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To say that The Academy Is... is a band on the rise would be a huge understatement. Since the release of Almost Here, The Academy Is... have become one of the front runners of their scene, gaining tons of fans everywhere and selling out venues across the nation. This interview took place on August 6 with bassist Adam Siska during their Jersey stop at Warped Tour, and mentions bios, Chicago and their upcoming album, among other things.
PL: State something interesting about yourself.
TAI: I do photography as a hobby. I've been trying to capture the places that we've been traveling to and the opportunities that we've had lately by taking photos and putting them up on the website. People are really into that. Its always been a hobby of mine as a kid, and I've gotten a little more serious with it.
PL: Do you ever read the press sheets or bios of your band?
TAI: We do. Most of the time they say the same thing, because they come from our publicist, but some of them are a little bit different.
PL: Some of them seem a little bit silly.
TAI: Most of that shit is-especially promos. We hate our promos, we hate our bios; I think every band is gonna say that. Its so hard to find something that really represents the band. If I had it my way, our band promo would just say "Come see us live and check out the record."
Thats all you need to know. Come watch us live; you'll get the full image and the whole understanding of what our band is about and listen to the record so you'll really get the whole message.
PL: That'd give your press guy a really easy job.
TAI: I wish it could be that simple.
PL: Whats the best part of Warped Tour?
TAI: The friends. I didn't really realize this, but in the last few years of touring, we meet a lot of people. Its not so much you forget about them, because you have a great time with them, and when you come to Warped Tour, its almost like this family reunion kind of a thing. You see people that you haven't seen in so long. Its awesome in the sense that you come together and see what you've done on tour. You get to see all the kids that come out to shows and all the people you've met. Thats one of the best feelings, and its really a showing of what you've done in the past couple years.
PL: Does playing in a band feel like a job to you?
TAI: Not at all. It almost scares me. I have a girlfriend back home and she's gonna graduate soon and she'll have to go out and find a real job, and she'll have to tell her boss that she has to take some time off to see her boyfriend who she hasn't seen in a long time. Its never been a job. It doesn't feel like it. I feel like one of the luckiest guys out there to be able to do what I'm doing.
PL: Cubs or White Sox?
TAI: I'm gonna have to go with the Cubs. We've got some big Sox fans in our crew, but I grew up with my dad taking me to the Cubs. I'm definitely more of a North Side kind of a guy. I'm gonna have to give it to the blue.
PL: How do you feel about their season so far?
TAI: I know its been a little rough, but I'm the wrong person to be asking about baseball. You should be talking to our singer when it comes to baseball.
PL: Whats a little known fact about Chicago?
TAI: Blue collar. Its a hard working city with hard working people. I think that ethic is very important and I think our band tries to carry that on. I think all of us kind of grew up with it. Everything about it is blue collar and I love that. I love that about my city. I've been all over the world, but when I come home and see the skyline I realize that there is no city like this. Its so diverse with the weather and people and food, and its not overbearing at all. You can breathe, you can live it and enjoy it, and there's so much culture. I don't even feel like I've completely indulged in it.
PL: Whats one album, besides your own, that you think all kids should have in their collection?
TAI: One very very impactful album growing up for me was In Utero by Nirvana. I've always been a big Nirvana fan, but In Utero was something like-I feel like our band has taken a lot of chances, and everything about that album was taking chances. They went to Steve Albini to produce it, some of the arrangements and some of the tone levels are insane, and I love it. I think everybody needs to listen to that CD.
PL: Describe your upcoming album in four syllables or less.
TAI: Let me think about that. I guess hopeful; not in the sense that our band is hoping that its gonna do well, because we know its gonna be great, but we want to give a message of keeping that hope and keeping it positive. Bands out there don't usually have a message, and even if they do have a message, its not a positive one. Our band always tries to keep it positive and be real about it. We want to keep it strong and beautiful, and the more you live your life like that, the happier you'll be.
