic is now considered worthy to stand alongside the Killers, Strokes, and Kooks, just to name a few of their indie pop contemporaries. ","smudge":false,"section_news":[{"acf_fc_layout":"copy_image","image":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/The-Academic_band-photo.jpg","image_orientation":"landscape","copy":"

Known for their catchy guitar riffs and feel-good choruses, the Mullingar quartet is reinventing the pop\/rock genre and giving Irish fans something to be proud of.\u00a0 2018\/19 saw many milestones for the band, but 2020 is already having its memory-worthy moments, from a recent new single release to the band\u2019s personal efforts to tackle COVID-19 blues. <\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy","copy":"

Beginnings<\/b><\/h2>\n

Lead vocalist Craig Fitzgerald, drummer Dean Gavin, and brothers Matthew (guitar) and Stephen (bass) Murtagh met between at the ripe young age of thirteen in County Westmeath.\u00a0 By the time the boys were in their late teens, and after playing under other names and alongside other bandmates, they officialised their status as a quartet under the name The Academic.\u00a0 Their gigging hometown of Mullingar soon became too small for them as their popularity and fan base quickly grew.\u00a0 By 2013 The Academics were playing Vicar Street with Delorentos, the Other Voices gig that December, and finally were the support act of The Pixies during the summer of 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Hot New Musical Prospect<\/b><\/h2>\n

In 2015 The Academic released its debut <\/span>Loose Friends<\/span><\/i> EP, bringing the quartet to households across Europe and the US.\u00a0 The album took radio stations by surprise with its new wave elements and anthem-worthy choruses, giving music critics something\u00a0 new to pay attention to.\u00a0 The EP\u2019s debut single, \u201cDifferent\u201d was quickly nominated for a Choice Music Prize and soon enough sent the four lads on a 40,000 ticket-sold out tour around the world.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tales from the Backseat<\/b><\/h2>\n

In January of 2018 the band released its first LP album, \u2018Tales from the Backseat\u2019, which went straight to number one in the charts.\u00a0 The band went international with its recording, two songs being produced at Abbey Road, the rest in North Hollywood.\u00a0 Frontman Craig Fitzgerald reflects that by that point the band were \u201cjust a band who played live\u201d, and so this album was quite the challenge for the group.\u00a0 The album\u2019s favoured track, \u201cBear Claws\u201d, was an instant hit, being fit for monstrous speakers and designed to get groups of fans singing along.\u00a0 One thing was for sure, the boys were ready for the big stage.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Rolling Stones, Croke Park<\/b><\/h2>\n

A month before their 2018 Croke Park gig, The Rolling Stones announced The Academic as its support gig.\u00a0 \u201cAfter selling out shows across the US and Europe this year we are happy to welcome them to the No Filter tour!\u201d said the Stones on their Twitter account. To not only perform at this 82,000 people but also open for one of the greatest Rock & Roll bands of all time was surely only slightly overwhelming for the four boys aged only in their early twenties, but The Academic remained confident after finishing a string of sold-out UK dates.\u00a0 The thirty minute opener was a success, getting fans around the stadium up on their feet and singing along to the band’s hits.\u00a0 If they are lucky the boys might be back to take centre stage in Croke Park someday.<\/span><\/p>\n

Live at the Iveagh Gardens EP<\/b><\/h2>\n

In July 2018 The Academic performed its biggest show to date to a lively audience at the Iveagh Gardens.\u00a0 Not a bad gig for the Mullingar boys in the just three short years of their airwaves existence.\u00a0 Such was the success of this unforgettable show that the band decided most recently in April 2020 to release a Live At The Iveagh Gardens EP, with an accompanying music video for the same performance of \u201cBear Claws\u201d featuring the audience jumping in the air and singing along to every word.<\/span><\/p>\n

Facebook Live<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u201cThat got a lot crazier than we thought it would,\u201d remarked Stephen Murtagh in an interview with Red Bull, when talking about the looped version of \u201cBear Claws\u201d that was tested on Facebook Live.\u00a0 The Academic came up with the idea after listening from the backstage area to other bands playing, but noticed that the livestream on Instagram that they were also watching would not have started yet.\u00a0 When anyone goes \u201clive\u201d on Facebook, there is a natural delay before it shows up on your page- and so the four lads teamed up with Facebook who worked to get the delay down to thirty seconds, while the band formed a loop of the song and fit its beat to the same thirty seconds. After rehearsing like crazy and landing a few solid runs, they said to hell with it and waited for the \u201clive\u201d red light to come on.\u00a0 Craig later reflected that this viral \u201cperformance\u201d was even more tense than doing a live television gig.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Anything Could Happen<\/b><\/h2>\n

The Academic delighted fans this May with the release of its new single, \u2018Anything Could Happen\u2019.\u00a0 You\u2019ve probably already seen the song\u2019s artwork, a photo from above of a rooftop girl sunbathing a pair of gorgeous long legs.\u00a0 The song, produced by former Kaiser Chiefs star Nick Hodgson, is already topping the charts with its synth sounds and indie pop edge.\u00a0 Lead singer Craig Fitzgerald tells the press that it is a song whose purpose is to get people once more pumped about being alive, and to break away from the monotony that takes over many of our daily lives.\u00a0 Plans for the single\u2019s music video took a turn when coronavirus took over the world, however.\u00a0 In response, The Academic looked to involve fans by asking for footage of themselves in lockdown- and thus, a video was created.\u00a0 Yes, it also features a string of your coronavirus haircuts, which is all too fitting of the times!<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"video","video_platform":"youtube","video":"DRa4Az1tS1o","facebook_video":"","video_caption":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy","copy":"

If this video is anything to go by, it is safe to say that 2020 is going to be a big year for The Academic, coronavirus or not.\u00a0 Although the string of tour dates across Ireland, the UK, and Europe is currently on pause, \u2018Anything Could Happen\u2019 certainly is not, as it continues to climb the charts.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"cta","copy":"Listen Now","link":"https:\/\/umi.lnk.to\/AnythingHappenWE","cta_copy_color":"#ffffff","alignment":"center"}],"block_type":"video-content","thumbnail_size":"height-2","mobile_image":{"ID":779,"id":779,"title":"The Academic_band 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