The Academy Is... Announce Breakup!

Hey everyone!

Some unexpected news coming in from The Academy Is... camp. The band announced yesterday after 8 years together and 3 studio albums, they have decided to part ways. The band issued this statement yesterday on their official website:

"After nine years and three albums, The Academy Is… have decided to go our separate ways. We began in 2003 as three young friends in the suburbs of Chicago, with dreams of creating music that meant something to us. Dreams of leaving those suburbs behind and seeing all of the beautiful things that this world has to offer.

Dreams of making a difference in the lives of others. It is now 2011 and we look back at the records we've made, the shows we've played, the places we've been. The people we've met.

The Academy Is… has made its mark. We celebrate the experiences of our past, as we welcome what lies ahead. While we have never managed to make things easy on ourselves, it is safe to say that we have always found common ground in our love of music. And though we may not be together, you can look forward to hearing new music from each of us.

The music we have made together is our gift to you. From this point on, The Academy Is… belongs to you. Feel free to listen. Listen as loud as you'd like."

Yours, The Academy Is...

Afterwards, lead singer William Beckett had this to say on the disbanding of the group:

"I’m having a hard time starting this. I could say something like “pride
comes before the fall”, or “the skill in attending a party is knowing when
to leave”. Rather, I’m going to just come right out and be honest. The
September show in New York was the last show for the The Academy Is.

While this is a very difficult decision to make, I believe in my heart that it is the right decision to make. For years there has a been a growing distance felt within the band as we’ve progressed, both geographically and artistically and instead of trying to patch the holes that we’re left with, my heart tells me its time to move on with the next chapter of our lives. I want to thank the fans, the world’s greatest, for all of your love and support over the years. You helped shape who we are today and will continue to do so as we move toward what’s coming up around the corner.

While this is the end of 8 unforgettable years of TAI, this is not the end
of my story. Not by a long shot. I will be working on a new record in the
coming months and have never felt more freedom and inspiration to create my best and most honest work yet. Obviously that means we won’t be going out on the Jack’s Mannequin tour but you should all still go since Andrew is one of our best friends and puts on an amazing show.
Many of you have told me before how my words have helped you through tough or transitional times in your lives. You are the reason I make music. I hope I can count on your support as I embark upon new and exciting waters."

You can count on mine.
-William
The band released their most recent album, Fast Times At Barrington High in 2008. The band's debut album Almost Here was released back in 2005, containing their most well known song, "Slow Down" and peaked at #16 on the Billboard 200 album chart.