The Academy Is…

I knew little about The Academy Is… before I went on to interview guitarist Mike Carden. ‘Almost Here’, the band’s first album released in 2005 was a great success for them with hit songs like “Checkmarks”, “Slow Down” and “The Phrase That Pays”.

They recently released their sophomore album, ‘Santi’. You have probably heard “We’ve got a Big Mess on Our Hands”, the albums first single. The video for this song features many artists such as Pete Wentz, who signed the band to his label, Decaydence.

It was during the Honda Civic Tour 2007 where they were playing alongside label mates Cobra Starship, Paul Wall, +44 and Fall Out Boy that I got the opportunity to spend some time with Mike in the band’s dressing room, where crew and band were all hanging out. I was very curious to discover more about this pop-punk/emo rock band and little did I know that this interview wasn’t going to be one I would soon forget.

But you’ll have to keep reading to find out who our surprise visitor was.

CONFRONT: So, we’re with Mike Carden from The Academy Is… in Montreal.

MIKE: Right on!

CONFRONT: How are you?

MIKE: I’m great, I’m great! Chris, can you grab that door and close it?

CONFRONT: Is it your first time in Montreal?

MIKE: No! No, it’s not. I’m trying to think… I know we did Warped Tour here.

CONFRONT: Yes, that’s true!

MIKE: And I think maybe another tour… I’m bad with that. (Adressing band mate, Andy ‘The Butcher’ Mrotek) Was it with [The All American Rejects] that we came here? I don’t know.

Andy wasn’t sure either.

CONFRONT: With Fall Out Boy as well? Last year?

MIKE: No, not on that tour. Well ok, I don’t even know… But we’re glad to be back!

CONFRONT: Cool, so you like it?

MIKE: Yes, absolutely! Yeah we had a good time here. We had a real good time.
(Addressing Andy again) You remember that one night? On Warped Tour? Yeah…

All laughing

CONFRONT: William mentions in the intro video on the website, that after the release and promotion of your new album ‘Santi’ and with The Honda Civic Tour, that you guys are really happy with where you are in your career right now.

MIKE: Absolutely.

CONFRONT: What’s the next step after this then?

MIKE: It’s a good question. Just, you know, obviously finish up this tour. I guess the new thing is the other territories in the world where we get to… You know, go to England and Europe and go to Japan. And we’re going for the first time in Australia this summer.

CONFRONT: With Cobra Starship right?

MIKE: Yes! Exactly, exactly. So I guess, it’s not really goals but I think you just kind of evolve into other things that you want to do, you know what I mean? So we’re really happy with where we’re at, with who we get to tour, but…

CONFRONT: You don’t necessarily assume it’s a given?

MIKE: Yeah! Exactly! Just keep moving, just listening to music and starting to write new music again. I don’t think we’re that band that really wants to take a lot of time, I think, once you’re touring, we’re finding that writing is a little easier on the road this time around.

CONFRONT: Sweet. After 3 years of touring, this one’s the biggest.

MIKE: The biggest? Yeah, yeah!

CONFRONT: So William said that it inspired you to kind of, step up. How do you achieve that everyday, what is your drive?

MIKE: Well Warped Tour is a bit laid back in the sense that it’s a very community vibe, all the bands and everything else and it is like this on this tour too. But just that there’s a certain professionalism that goes into a show like this where it’s five bands. This amount of people coming to see especially one band, you know what I mean? So, I think it really goes back to how we used to tour, we get a bit spoiled on headlining because it’s a more laid back kind of thing and everyone’s there to basically see your band. So they’re there by choice, they bought the ticket and they enjoyed the record and they want to see it live. This [tour] there’s a great amount of people that do know The Academy Is… but there’s also an even greater number that either haven’t heard or just don’t know or aren’t in the know and maybe heard Fall Out Boy from another. And I think, in seeing that, it’s a really good opportunity to get to people that don’t necessarily keep their ears to the ground.

CONFRONT: So it’s always trying to keep their attention.

MIKE: Yeah! Hopefully yeah! And getting people that maybe wouldn’t be able to get into The Academy Is… They wouldn’t just stumble upon it. So this is a nice way to kind of bring it. We’ve always felt, I mean I always feel and I think I can speak for the rest of the band, that you can hear about The Academy Is… in any way; if it’s MySpace or from a friend or from this concert or that concert.

CONFRONT: Totally. Great! You were in Blender Magazine’s 25 Reasons to Love 2007, Rolling Stone’s Top Ten Artists to Watch and Alternative Press’ cover title said: The Academy Is… Under Pressure. How do you deal with all these expectations?

MIKE: Oh! I mean, it’s weird because ‘Almost Here’ surpassed our expectations completely, just as a band. And that record for us was a record that we just toured and toured and toured on. So it’s hard because, for me, I see baby steps because I’m here every day. So when you look at like the key points, every band has certain landmark kind of things that happen: the record reaches this or they go on a headlining tour. So you start seeing all those things and it’s like: “Wow! That must be so…” But in reality, to be completely honest, you see it much more gradually. And you see the build that you do and obviously you get very excited; like for example yesterday we played Conan O’Brien on TV.

CONFRONT: Yeah! How was that?

MIKE: It was great! But it’s surreal to think that you hear about it you know, I heard about it two months ago, we all looked at each other and we were all just: “Wow that’s crazy!” you know? I remember taping bands, you know, on a VCR waiting for them to play. And then during those two months, you kind of don’t think about it too much because it’s like: “Ok great we’re doing it, we’re really happy about it.” And then you go on tour and you keep doing your thing. And then all of a sudden we’re in the dressing room and they’re doing the show and it’s Mike Myers and you’re kind of going: “How…?” Do you know what I mean? And you have moments like that, I mean everyone has moments like that, but especially that moment in particular for me jumped out yesterday, that I was just like: “What are we…?” you know. So when you talk about expectations, I just go: “This is all crazy anyway!”

Laughing

CONFRONT: Yeah!

MIKE: You know, in the best of ways! So go figure…

CONFRONT: So it’s just, let’s take it day by day.

MIKE: Yeah! For sure, for sure!
CONFRONT: Someone said, in the writing of ‘Almost Here’, that you just think about things in a grander scheme and how someone else would relate to it? How do you think people will relate to ‘Santi’?

MIKE: I mean, the feedback that I’ve heard or seen or read or the crowd responses or the meet and greets have been all very positive. I think it is a bit of a different record in the sense that it’s just us people, how we’ve evolved as musicians. So, as far as lyrically or…?

CONFRONT: Yeah, like with their lives, how they can relate to it…

MIKE: I think, basically, after Warped Tour it was kind of a weird time for the band in a sense, because things were kind of in a weird place; and when you’re on tour so much, you kind of loose sight of real reality. And then you come home and you realize what your friends are doing, what your family, what your brothers and sisters, even your parents have done in the last two and half years while you were out touring. And you always have moments like this and I think there’s a lot of reflection on the record about that. And I think William did a nice job of… As opposed to taking a very selfish [route] and writing about the road and things that are very trivial [like] how long the drive was, he took a different approach on it, which I’m very proud that he did.

CONFRONT: The song “Seed”, to me when I read it was about how love can be disappointing. It’s always like a race and a fight. Do you think that for our generation it’s getting harder?

MIKE: Yeah! I mean, I think so! You know, that’s kind of the way I view the song too; that it’s this back and forth emotional fight within the music and within the lyrics. I’m probably the wrong guy to ask about it (laughing) but yeah!

CONFRONT: (Laughing) Thank you. So what’s the first thing that you will do when you come home after touring?

MIKE: I usually go home and I sit down with my parents and we have diner. And I hang out with my dog Romeo. So I like to do that… And if my brother is home, I like to hang out with him. You know, as far as being home, it’s always nice sleeping in your own bed, that’s always a nice thing. [Not that I don’t] love sleeping in the bunks on the bus too…

Laughing

MIKE: But, that’s basically it yeah.

CONFRONT: Good! Which song in ‘Santi’ touches you the most personally?

MIKE: It’s funny because it’s “Seed”. Yeah that’s my favorite song.

CONFRONT: Definitely mine too.

MIKE: Cool! Right on, right on!

CONFRONT: You said you compose on tour, so what inspires you the most?

MIKE: Music! Other music, you know. Yeah, just listening to a lot of music I think, if you constantly like… I remember when I first started playing guitar and I was probably like twelve you know, thirteen, fourteen, and all day long I had headphones on and all I did was listen to music. And it made me want to be in a band and everything else. And I think that’s always important and as you get older, other things come into your life where you know; obviously you have to balance with certain things. With touring, with whatever it is that you’re doing. But I think for me, the thing I’m realizing is having music always around you, you absorb those ideas. I mean it would be similar to reading a lot and then next thing you know your vocabulary is changing. I mean, it’s all natural. So I think that’s the best way to do anything. If you constantly absorb yourself with new music or old music or you know go: “Hey! What are you listening to?” And that’s my new thing, I have this weird thing and we talk about it sometimes: you’re walking down the street and you see somebody walking with their iPod and you’re wondering: what are they’re listening to and what really makes them, you know, tick.

CONFRONT: Yeah exactly! That’s great. Do you have a routine, motto, ceremony, before every show, all of you guys, before you go on stage?

MIKE: Lately, we’ve been just again, listening to music; just the stuff that’s a bit more upbeat and gets you ready for the vibe. There’s a bit of you know, vocal warm ups or anything like that. I know William does a bit more than all of us in that sense.

CONFRONT: What would you be doing right now if you weren’t in this band?

MIKE: I don’t know what I’d be doing. I mean I’d probably finish up school and do something like that.

CONFRONT: What were you studying?

MIKE: I’d study probably history or something like that. I mean now I would say I’d work somewhere in the music business but, that’s only because I know what I know now and I don’t even know if I know that much! (laughing) But yeah… I know Butcher would work for me (looking at his friend) right? We’ve done this before yeah!

BUTCHER: Construction…

MIKE: Construction yeah! We’d probably do construction me and Butcher, start some business. Chris would be the boss of it!

CHRIS: That’s right!

All laugh

CONFRONT: What’s your funniest Warped Tour moment? You’ve done it for two years right?

MIKE: Our funniest Warped Tour moment. It would probably be, well not mine, but it would probably be Bill falling off the stage.

All laugh

MIKE: It was that weird thing where when someone completely falls and they bounce back like nothing’s happening but you know the dude’s in so much pain. And he’s acting over like, compensating for how much damage he’s done.

All Laughing

MIKE: So I thought that was kind of you know… it was funny in the sense of…
(Addressing Butcher who was talking further away now) Yeah! It was the sound he made right? It was like a big yelp. I mean it’s funny now. Obviously at the time…

CONFRONT: Yeah…

MIKE: I mean, I don’t know, maybe me and Butcher were laughing right afterwards but…

All laughing

MIKE: The thing about Bill is, especially on that tour, like we totally saw that coming at one point so… There you have it! That’s just one of them, there’s a few more.

CONFRONT: What do you miss the most from home while you’re on tour?

MIKE: I mean, it’s weird and I know this is going to sound kind of almost overdramatic, but like a lot of the guys I hang out with at home are Tony and Sisky and Chris and Butcher, at Tony’s house, so we hang out a lot, so as far as friends. I mean there’s obviously normal things as far as family and stuff like that, but that’s about it, you know.

CONFRONT: CONFRONT’s main objective is to redefine mainstream. To us it’s just the ability to reach a lot of people. What do you think mainstream is?

MIKE: As far as just culturally like, improving or…?

CONFRONT: Because there’s this big, usually people say that it’s bad necessarily if you’re mainstream or…

MIKE: I mean, it just matters what your intentions are. I mean, if you want it right. I think anything that’s word of mouth. If it’s a product or a band or a movie or anything, if it’s good, people will know about it and the word of mouth will spread and that will be much more long lasting than that initial big press for something and shoving it down people’s throats.

As mike was about to continue, our conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. Fall Out Boy’s bassist Pete Wentz burst into the room, followed by 2 cameramen and a couple of VJs from Musique Plus – our local music television station – as well as William, The Academy Is’… front man.

I later found out that Pete had been making surprise entrances in all the other bands’ dressing rooms while co-hosting a show for the station. His face went a bit red when he realized how quiet the room was and that there was another interview going on.

PETE: Hey!!!

CONFRONT: Hi!

MIKE: Hey! (Laughing)

CONFRONT: How are you?

MIKE: How you doing?

PETE: How are you guys? Oh, you’re doing a real interview right now?

Everyone laughing hard.

CONFRONT and MIKE: Yeah! (Laughing)

PETE: You don’t want a fun interview?

MIKE: I want a fun interview! What have you got for me?

Pete started laughing some more but decided instead, to interview Butcher for the show he was working on.

CONFRONT: So what’s were your first and last albums purchased?

MIKE: Oh! First? First was like ‘Nervermind’

CONFRONT: Yeah?

MIKE: Yeah, yeah. Nirvana. And latest was the new, what is it? Peter Bjorn… oh…

CONFRONT: Oh! The whistling song there?

MIKE: Yeah!

CONFRONT: Great!

MIKE: (looking at the list on his iPod) We got it right here, Peter Bjorn and John.

CONFRONT: Peter Bjorn and John, that’s it! Great! First and last concert?

MIKE: First and last… First I saw, I mean probably just something with my dad, some blues band I don’t even know, when I was very young. Last was… Two days ago in West Virginia, playing… supporting Fall Out Boy!

We were distracted by again by the shenanigans of Pete and friends as Butcher was attempting to lift his shirt in order to show the tattoos on his back that extended way beyond the elastic of his tidy-whiteys. Lucky for you, that was also captured on film. If you haven’t already watched the video above, you really should.

CONFRONT: (Still laughing) Awesome! Thank you so much!

MIKE: Awesome! Thank you, thank you. I appreciate it.

I shook Mike’s hand and as discretely as possible let myself out of the room not to interrupt the on going Musique Plus interviews.

Angel, CONFRONT’s editor, who was waiting for her interview with Cobra Starship’s Gabe Saporta immediately burst out laughing when she saw me come out of the room, knowing full well our interview had been amusingly interrupted by Pete Wentz and friends. Overall, this was an awesome experience and certainly an interview I will never forget!

I stayed for the concert at the Bell Centre afterwards and had a great time! I sang along to The Academy Is… latest hit songs “We’ve Got a Big Mess on Our Hands” and “Neighbors”. They gave a very powerful performance and I’m sure gathered more fans in Montreal as well as in all the cities The Honda Civic Tour 2007 has been to.

For more on The Academy Is…, visit:

www.myspace.com/theacademyis
www.theacademyis.com