{"title":"The Academic","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Academic is an indie rock band hailing from Mullingar, Ireland. Formed in 2013, the four-piece group consists of Craig Fitzgerald on vocals and guitar, Dean Gavin on drums, Matthew Murtagh on bass, and Stephen Murtagh on guitar. With their infectious energy and catchy melodies, The Academic has gained a loyal following both in Ireland and internationally. Their debut album \"Tales From The Backseat\" was released in 2018 to critical acclaim. Known for their dynamic live performances, The Academic continues to captivate audiences with their heartfelt lyrics and anthemic sound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSince their formation, The Academic has been making waves in the music industry with their unique blend of indie rock and pop sensibilities. They have toured extensively across Europe and North America, sharing stages with renowned acts such as Twenty One Pilots and Catfish and the Bottlemen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith a growing discography that includes hit singles like \"Bear Claws\" and \"Why Can't We Be Friends?\", The Academic has proven themselves to be a force to be reckoned with in the alternative music scene. Their music resonates with listeners of all ages, capturing the essence of youth while addressing universal themes of love, friendship, and self-discovery.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"community-spirit","title":"Community Spirit","description":"\u003cp\u003eAvailable exclusively for Record Store Day 2022 is The Academic’s Community Spirit EP. This is the first physical release for the EP, which was self-recorded and produced by the band during 2021. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Capitol","offers":[{"title":"White | 12\" - 1145704","offer_id":50406381781323,"sku":"1145704","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/fc8c9c82-fdf5-4c6f-a622-e721ac54cfcf_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726585779"},{"product_id":"acting-my-age","title":"Acting My Age","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen The Rolling Stones handpick you to open up for them at Ireland’s biggest stadium, you know you’re onto a winner. Ireland’s most exciting new export are The Academic; 2020’s Mick Jagger-approved indie-pop princes-in-waiting. A party-starting four-piece, their super-uplifting, hugely melodic guitar-driven sound is the product of a tight-knit gang who’ve been playing together since school, when they first bonded over the sounds of The Strokes and Vampire Weekend.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is a taut six-song EP, led by the brisk new wave styled single \u003ci\u003eAnything Could Happen\u003c\/i\u003e, which draws from the stop-start rhythms of Talking Heads and Elvis Costello. With lyrics about those who are “saving all your feelings for Saturday night” and going on benders of the emotional kind, it’s a song about personal growth, friendship and accepting that nobody is perfect.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe tracks were produced by Nick Hodgson, former drummer with the Kaiser Chiefs, who has since collaborated with Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson, and Duran Duran.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Capitol","offers":[{"title":"Orange | 12\"","offer_id":50465611546955,"sku":"1093983","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/665f6464-a8a9-406f-8794-4b06f2e246d0_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727293612"},{"product_id":"loose-friends","title":"Loose Friends","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis four piece indie band from Ireland released their long-awaited debut EP in 2015 and this Record Store Day sees it pressed onto 12\" vinyl for the first time. Features the singles\u003ci\u003e Different \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eNorthern Boy\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Universal","offers":[{"title":"Black | 12\"","offer_id":50498770960715,"sku":"1089818","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/3269377e-5fb6-45ac-a4bd-1fa361483982_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727756934"},{"product_id":"sitting-pretty","title":"Sitting Pretty","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSitting Pretty\u003c\/i\u003e is an album about navigating life in your 20s; the uncertainties and the ever-shifting sense of self. “It’s about the entrance into true adulthood and how that can alienate you from yourself, making you feel like you’re playing a supporting role in your own life,” the band explain. “In one moment feeling 100% certain about everything, only to become overwhelmed with feelings of aimlessness and lack of direction in the next.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStaying true to the idiosyncrasies that have cultivated their ever-growing fanbase  however, The Academic persist in finding the fun and the romance within the transience of it all. “Ultimately it’s about finding your feet, feeling the weight of time passing on your shoulders, and trying to enjoy the good times and meaningful relationships along the way.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003ePushing Up Daisies\u003c\/i\u003e is the sound of a confident young band cutting loose. It’s a gritty return for a band who have a penchant for cramming more melody into their singles than most bands manage across a full album. The sound is direct and riotous – a band ready to announce themselves properly, far beyond the Irish neighbourhoods that already claim them as hometown heroes. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOf the song, the band explain: “\u003ci\u003ePushing Up Daisies is our ode to insecurity and ego in equal measure,” the band say. “It tackles the hectic nature of our current circumstances. The ecstatic highs and the unbearable lows of life in you twenties.”\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese four boys from Mullingar step into album two with unshakable intent, having been on something of a journey of discovery since the success of their self-released debut, \u003ci\u003eTales From The Backseat \u003c\/i\u003ewhich debuted at number 1 in Ireland. At the tail end of the Summer, they unleashed \u003ci\u003eDon’t Take It Personally\u003c\/i\u003e a song which, not unlike \u003ci\u003ePushing Up Daisies\u003c\/i\u003e, puts the young masculine ego under the spotlight; in both its immovable heft and its frail fractures. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBack in Mullingar, there’s long been a sense of when rather than if The Academic will become a serious concern outside of their home country, and become a band that excite and unite fans right across the globe. And whilst their self-released debut album shot straight to number one in their home country the band deliberately held their nerve before introducing their music further afield. It’s a strategy that is surely now destined to pay dividends. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"EMI","offers":[{"title":"Orange LP","offer_id":50504516436299,"sku":"2001038","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50504515617099,"sku":"2001036","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50504516010315,"sku":"2001037","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Screenshot_2022-10-26_at_17.10.23_9e7af1ba_thumbnail_4096.png?v=1727806349"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_eeec5d43_thumbnail_4096_f4859c1e-3f29-4e74-9ca5-92db9af1c7c8.jpg?v=1726585755","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/the-academic.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}