(Artist Report)

Written by: Ginny Gaines   

The Academic are a four-piece band from a small town in Ireland called Killucan. They started playing together in high school and quickly realized they had something special. The group includes Craig (singer), Dean (drummer), Matthew (guitarist), and Stephen (bass player). They’ve been making awesome indie rock music since 2013. They built their following the old-fashioned way by playing local gigs, writing good songs, and slowly growing from a small town band into one of Ireland’s most popular modern rock groups.

Think upbeat guitar licks, big choruses you want to sing along to, and lyrics that feel like they’re written by someone who gets what it’s like to be young, confused, hopeful and figuring life out. They’re inspired by bands like The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys, but they’ve got their own Irish twist.

In 2015, The Academic released their EP titled Loose Friends. This EP release made waves in Ireland and helped them get noticed abroad. The band released their debut album titled Tales from the Backseat in 2018. This album has 10 songs on it that include "Permanent Vacation," "Bear Claws," "Bite My Tongue," "Northern Boy," "Why Can't We Be Friends?," and "Girlfriends." This album went viral thanks to a super creative live video where they used Facebook’s delay feature to build the song layer by layer.

The quartet released an EP in 2020 titled Acting My Age in 2020. This EP has 6 tracks on it that include "Anything Could Happen," "Unspoken," "Sunroof," and "Happy Hour." This EP gave the band a chance to experiment but still was indie rock with a touch of electronics. In 2023, The Academic released their most current album titled Sitting Pretty. This album has 13 songs on it tat include "Pushing Up Daisies," "What's Wrong With Me," "This Is Your Life," "Homesick," "Let Go Of My Heart," and "Buying Smokes." This album went to #1 in Ireland. It had them tour the U.S. and even open for Louis Tomlinson from One Direction.

They’ve opened for legends like The Rolling Stones and played with big names like Noel Gallagher and The Kooks. Their concerts are known for being loud, fun, and full of energy where people sing along, jump around, and leave feeling like they were part of something. They bring energy and charm to their shows whether they’re playing small clubs or big festival stages.

The Academic aren’t just good musicians, they’re clever and creative. That “Bear Claws” video wasn’t just cool, it showed how indie bands can use tech in smart ways to get noticed. They’ve stayed true to their roots while growing into a band that’s loved far beyond Ireland. The band is still active, putting out new music and playing live shows in Ireland, the UK, and beyond. To keep up with what they’re doing next, the best bet is to follow their social media sites.

That will do it for this report on The Academic. Thank you for reading!! In closing, please just know, Soundwave Music Media will be here and I will always do my best to bring you the rock music report! Please consider supporting me and the crew by purchasing a Soundwave shirt or hat and support our sponsors! Until next time... Rock on friends🤘

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