The Academy Is...

The Academy Is... is an American rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 2003. They are associated with the scene subculture by some publications. Before temporarily disbanding, they were signed by the Decaydance imprint of the Fueled by Ramen label. They were originally known as "The Academy", but added the "Is..." in 2004 to avoid legal complications with other established bands already under that name. The band has released three studio albums: Almost Here (2005), Santi (2007) and Fast Times at Barrington High (2008), along with four EPs. The band announced their disbandment on October 8, 2011. In May 2015, lead singer William Beckett announced that the band would reunite at Riot Fest 2015 in Chicago. In addition, the core members of the band, being Beckett, Mike Carden, Adam Siska, and Andy Mrotek, as well as Jamie Reed Schefman and Ian Crawford (both of whom had not originally been part of the band), reunited for a farewell tour that took place during December 2015. They announced that they would be reuniting again on May 11, 2022, alongside the announcement of their participation in the 2022 Riot Fest. They have since played shows opening for Fall Out Boy and at When We Were Young, and in April 2025 it was announced they would perform at Riot Fest in Chicago, Illinois in September 2025. On January 14, 2026 the band announced their first album in 18 years. Almost There, produced by Snow Ellet, is scheduled to release on March 27. Following the announcement of their new album their first single of the album “2005”, including a music video was released, directed by Tyler Common. The band also released merch and the new album cover for Almost There.