The Academy Is…'s second full length, Santi came earlier this year. Can you tell us a little about what the writing process was like?
AS: We were doing some ideas on Warped Tour of two summers ago? '06 maybe. All these years are blurring together… but we started writing, came off the tour and everybody took about three weeks off vacationed, did whatever they wanted to do, to clear their minds and finish up writing. We came in for about a month in Chicago and we wrote the record then and Michael, our new guitar player joined us during that time, which was interesting, to go through a lineup change when writing an album, but it turned out to be very inspiring. We spent a month writing the record together then went in on Halloween of last year started recording the record and we finished the music in about eight days and then did vocals for about a month. Butch Walker was a great producer great guy. Michael, our guitar player, actually used to play with him so there was a lot of chemistry in the studio.
How did the writing process compare to that of your previous albums?
AS: We always say, "You have a lifetime to make your first record. You have a very short, limited amount of time to make your second record especially nowadays when there are such high expectations and such a high demand for music. I think there was a lot—I wouldn't say pressure—making the second record. I think, we were in a place that we wanted to be as far as the label's interest, and we had a producer that we were really confident with. Writing is always a little different with the second record I've found that bands, especially with ours, it's a little different to draw on inspiration because before you're hungry. You're trying to get out of your hometown. You're trying to make it and on the second record you've been touring for the past three years with the same guys. You kind of lose touch with reality. It was good that we did it, the writing in Chicago. It brought us closer to ourselves and to each other.
Why did you choose Butch Walker to produce Santi? What was it like working with him?
AS: We chose Butch because we were big fans of his band, Marvelous Three, in the early 90s and we always knew he was a great song writer and great musician, as well as a great producer and so when we were recording Almost Here, our old album, we actually got a copy of Gabe-- from Cobra Starship's old band, Midtown, did a record Forget What you Know with Butch Walker and we really liked the production on it and we said "one day we'd like to do a record with him." It just so happened that we share management with him so we asked him to do the record and he was very much interested. We just always had the idea for Butch to do the record and so we were really happy.
What was it like adding Mike to the second album? How do you feel it affected the writing?
AS: I think Michael brought a new life into the band and creatively inspired all of us. I wish we had had a little more time to really gel while making the record, but that's the beauty of it, I think, is that it was a pretty spontaneous record. He was very new to the band at the time playing his parts in the studio. We were finding our own in the studio with him, which was really interesting. He's a brilliant studio musician and a great guitar player. We learned a lot from Michael. We're going to work that into the next record that we're going to be recording this winter.
What is the idea behind TAI TV? What made you start filming it?
AS: A few years ago we were bored on tour and we had a little video camera w some funny footage we came up with the idea to put a little TV up on our old website and have tai TV which was a little inside look on the life of the band, or things that we find funny or anything that we feel like sharing with our fans we stopped doing that because our camera guy actually plays bass in Panic! at the Disco now. He was originally our camera guy, and then they parted ways with their bassist. We were on tour together at the time and Jon, our camera guy, expressed that he would really like to join the band. And that was that so it was excellent he joined the band everyone was happy but it left us without a camera guy and at this point we were trying to write not worry about having to film and edit all our stuff so when we were in the studio and finished the record I came to the guys and said I have this friend Jack who I went to high school with, he's going to college for photography and videography and I think it'd be really cool to try bringing him out and maybe bring TAI TV back. It seemed like something our fans had fun with and we did that and Jack as really expressed himself as an artist and tai TV. I think he has a great talent for editing and we put up weekly episodes whether it be funny stuff or serial stuff or just completely goofy crazy crap we're making up on the spot it's a fun way to end the weekend. Give the kids something to go back to school with put one up every Sunday night. Sunday night was always a bummer you have school the next morning, and you have something to check out before you go to bed.
Being recognized as one of Rolling Stones top ten to watch out for had to boost your moral as a band. How has it affected your career, if you feel it has?
AS: Absolutely, I think every press, whether it be good or bad affects your career. I mean, I guess not. Rolling Stone, when they would do Led Zeppelin albums always tore them apart and said Led Zeppelin was terrible. And yet that's the band that our generation views as incredible. So, we can never take what a critic says too seriously whether it is good or bad. You just have to stand for what you stand for and hope the fans relate to it. But, the fact that Rolling Stone did recognize us was very awesome to me. I've been a fan of that magazine forever. It is the music magazine of our time—not just our time but for other generations as well. It's a very respected magazine. To have our photo in it and for them to say something nice about us, it was cool.
Can you share with us your most memorable, and most embarrassing tour moments?
AS: Most memorable… you know I think although I said the over seas tour was kind of a blur; I think the memories I do have are the most memorable going to new countries. I think in Germany I went out on a boat on the middle of the lake. Forget where you are you realize how small the world really is. Some good memories had overseas. It's interesting to go away from your family and friends for a while and also turn your phone off the entire time. See the world. Meet new people. New countries. That has been the most rewarding, and in turn, most memorable thing we've done. Most embarrassing… I fell off the stage once, many years ago. Our guitar player's leg had gotten wrapped around my leg and I moved and he moved at the same time and I was close to the edge. I fell but I don't think there was anyone really there to see us that long ago. Whoever was coming then I don't think still comes now. No one really brings it up but it sucked.
If all of this ended tomorrow, would you have any regrets? Or, do you feel that you have accomplished everything you set out to with The Academy Is…
AS: I think if all this ended tomorrow I would have many regrets. Since I was fifteen and this band started, I've put a lot into this band. It's not to say that we haven't achieved an amount of success that I'm proud of or made records that I'm proud of, I just feel that I haven't done this for as long as I want to and I'm hoping we can continue to do this for awhile. We're all good friends and we have the good chemistry to make music together so I hope that we continue to do that. If it all ended tomorrow, I think I could very much be satisfied and happy with what I had done but I would always have regrets. There are other things in life I'd like to try. Maybe I'll be a teacher. Who knows!
From your perspective as an artist, what do you feel is one of the most pressing issues in the music industry?
AS: That's a very good question. I think in the industry I would say illegal downloading, for sure. It has changed everything. More important than in the industry, I would say in music as a whole, I think a lot of people—not all people, by all means—but a lot of people have closed the door and pigeonholed many genres of music and don't give incredible bands a chance just because I guess the order of press that surrounds them. For example, Pete Doherty, everyone knows he's a junky so they slam him but he's actually made pretty great music. It's my opinion. Everyone is entitled to their own. I think that because of press and because of many things people have cared about the wrong things as opposed to what's good music. The perspectives of fans have changed a lot with the Internet. People know a lot more about artists or bands, people can read up about anything about their personal lives and that can sometimes kill to the connectedness you feel to what someone is singing about. In the industry though I would definitely say illegal downloading. Every industry schmo is panicking, but I think music will continue to be made and continue to be loved and that's all that matters. It's going to evolve as time goes by.
Knowing what you do now, if you could go back in time and tell yourself one thing what would it be and why?
AS: Enjoy the early years. I wish I had documented them better whether it is in photography or anything like that. I feel like what I was saying before about the blur of a tour, what we were talking about before, with many of our tours we can think back but we can't actually remember being there. Certain things that's just how memory works but I wish I had somehow cherished those moments a little better. There was something great about our first tour and like pearl street nightclub. I wish I could relive those times. They were very fun. Not to say that we're not happy now, but the early years were definitely exciting.
If you could live your life for one day as someone else, who would it be? What would you do during that day?
AS: I would become O. J. Simpson and I would confess. No I'm kidding. Maybe I'd become president Bush and go on TV and just make a hilarious fool of myself. I would run with it and say some crazy shit. People would just be like "woah." Then I would hang myself or something. As long as I cold wake back up as myself the next day.
Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us!
AS: No problem. Enjoy the show!
the full interview can be read at www.hollyanne.net
