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number one

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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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News that Ariana Grande is headlining Manchester Pride has caused quite a stir already, with many arguing that the ticket prices have become extortionate as a result of the big name booking.

However, Grande is once again under the spotlight as reports are claiming that she's getting paid €116,000 MORE than Kylie Minogue to perform.

Sources close to the pop star are claiming that the Thank U, Next singer is getting a HUGE €291,000 for her Pride show, which hasn't impressed ticket buyers.

This tweet caught the attention of Grande the other day, who responded to the criticism with an eloquent note defending her performance;

"Hi my love, I have nothing to do with ticket pricing- Manchester Pride sets those rates, and they’re mostly out of my control," she tweeted. "The LGBTQ community has been so special to me and supportive throughout my entire career."

"The relationships I have with my LGBTQ fans, friends, and family make me so, so happy,’ she continued. "I want to celebrate and support this community, regardless of my identity or how people label me. And also I wanna visit a city that means so much to me."

"LGBTQ representation is incredibly important, and I’m always proud to share the stage with LGBTQ artists! Over the years, pride events have been headlined by performers and artists of all sexual orientations and genders, including straight allies like Cher and Kylie Minogue," she said.

"I’m not claiming to be the hero of the community or the face of the LGBTQ rights movement – I just wanna put on a show that makes my LGBTQ fans feel special and celebrated and supported. That’s all I wanna do," she concluded.

People aren't impressed that Ariana Grande is getting over €116,000 more than Kylie to perform, with a source at The Sun writing;

"Obviously they’re both massive stars but Ariana is like gold dust at the moment, so the organisers offered her top whack to take part."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The 25-year-old has paid attention to the criticism, but claims that ticket pricing was out of her hands. Kylie Minogue herself has yet to comment on the whole debacle, but the pay difference is most likely due to Ariana's demand.

As a recent Grammy winner, as well as releasing two albums over the last six months which have both reached number one, she's one of the world's most popular pop stars.

7 Rings, Thank U, Next and Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored show no sign of leaving the charts anytime soon, and we definitely can't get them out of our heads. They're bangers.

What do you think of the debate on Manchester Pride? Is it acceptable for allies to get paid that much?

Olly Alexander from Years & Years recently pointed out that Pride will support more LGBT+ artists when people LISTEN to those artists' music, to hike up demand for them at festivals and concerts.

It's a two-way street; support can't just be shown one day of the year at Pride for LGBT+ musicians; it has to be 365 days a year for it to make an impact.

Feature image: Instagram/@arianagrande

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Rap star and all-round hilarious legend Cardi B exploded at Instagram fans last night before disabling her profile altogether. We're DEVO.

The artist went on a rage-filled rant over the negative comments surrounding her Grammy Awards win; she was the first female solo artist to win Best Rap Album.

Apparently some felt she didn't deserve it, and she had some WORDS to say about the criticism, saying she "worked her ass off" to make Invasion of Privacy.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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She reminded fans that she was pregnant while making the hit album, which helped her to make history at Sunday's ceremony; "I'm sick of this sh*t."

"I work hard for my motherf*cking album. I remember last year when everyone was saying Cardi got snubbed but now there’s a problem? My album went two-times platinum my n***** in every chart that there was, my album was always Top 10."

"Number one album as well. I worked my ass off, locked myself in the studio for three months then went to sleep in my bed for four days straight – pregnant," she said. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The star then deleted her entire Instagram profile, refusing to take any of the haters online. She made sure to thank her baby daughter Kulture in her Grammy acceptance speech, because her pregnancy gave her the motivation to finish the album.

"When I found out I was pregnant, my album wasn’t complete, I had three songs done. I had to shoot videos while I was still not showing. It was very long nights."

She posted a video thanking her fans and organisations for every single award she'd ever won, explaining that each is unique and special; "‘This sh*t is crazy," she said. "Every award is special to me, from Grammys, AMAs, Billboards, Nickelodeon, awards I get in another motherf*cking country, I don’t give a f*ck."

We hope the online community don't ruin her win for her, it's well-deserved and she's made HISTORY as a woman. Fair play, Cardi, you do you.

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Ariana Grande has reportedly pulled out of her Grammy Awards performance after having a disagreement with the producers over which songs she would perform. 

Sources at Variety are claiming that she felt "insulted" after the producers refused to allow her to sing 7 Rings, her latest single from upcoming album Thank U Next.

The album is due out two days before the Grammys, and the 25-year-old singer has appeared on billboards across the USA promoting the show, which takes place this Sunday.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Not only will she not be performing, she won't even be in attendance. YIKES…also devastating. We'd have loved to see her perform.

A compromise was apparently reached where 7 Rings could be sung as part of a medley, but she pulled out after the producers insisted that the second song choice was theirs to make.

The source also stated that such stipulations were not imposed on any other show performers, which is interesting. 

Grande has been absolutely KILLIN' IT this year, with Billboard number one album Sweetener and singles Thank U Next and 7 Rings.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Who can forget the tunes God is a Woman and Breathin' too? She's been a gift. She's nominated in some of the Grammys biggest categories, including Best Pop Vocal Performance for God is a Woman and Best Pop Vocal Album.

The story is super similar to that of Lorde, who pulled out of the Grammys performance last year when producers told her she wasn't allowed to perform a song from her second album, Melodrama, which was nominated for Album of the Year.

Hmmm…suspicious. What's up with the producers?

Photo credit: variety.com

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Beyoncé and Solange Knowles have become the first sisters in the world to both have number one albums.

The famous duo broke a new world record this week when Solange’s latest album, A Seat at the Table, took the Billboard Top 200 chart’s top spot.

After selling 72,000 copies in the first week, the work quickly became Bey’s little sister’s first No.1 album and in doing so allowed the Knowles’ to join Michael and Janet Jackson and Master P and Silkk The Shocker as the only siblings in the world to get their albums to the top of the charts.

Last week Queen B took to Instagram to congratulate 30-year-old Solange on the release of her new music.

The 35-year-old Texan wrote: “Congrats to my sister on creating this beautiful work of art.  I could not be more proud of you.”

Six of Beyoncé’s albums have already achieved chart-topping success.

GIF: giphy.com

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Cheryl Fernandez-Versini has clocked her fourth solo number one single with Crazy Stupid Love, featuring Tinie Tempah.

The star took to Twitter to express her excitement: “WE DID IT GUYS @TinieTempah YEAH OFFICIAL YEAH OFFICIAL! WE NO.1 !!!!”

Well, she certainly has a lot to smile about lately! Congratulations Cheryl!

 

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Lily Allen must be one happy lady this morning as news emerges that her album is on course to be a number one.

The musician’s albums have always proved to be a hit with her fans: her first album, Alright, came in at no. 2 in 2006 while her 2009 album, It’s Not Me, It’s You came in at no.1 on the album chart.

Lily’s newest album, Sheezus, is looking as if it’s going to follow suit, and we can see why.

Her first single, Somewhere Only We Know, from the album was featured in a John Lewis advert and went straight to number one.

Well done, Lily, we bet you’re very excited about this news!

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