The Academic is an Irish pop-punk band consisting of childhood friends turned rock stars. With lockdown creating a barrier for musicians to make new music, these four men took it upon themselves to write, record, and produce their brand new EP Community Spirit. Although they were familiar with the process of making music, doing it in their own homes, by themselves created a project for them. Challenges aside, they learned and persevered to create an EP that took them back to their roots.
Community Spirit is composed of some songs that were written in their early teenage years. With the first single released “Kids (Don’t End Up Like Me)” reflecting on the feeling of being trapped in the same place, we hear a song that is relatable in many different stages of people’s lives. Craig describes it as,
“We were just playing like four kids again which was kind of the essence of the EP and what brought about the name. Like that song is extremely old and was written when we were teenagers, and we didn’t even have cars. We were reliant on our parents dropping us around to play guitar together. So that was kind of the essence of the whole EP. The feeling of being home even though we had escaped it and got to go elsewhere.”
Community Spirit was released this week and has an all-around feeling of nostalgia to it. From songs that are melancholy, to organic, to beats you can’t get out of your head, this EP is perfect for a late-night bonfire or a drive under the starry sky.
Watch the official video for The Academic’s song “Kids (Don’t End Up Like Me)” here:
Stephen says, “It’s strange the effect that time can have on lyrics. Cause the lyrics stayed almost the exact same on “Kids”. I suppose when we wrote it when we were younger it felt like looking forward and very anxious. But now that we’re a bit older it seems much more self-reflective.”
The Academic took a chance on this EP with it being something completely new to them. Their fans have had an extremely positive reaction to the home-made Community Spirit. They can’t wait to get back on the road and play these songs for a live audience. You can check out their EP on all streaming services now!
