Bio of
The Academy Is...
“We want to move
people… to impact
in them the same way we’ve
been affected through music.”
The Academy Is…almost
never was. Frontman William
Beckett and guitarist Mike
Carden grew up as rivals,
in separate bands on the
Chicago local music scene.
William eventually left
his band, wanting to take
music more seriously and
looking for someone who
shared his passion. Mike’s
band broke up also and the
two 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
and The Academy Is…was
born.
William and Mike share
a love of the classics -
Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin,
U2. These elements, along
with eclectic alternative
influences like Weezer and
Death Cab For Cutie provide
the foundation for Almost
Here, the debut release
from The Academy Is…
Produced by James Paul Wisner
(Dashboard Confessional,
Further Seems Forever, Underoath),
Almost Here is a love letter
to music itself; a smart,
honest record about growing
up, having dreams and making
them come true.
On Almost Here, The Academy
Is…shoots from the
hip and aims for the heart.
“It’s an extreme,
magnified reflection of
who we are as individuals.”
William explains, “Lyrically,
I try to capture experiences
we all have, and genuinely
try to portray the ways
we respond to them.”
From the first notes of
the naturally perfect opening
track, “Attention”
to the raw, explosive “Checkmarks”
the album bursts with infectious
energy. Each song is a perfect
pop picture that is both
self-portrait and mirror.
Since William and Mike
first came together in 2002,
The Academy Is…have
paved their way with lightening
speed. After adding Adam
Siska on bass and a second
guitarist and drummer, the
full band headed into the
studio and recorded an EP
for Chicago label LLR Records.
Pete Wentz from Fall Out
Boy heard it and was so
impressed that he convinced
his label, Fueled By Ramen,
to fly out and see them.
Fueled By Ramen immediately
signed the young band and
put them to work recording
their full-length debut.
Mike and William holed
up in a remote apartment
in a suburb of Chicago,
writing, collaborating and
discovering who they were
as musicians. They wrote
the record essentially about
the record; about being
isolated, broke and exhausted
but utterly exhilarated
at the same time. “I’ll
sing you something you won’t
forget” William challenges
on “Season,”
a song about having one
chance to make it and really
wanting to move people with
music. These themes run
throughout the ten tracks
on Almost Here, as does
the desire to break down
stereotypes and be heard
as themselves. “Almost
Here is a great snapshot
of where our lives are right
now,” William says,
“We really wanted
to speak to people and tell
our story the right way.”
After six months Mike and
William headed to Florida
to record the appropriately
titled Almost Here. “We
aren’t quite ‘here’
yet,” William explains,
“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.”
In 2004 the band underwent
a lineup change, finally
securing Tom Conrad as second
guitar/backing vocalist
and Andy Mrotek on drums.
They hit the road hard,
touring with Fall Out Boy,
Something Corporate, Midtown,
Matchbook Romance, Motion
City Soundtrack and Armor
For Sleep. They perfected
their live shows, with William
coming into his own as a
confident and charismatic
frontman.
The Academy Is… are:
William Beckett –
vocals
Mike Carden – guitar
Adam Siska – bass
Tom Conrad – guitar/
backing vocals
Andy “The Butcher”
Bishop Mrotek - drums