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By Kate Brayden

The Academic have turned more than their fair share of heads in 2018.

The Westmeath indie rockers have toured with some massive names, released their debut album Tales From The Backseat to critical acclaim, and have played some of their biggest gigs to date.

We had a chat with Craig Fitzgerald, lead vocalist and guitar player from the band, to ask him about their fanbase, plans for 2019 and exactly how they capture that infectious energy on stage.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The four-piece band have an undeniably dedicated fanbase, clearly responding to lyrics lamenting youth and everything else that comes along with it.

The group is comprised of Fitzgerald, Matthew Murtagh on guitar, Stephen Murtagh playing bass and Dean Gavin on the drumkit, and they are all in their early twenties.

Tales From The Backseat is a hugely impressive debut, and features some of the catchiest songs around right now.

Choosing tracks for the anticipated first album appears to have been a careful affair, the boys recorded most of it in North Hollywood with music veteran Tim Pagnotta.

It's no surprise that the musical offering flew to the top of the charts on home soil.

The boys make music with big pop choruses and indie lyrics, and if you're hearing their songs for the first time, you'll know every word by the time the track concludes.

The lead vocalist and his bandmates have a clear talent for writing music which garner a youthful audience, but does he feel the fans will grow alongside the group?

"I definitely think so. In the first album, there were songs from when we were young, so it made sense. The songs seemed to resonate with younger people. We would like to mature our sound, and that would hopefully intertwine with the fans getting older." 

They've clearly figured out how to find comfort on stage, effortlessly show-casing their extensive touring experience.

Craig describes the special ability of their fans to relate their own adolescence with that of the boys' through his lyrics;

"When we go on tour, we do a lot of meeting the fans, we like to go to the merch table and we like to hear what they thought and we get to say hello," he says.

"A lot of the time what amazes me is that the songs are just stories that were specific to me as a teenager, but it’s amazing how someone can adapt the story to something that they’re going through."

From tales of fake ID's on nights out, to the turbulent relationships and friendships which parallel adolescence, The Academic paint a relatable picture of the unique energy of that time in a person's life.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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It's immediately obvious when you see the band play live that they value their fans' enjoyment of music, and nerves are a thing of the past.

The band met while still in school, and began gigging once they secured their drummer Dean.

Roughly five years later, the lads are essentially pros at what they do, but touring outside of Ireland can be a game-changer for any group or musician.

"When we started and we were playing shows, you begin shy and just want to make sure that you get up and play well," the 24-year-old cites about their initial shows.

"We’ve been given so many great opportunities to go on long tours, like month long tours in the States and Europe and the UK, and I think particularly when you support so many bands over the last couple of years we’ve become so comfortable as musicians together," he added.

"Even more so than when we were just in a shed playing together. I definitely think you lose that scared feeling that you had, because you just have to get up in front of people and play."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The band have learned some valuable lessons on the road, from song-writing to making friends in high musical places, to general tips on how to command a stage. They keep one important thing in mind in particular;

"That’s one thing I think we’ve learned in the past year, is that if we’re not afraid, people won’t be afraid, and they’ll have a good time with us. When we toured with The Kooks, we just kind of watched them and loved how they were just having fun on stage and it wasn’t too serious."

"One thing that I always try to do when I go on stage, is to break down the wall and say let’s not be afraid to make a fool of ourselves."

"The whole thing is crazy, like the fact that people are staring at you playing music. They drop their barrier when they see you having fun."

Confirmed; we stared, we dropped our barrier, we had fun. Then we bought the t-shirt…

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The lads give a lot of time to their fans, and are both aware and respectful of how powerful a fan's love of music can be;

"We appreciate everyone for all their weird and wacky stuff. Music makes them feel a certain way and we appreciate that no matter what it is or whatever song it was that made them attached to us."

Despite their youthful tracklist, high-energy set and the fact that they've only released their debut album this year, the lads have been penning tunes since they were in their mid-teens.

Craig reminisces on the tricks and tips of the trade which his years of the music industry has taught him;

"I’ve been writings since the age of about 15/16, and a lot of those songs are actually on the first album.I think in the beginning, so it’s five years now of song-writing experience, there’s a naivety and you’re not afraid to do anything. Then you start picking up tricks," he muses.

"The one thing I have learned now that we’ve been a band for so long, is that I always want the music to be catchy. One thing I’ve learned is that if it’s catchy, don’t be afraid of it."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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For a band who are considered new to mainstream audiences, they have a level of maturity worth noting, especially when it comes to songwriting;

"That’s what people want to come and see, they want to sing along. You shouldn’t lose your innocence about song-writing, you can still think of crazy things and put them in," the vocalist says.

"The beauty is in the imagination, use it, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box. It’s very important."

When we asked Craig where he would be if The Academic was never formed, his answer remains musical, unsurprisingly.

"Maybe I would have finished college. I went to BIMM, so I would probably work in a musician’s field. Probably in the studio, that was nearly just as strong as songwriting for me. I enjoyed playing with bands too much, so I made that decision." Thank God he did, for our sakes at least.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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After catching their big break after releasing Different from their first EP, radio stations took notice, and it all took off from there. The rest was indie-pop history, but do the lads ever disagree with each other?

You know us, we live for some drama…

"We’re not on the same page all the time (laughs). We usually are in sync when we know a song is good. If a song is obviously screaming out ‘Hey, I’m a good song’, we’re all on board. If there’s a more moody song or more emotional song, that’s when you can have arguments."

"We’ve always written songs together and made sure that everyone’s happy. We’d never really go ahead with a song if one member wasn’t fully happy." Creating absolute bangers and remaining diplomatic? Fair play boys.

We also wanted to know if there's a band out there that Craig would join, you know, if The Academic didn't exist of course. Which would be tragic.

"That’s a really good question, I’ve never been asked that before. We have a band on tour with us as support called Inhaler."

"The reason I enjoyed that band is that it’s so nice watching them because they’re like us four years ago. I’d love to step back to where they are now, getting support slots, heading out and being brand new again. That would be fun. Or else Fleetwood Mac would be great."

If you're wondering what 2019 will bring for the boys, it's some exciting new shows and a return to the studio to nail down some of the material written on the road.

The band will be making a big return to Iveagh Gardens in July, one year on from their concert at the famous outdoor venue, with some brand new (as yet unrecorded) music.

"What I would say we’re really excited about at the moment, is that we haven’t had any studio time in about a year. We’ve been writing songs on the road but we haven’t gotten to play them at all."

In terms of their landmark moments, their most recent gigs remain their favourites;

"I’d have to say, I think we’re all pretty blown away by the weekend we’ve just had. Two Vicar Street gigs and a headliner in Limerick, it was three in a row and every night was brilliant. It got better every time. We’re all still on a high."

The Academic have made some incredible memories in 2018, but they're just getting started.

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Get ready to be glued to your earphones, ladies, because our favourite online store, PrettyLittleThing has announced a brand new podcast.

Introducing PLT: Behind Closed Doors is currently sitting at number one on the podcast charts, and for a good reason.

The brand have described the audio as, "A podcast that is true to its name. A way to connect to our audience in a different way with no subject off limits."

The podcast is essentially a slumber party with the gals, where gossip is the sauce served ALL NIGHT LONG, with some healthy female bonding to boot.

To kick off 2019, the crew are hanging out with their gorgeous girls who inspire them daily. It's time to get to know them a lot better, and luckily they're sharing the footage with their audiences and PLT fans globally.

From stories the models and ambassadors have never shared before, to their everyday routines; it's time to really get into the minds of you favourites and take down the barriers of social media. Real talk.

The nine-part mega series will have you blaring the volume and eagerly awaiting the next episode. On Tuesday 22 of January, the debut podcast featured the absolute BABE that is Maya Jama.

Jama is a face of PLT, a TV personality, fashionista and radio presenter herself, giving us purely good vibes. Describing the podcast in her own words, Maya said;

“So excited for PLT to be stepping into the podcast world with Behind Closed Doors. They flipped the tables and put me in the hot seat. Listen in to hear me talk life, face masks and dealing with stalkers."

Stalkers? This we HAVE to hear.

Behind Closed Doors is the latest gift that keeps on giving. PLT Brand Ambassador Megan Barton Hanson will be breaking boundaries, speaking on subjects personal to her;

“Stripper heels are not the easiest to walk in”, she reveals. “I know there has been a lot of talk about my previous profession, so it feels good to set the record straight and open up about my past with PLT in a fun and comfortable environment.”

It's always fabulous to hear women opening up and getting candid about their everyday lives. We can't wait to hear even more from the clothing brand, check out the first episode for some scandal and slumber party vibes.

Listen to the new podcast on iTunesSpotify & Acast, but leave plenty of time, because you'll be pure BINGEING it.

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Picture This have been announced as the first act to play a brand new summer music festival in Belfast.

Live At The Botanic Gardens is set to be a series of outdoor concerts which will be held in the aesthetic setting of the famous Northern Irish gardens next June.

Early next year, Picture This are heading off on tour around Europe, Canada and the States, but will return to play Belfast for two nights on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 June 2019.

The Irish alternative rock band have confirmed the release of their second album for February 15, entitled MDRN LV.

The lads dropped the first single from the new album, One Drink, back in October and it has dominated the airwaves as the number one radio song in Ireland for three weeks running.

It has also entered the USA top 40 singles chart, breaking the band into a whole new American audience.

They have unveiled their new track Everything or Nothing alongside the music video, and we can't stop listening.

The band are also set to play a huge five night run at Dublin's 3Arena from March 27 until 31 in 2019.

Though they only formed the band two years ago, the foursome from Athy signed to massive US label Republic Records, which boasts Ariana Grande and Drake as other artists signed.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Ryan Hennessy, Jimmy Rainsford, Owen Cardiff and Cliff Deane have achieved incredible success, and are currently Ireland's biggest-selling artists of 2018, with a debut album that enjoyed four weeks at number one.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday 19 December at 9am for Live At The Botanic Gardens on Ticketmaster, and we bet they'll sell out fast.

Get yourselves ready on Wednesday at 8:59am lads.

Feature image credit: Instagram/@bandpicturethis

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It was the song that was supposed to be the summer hit of 2015: Britney Spears (who's shifted 100m albums in her 15-year career) and Iggy Azalea (who's the hot, young rap artist to collaborate with) came together and produced Pretty Girls.

They performed at the Billboard Music Awards, and the duo pushed their tune on social media. They have, after all, a combined following of some 47.5m (42.3m for Brit Brit; and 5.3m for Iggy) on Twitter.

The accompanying video – a bizarre, Eighties-inspired dance-fest – was released to much fanfare too. It notched up 78m views on YouTube, but was still widely panned as ridiculous.

The song itself hardly fared much better: in Iggy's native Australia, it peaked at No.27. In the US, it reached No.23. In the UK, it made No.16, while in Ireland it limped to No.60.

And today, Ms Azalea was asked by a fan why she thought the song did so badly. 

"It's difficult to send a song up the charts without additional promo and tv performances etc. unfortunately I'm just featured," the rapper tweeted in response, effectively washing her hands of the song's poor showing.

Even more cutting, she then concluded with: "I dont have to suck the womans a**hole 24/7 to be her friend, do i?" 

However, this evening she posted two more tweets – seemingly in response to the negative backlash to her earlier claims.

"Genuine friends have genuine opinions," she wrote. "Its possible & healthy to have a differing thought without it being bitchy or shade."

The Fancy hitmaker had earlier revealed to Access Hollywood that she wanted to take the lead on Pretty Girls, with Britney instead being the featured artist. 

"I rewrote parts of it and it became my song, and I tried to make it all mine and keep it," she explained. She added, however, that Ms Spears then came knocking. "So I swung it back her way because she's Britney Spears, you have to do that," she said.

"She gets whatever she wants. She has her verses I have my verse, but it's not just me kind of popping in it."

It's been a turbulent time for Ms Azalea. She had to scrap her world tour, as well as a high-profile performance at the Pittsburgh Gay Pride Show – the latter when old tweets surfaced that seemingly showed her using homophobic language.  

Still, the rapper recently got engaged: namely to professional basketball player Nick Young, who popped the question with a huge 10.43ct ring worth €450,000.

 

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