Few 20-year-olds are taken seriously in the music business. But Adam Siska, bassist for the Chicago-based pop rock band The Academy Is ..., is one who has the industry's attention.
Featured in Rolling Stone as one of 2007's "10 Artists to Watch," The Academy Is ... bring their hook-heavy, energetic sound to the 9:30 club tonight as co-headliners for "Bill and Trav's Bogus Journey Tour" along with We The Kings, Carolina Liar and Hey Monday.
But the idea of headlining a tour across the country wasn't even a thought when Siska first met lead singer William Beckett at age 12. Beckett had come to Siska's home to audition for Siska's older brother's band, and the two bonded over shared musical tastes.
"I remember hearing our drum set being played in the basement of my house," Siska said in an interview with The Eagle. "I went down there, and there was William Beckett, this tall, skinny kid with a buzz cut and cargo shorts on, playing the drums."
Siska and Beckett remained friends through high school and always talked of playing in a band together. They added Michael Carden to the lineup and The Academy Is ... was born. Though they had high aspirations, Siska said, they never expected their current level of success.
Their lucky break came in 2004, when they received an endorsement from Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz. Fueled By Ramen signed them, and The Academy Is ... released their major label debut, "Almost Here" in 2005 and immediately began touring to support the record.
The band kept a frantic pace, alternating between touring and recording. But the fast pace of the industry didn't scare Siska. Only a year after recording their sophomore album "Santi" in 2007, The Academy Is ... returned to the studio and released their third album, "Fast Times at Barrington High" this past August.
Siska said recording albums quickly worked well for the band, and that they planned on releasing singles frequently to continually produce fresh music.
"You want to keep it spontaneous," he said. "[We] play whatever comes naturally and have a good time."
But the quick turn around didn't mean The Academy Is ... churned out another "Santi." Siska described that as chaotic and raw, and said "Fast Times" allowed the band to explore a more deliberate sound.
"On this record, we wanted to approach the occasional 'less is more' mentality," he said. "We wanted to approach the idea that ultimately the songs and melodies were the most important part of the album, which was not necessarily the mentality on 'Santi.' On that, we just wanted to make noise and have some fun."
The Academy Is ... plans to bring plenty of noise and fun to the 9:30 club during their D.C. visit. Siska said the band had played in D.C. during one of their first tours and called the support from the crowd "incredible."
"We always make sure that we book [the] 9:30 club," he said. "It's actually one of our favorite places to play."
After the results of this year's presidential election, the visit is even more meaningful, Siska added.
"We love D.C.," he said. "Plus, we're really excited to come out and go down by the White House and feel excited about the man who's going to be living there."
You can reach this staff writer at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
