The Academic have reached #1 on the Irish charts and have toured with the iconic The Rolling Stones, The Strokes, and Catfish and The Bottlemen. Lucky for us, MWN had the pleasure of virtually attending a zoom press conference for the band. The event focused on what the guys have been up to during lockdown and the creation of their latest ep ‘Acting My Age.’ The next day we were treated to a live online concert of the entirety of Acting My Age as well as other fan favourites like Bear Claws and Why Can’t We Be Friends. Our personal favourite off the new EP is Them. Craig explained that it’s about his younger sister. He states that he’s the most proud of the lyric: perfecting the art of an Irish goodbye, leaving the party with tears in your eyes. A lovely sentiment. Stephen said his favourite is Sunroof. From start to finish, this EP will have you dancing.
– Click here to listen to ‘Acting My Age’ on Spotify –
The Creation of the music video for Anything Can Happen:
The music video was gonna have to be done during lockdown. The directors had an idea to do couples. We didn’t think the lyrics suited the idea. We thought it was dark and more about getting their life back. But now with the couples it works with quarantine because people are falling in love during quarantine.
What’s the most important thing you learned while creating this ep:
Patience and not to force it. The payoff was a nice feeling when the lyric landed and the chorus came. It was worth the wait.
On Working Remotely:
“We’ve had to become good at cinematography and working on music. We each had our own set up in our homes before, we just have to communicate more when working.
What would you keep from the current writing process :
It’s been nice to reflect and be aware of what’s happening in the world. I want to bring that into our music moving forward. More self-awareness is what we want to bring in the future.
Collaborating with new people during writing sessions:
This EP is a mix of producers and 3 self produced tracks. It’s a healthy mix of us doing it by ourselves and we love meeting new people and going to studios in new places.
What has Covid taught you:
There needs to be a push towards more digital support for artists. We need to examine music as a life form, and how artists make their money. The whole platform needs to be looked at. The consumption of music needs to improve in order for artists to make a living. The value for the art of an artist isn’t what it used to be. It’s hard to just survive off streaming. Without gigs it’s hard to be supported, and it would be nice if the services helped musicians out.
On signing with Capitol Records:
We’ve been an independent band for 6 or 7 years. It felt like the right time getting the experience with them. We love being with them!
On the explosion of irish bands (Fontaines DC, The Murder Capitol) and the specialty of irish music:
Sonically we all might be different. I think the best art gets made during turbulent times. We all came up from the Dublin scene and it’s essentially a test to the venues there.
Meeting The Rolling Stones:
It was like meeting royalty and is unforgettable
The Craziest experience while On tour:
During our tour in the States with our friends Judah and the lion a piece of metal on the highway hit our window and broke it right in front of us. Austin, Texas nearly killed us and it was the last day of the tour.
The Academic on the differences between crowds in various cities:
All crowds are different from Ireland. The difference is that no crowd is the same.
What are you looking forward to after the release:
A pint of Guinness, maybe gigs whenever normal life returns. Gigs and Guiness!