When The Academy Is… first busted out on the scene, emo was nearing its peak and the fragmentation of the genre was just beginning. While “scene” bands were experimenting with dance beats (i.e. Hellogoodbye, Panic! At the Disco), The Academy Is… stuck to the rock end of the spectrum, which was evident on their 2005 Fueled By Ramen debut Almost Here. Packed with feisty indie rock/borderline emo anthems, Almost Here struck a chord with the “I just want a hug” generation. Parading their adoration for the band’s brand and logo, kids sported T-shirts with their ‘70s-styled logo as “I’m more emo that you are” badges of honor.
Now two and a half years later, the band stands ready to release their second album. Instead of proudly carrying the emo torch, The Academy is… brandish a different flame. They have re-emerged with a swankier, grittier album in Santi. It’s glammier, hammier and swishes and sashays like a straight-edge Ziggy Stardust on a half dozen Red Bulls.
While some die-hard fans see the album as a misstep, Santi seems to push the band a little harder, almost backing them into a corner, so much so that they come out kicking and screaming to a glittery T. Rex beat. It’s a harder record, but also more melodic, thanks to popsmith producer, Butch Walker who worked with Avril Lavigne, Lindsay Lohan and Simple Plan… Relax, he also worked with Hot Hot Heat, Sevendust and Quietdrive too. But what else has Butch Walker contributed to The Academy Is…?
“Recently I’ve acquired a taste for red wine, thanks to Butch,” says vocalist William Beckett. “I’ll never have Butch Walker’s extensive knowledge of wines, but I’m trying. As for Butch, I wouldn’t call him a wino, but I wouldn’t not call him a wino either.”
So, this is your second album. How scary was it going into the recording of it?
I wouldn’t necessarily say that it was scary. I think there were a few moments of nerves setting in, anxiety and sleepless nights.
Was the old “sophomore curse” causing the anxiety?
Yeah, I guess that was it. Our sound has grown and evolved into what I consider The Academy Is… actually is.
What is the actual sound of The Academy Is…?
I’ll tell you this much: it’s much less angst-ridden than it used to be.
What’s emo without the angst?
I don’t know why people consider us “emo.” We’re not really emo. We’re pretty much a rock band. We write our songs like conventional rock songs.
From what I heard, I’d have to agree with you. This album sounds like there’s much more rock, a lot less “scene.”
I think that it also comes down to the fact that we’re always going to be the hardest on ourselves. I’m a pretty harsh critic, so if I’m proud of what I’m doing and the band is proud of what they’re doing collectively, and we’re challenged by ourselves and each other. We’re all pretty proud of this album and that’s the only thing that matters most. So we’re in a good spot.
Your sound has evolved dramatically. How has the last three years contributed to that?
The way we listen to songs is a lot different now. We used to listen to music in a more formulaic kind of way… sort of like a doctor’s eye, instead of listening to it as a music lover. When we wrote Almost Here, we tried to figure out how things were done instead of what sounded good. With this record though, we’re making sure it sounds good instead of making sure it sounds “right.” We’ve been exposed to a lot of other bands in the last two years, like the Raconteurs, The Replacements, and even The Kooks. Our musical palette is getting a lot more diverse.
This record is very tight…so tight that it feels almost as if there’s no room for a misstep.
We were very focused [in making this record]. In the early stages, there were a lot of verse/chorus ideas floating around. We had a lot of pieces initially that spawned into songs that they are now. It all happened really quickly.
How much of that focus did producer Butch Walker contribute? He’s the golden boy right now. How did you nab him to produce your record?
We’ve been close friends with Butch for two years now. We share the same management, and in fact, the same manager.
Wow, that’s quite, advantageous.
Well yeah. We were lucky. When we first met, he saw us perform live, and afterwards, he said we should do a record together one day. Two years later, we’re doing the record and it’s incredible.
Considering he produced Avril, Pink, and even Lindsay Lohan, did he try to slop on a little Top 40 pop onto your music?
Nah, man… Butch really gets what we’re doing. It’s a very free but focused environment where we call the shots and he helps us. It’s very real and fast. Nothing is being toyed with on computers.
You mentioned that the recording was fast. Do you feel it was rushed?
No, not at all. When you make a record that feels good, the pace is relative. We had enough of a budget and enough time in the studio, so it wasn’t as if speed was of the essence. When I hear that a lot of bands take six months to two years in a studio, I wonder what the hell they’re doing in there.
So you went into the studio with complete songs?
Well, we like to go [into the studio] prepared. All the music and melodies were fully realized before we went in. I’m very proud of the musicians in this band. We’ve come a long way. I stand by the fact that we’re very good musicians. It’s a great supporting cast and when you’re on the same page like we are, it’s very easy to be productive in a shorter period of time. Like the song “Bulls in Brooklyn.” The Butcher [drummer Andy Mrotek] wrote that song and it was done before we recorded it. It was great because we didn’t have to work on it too much.
How involved was Butch Walker in the writing of the album?
Butch is a master songsmith, but he respects us as songwriters and artists. He’s been a real help with me with little nuances and melodies. He’ll make suggestions while I’m in the booth—it’s a very inspiring process but he doesn’t get too involved. At the end of the day, it’s all on us and that’s the way that we intended [the album] to unfold.
Is there a lyrical theme on this record?
I’m drawn to write about things that are fundamentally part of life… like wants, confusion, needs, domestic concerns and problems.
Sounds very down-to-earth and pedestrian. Is it an album about touring [laughs]?
No one wants to hear a record about touring [laughs]. That would be a real shortsighted way to approach a record. I feel personally that if I wrote a whole record about touring the past two and a half years, it’d be boring. I’m never moved by records like that.
Well Radiohead did a whole movie called Meeting People Is Easy about the monotony of touring.
When it comes down to music and writing a second record, touring wasn’t the subject. It was the vehicle to talk about all the other things that we’re going through… like the struggle of the daily grind, schedules, the monotony…
And the interviews…
Yeah, the interviews [laughs]… Everyone has some form of exposing themselves to people… Some things that we go through are a little more magnified. The best that I can do is broaden my perspective. That’s one of the great things about having time off… We get a chance to reflect on what the hell has been going on in our lives in the past two years.
So, is this record is a lot more autobiographical?
It’s hard to get much more autobiographical than I did on Almost Here. I got to a point where a lot of people know a lot about me and my personal life.
You should’ve shielded yourself a lot more, like write in metaphors or anecdotes.
The only reason why I write the way I do is because music is the only medium in which I can express myself. I’m not a good speaker or communicator. This is my only outlet. Through this dissection of myself and exposing these things about myself, it becomes an inspiration.
Sounds almost like self-referential catharsis.
I really like artists like Elliott Smith and Ryan Adams, because those guys bled on paper. They were very honest and smart about it. It wasn’t just agonizing drone of self-pity and hopelessness. There’s a lot of beauty in that.
So is Almost Here a snapshot of your life before you gained fame and fortune and Santi is the period once you found it?
Definitely. I had this same conversation recently with a friend of mine, JR in Less Than Jake, who has the same outlook on writing music as I do. For me, I always try to bring some balance into the record. Writing songs is very therapeutic for me. It brings me back to that center, the honesty of self-reflection of what’s going on in my life, all my faults, all the things that I’ve done, all the fun times. If taking a picture could heal you, then I guess this record is a healing snapshot.
Almost Here sounded like you had a lot of preconceived notions of fame, almost giving the finger to the press, as if you expected them to hate or ignore the record.
Well, it was all self-inflicted. And that’s the thing. We expected a lot of each other and of ourselves. There wasn’t any outside pressure because no one was really that invested in it where it really would have made a big difference on the money end of things. Now, however, more people have a little more money invested [laughs].
Ah, the old “label needs to move units” story.
Yeah, but I also think we’re better prepared going into this record that it’s not about that. It’s three years later and we’ve toured for almost 21 months straight. After all that, after struggling to pay our rent in our hometown and having crappy retail jobs. We’ve seen the world. We’ve done a lot of headlining shows. We’ve gained a lot of experience, both in life and in the music industry.
So “Black Mamba” came to fruition then?
Kinda but at the same time, it’s like, “What if you simplify everything?” Our needs are the same… It doesn’t matter from what walk of life you’re from. Most people at the end of the day are affected by the same things. Everyone wants to fall in love. Everyone wants to have a family. Everyone wants to be close to the people they love… for the most part. That’s what this record is about.
So dare I say that you’re “maturing?”
It’s not really maturing. We’re coming to grips to who we are, and we’re realizing that everything comes back to the same fundamentals. I think that it reflects very naturally and genuinely in the new record.
Wow, that’s kinda… well, very basic.
That’s one thing about us. I can say that we’re all humble, honest people. We’re from working, Midwest families that brought us up to value the things that we have and not waste them. We do appreciate where we’re at right now and we’re extremely proud of what we’ve earned. So honestly, we’re going to remain as frugal…
Frugal? Don’t tell me you’re cheapskates.
Okay, well, maybe not frugal, but humble and level-headed as we are. We’re not crazy rock ‘n’ roll guys that party all the time. We’re music lovers and songwriters—we’re artists. For us, it’s completely about music.
Wow, how… boring.
Don’t get me wrong, we have our nights. We’re a very social band, but there aren’t any strip clubs involved.
