The Academy Is

It seems as if front man William Beckett and guitarist Mike Carden of the Chicago based band, The Academy Is… were destined for great things.  Having known of each other from the local Chicago scene, three years ago no one would have thought they would wind up in a band together.  “We were rivals” William confesses, “We were both in bands, and didn’t like each other at first.”  Wanting to depart from playing acoustically, William went in search of someone who shared the same passion for creating music.  “I wanted to start writing songs with more dimension and be the front man of a rock band. I wanted to change the world.”  It wasn’t long after, Mike’s band reached its demise.  The two rivals gradually found themselves talking more and more; engulfed in amazing conversations about music.  After realizing they were very much alike, they decided to try their hand at writing songs together. 

The next few months were spent recording demos, and in December of 2002, The Academy was born (the “Is” later being added after finding out there was another band of the same name).   Influenced by bands such as U2, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Third Eye Blind and Death Cab for Cutie, The Academy Is… has created a sound that breathes and lives on its own; music that screams out from the depths of your soul and pulls you into itself.  With complicated twists and subtle intricacies, The Academy Is… have created something so honest, so telling, that it is impossible not to get lured in.

It wasn’t long after the two started playing together that they started looking for other members to solidify the lineup.  After finding a second guitarist and drummer, William asked good friend and former band mate’s younger brother, Adam Siska if he wanted to play bass.  A few months later, the band found themselves inside a recording studio recording their first EP, which was released on Chicago based label, LLR records. With the newly released EP, The Academy Is… was pitched to Fueled By Ramen by Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy. Impressed with the young bands live performance, they were asked to join the Florida based indie label’s roster.

Prior to recording their full length, William and Mike spent months in their remote apartment collaborating.  “We really wanted to write songs that we love.” Says William in retrospect, “We wanted to speak to people and tell our story the right way.”  After only being in the studio for 2-3 weeks, they emerged with their most stunning release to date, appropriately titled, Almost Here.  William explains, “We aren’t quite ‘here’ yet.  We are too young to be content and to have everything figured out.  It’s all about pushing each other and each other’s boundaries.  There is always more to accomplish.”  Listed in ASCAP’s hundred most anticipated records of 2005, Almost Here documents the personal struggles we experience throughout life, whether it be with family or loved ones.  The dynamics of the music provide the perfect landscape for the lyrics, which prove that front man William Beckett is wise beyond his years.

In the summer of 2004, the band underwent a lineup change, finally securing Tom Conrad as second guitar/backing vocalist.  Knowing that the band was also looking for a drummer, Tom asked friend Andy Mrotek from Milwaukee to join (better known as “Butcher” for his previous dealings in the meat industry

Since then, The Academy Is has been handpicked for tours with Fall Out Boy, Something Corporate, Midtown, Matchbook Romance, Motion City Soundtrack, Hidden in Plain View, and Armor For Sleep, rapidly expanding their fan base.  The band will release their debut full length Almost Here in February 2005 on Fueled By Ramen and will continue to tour throughout the states. 

The Academy Is… are:

William Beckett – vocals
Mike Carden – guitar
Adam Siska – bass
Tom Conrad – guitar/ backing vocals
Andy “The Butcher” Bishop Mrotek - drums