The Academy Is

Once former rivals on the Chicago music scene, front man William Beckett and guitarist Mike Carden put aside their trivial differences and found a shared passion for making the kind of music they had long sought to create. Influenced by bands such as U2, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Third Eye Blind and Death Cab for Cutie, they began writing songs that aimed big: music that screams with soul but which has complicated twists and subtle intricacies. After finding kindred spirits to round out the band, their first EP caught the ear of the Florida-based indie label, Fueled by Ramen, who signed them up. Now, after logging some miles on the road with bands such as Fall Out Boy, Something Corporate, Midtown and Motion City Soundtrack, and rapidly expanding their fan base, they are set to release their first, much-anticipated full-length album, Almost Here, in 2005.