A band known for their dynamic, energizing shows, The Academy Is… are currently on a smaller scale acoustic tour featuring lead singer William Beckett and bassist Adam Siska. It’s a much different experience from what their fans have come to expect but one that Siska believes will bring a new appreciation for the songs fans know and love. “It’s been really fun watching William play acoustic every night, getting to showcase some of his skills as a guitar player. It’s cool for fans to hear the songs in a new light.”
The idea for smaller, more intimate shows sparked during last fall’s Bogus Journey tour when TAI did two in-store signings for music and clothing retailer Hot Topic. The band realized they could get up close and personal with another segment of their fan base. “It was a better chance for some people that maybe normally aren’t allowed to go to shows but they’re still allowed to go to the mall. I think we played to a lot of people who had never seen us before but had been fans for a while,” said Siska. “It went really well and those shows were a blast because it was intimate and fun.”
Soon another new group of fans will be seeing TAI play at the Pepsi Music Festival in Santiago, Chile proving once again, music isn’t limited by culture or have borders.
“Music is such a powerful thing. You’re singing and they might not quite know what you’re singing about but they know that it feels right. It’s what music comes down to, to begin with. Sometimes it’s not even about the words; it’s about the way they’re sung.”
Sharing the bill will such musical royalty as Peter Gabriel, punk legends Blondie, Sonic Youth and KISS came as a bolt from the blue.
“We’re very excited to go to Chile. Luckily we’ve had the support of the fans down there. We spend so much time touring here and Europe and Japan and Australia, so it’s a surprise when we get a phone call from a place we’ve never been and find out we’re having great success down there. That’s very exciting.”
Siska has first hand experience with different musical cultures. Growing up in the Virgin Islands, he discovered music in an environment where it isn’t a commodity but something to soothe the soul.
“Growing up there, things move at a different speed. A lot of it has to do with the isolation of the island and living on a small place where there’s no movie theater, there’s no bowling alley, none of the things in the usual portrait of what kids do. McDonald’s was not in the picture. Music in that kind of setting is something you turn to for peace of mind. It’s already pretty quiet; you’re at the beach; why not have a good record on?”
Siska’s parents continued to foster his love for music, but as he grew up he found his own way early on. “My parents like good music but I’m not the kind of guy that’s gonna do whatever my parents like. Some things they played me struck a chord and stayed with me. And then I think it comes to a point where you have to go out on a limb and find records yourself.”
His love for reggae music is something Siska has carried through his life and travels, shaping his attitude and approach toward music.
“I was very turned onto reggae because of my parents love for it and the native love for it. You walk down the street and someone is playing the steel drums. So even before you quite know what reggae music is, you know good sounds that you feel good about. The feeling that reggae can bring to your soul is very unique. And that’s helped me a lot because I’ve never drawn any lines around genres; there’s a song that makes you feel good or a song that doesn’t.”
Unfortunately, the industry and to some extent, listeners, don’t have the same viewpoint but rather a need to categorize each possible variety of music. “Attention spans are a little off right now. Back in the glory days of Rock and Roll, there were only a couple different genres of music. You either played straight up Folk or Rock and Roll. But back then, Rock and Roll was it. If you were a rock fan you could like this wide range from Hank Williams to Robert Johnson to Pink Floyd to The Byrds – this whole thing was rock and roll. It used to be one big playing field but now I think it’s been a little segregated.” And the wrong question to ask a music lover such as Siska? “’What kind of music are they?’ that’s the worst question I think I’ve ever heard. Especially in this day and age, everything is at your fingertips. If you want to know what kind of music a band is, you go listen to it. You don’t have to worry about what kind of music it is, you just put it on and if it’s something you feel is soothing to listen to, you keep listening. And if it isn’t then so be it.”
A complete experience is something else Siska feels strongly about and thinks music fans can miss out if they don’t make the effort to embrace it. With declining CD sales making digital downloads seem the only option in a faltering industry, music fans can be left with a cold and distant process.
“There’s nothing more exciting than raising up that $10 to go to the record store and get something new and play it nonstop until you could get your next $10 to get something else. Part of being a music fan is to want the experience of going to the record store and picking out that one record. Leaving the store with that excitement, putting it in your CD player or on a turntable; I think there’s no greater feeling.”
While MP3’s and digital music make it possible for listeners to take music anywhere, the price for such sleek convenience can be dangerously high. Fans can become too casual or disconnected from a compelling art form.
“When you download a record on your computer, you lose that because it comes into your computer, you close your computer and you go to bed. You wake up in the morning and you could probably forget you even have it on there because it’s part of this library. When you have the CD rack you can look right at it and say ‘Which one do I want to listen to?’ When you hold something in your hand, I think there’s something real special about that.”
CD’s as a medium are older than Siska, but he remains an ardent supporter of vinyl and their distinct listening experience.
“When I’m home, I only listen to records on vinyl and there’s nothing better than putting that thing on and getting it spinning. Records by their intention are something that are meant to be something that starts and ends, it’s kind of a journey. When you have an ipod and you’re shuffling around so much, you really lose that. You lose the idea of what a record was meant to be heard like.”
So while record executives fret about how to rescue their industry, Siska remains hopeful the vinyl format will hold its place.
“It’ll work itself out. I’m really excited about what they’re doing now where you buy a record on vinyl and it comes with a download code. I think that’s cool because when you buy a record on vinyl, it’s even better than a CD! It’s a big one! And the artwork’s amazing and you can read the lyrics more clearly, it’s great! I love vinyl!”
Ultimately, the medium will never outweigh the message for Siska.
“We understand you can’t have a turntable on the passenger seat of your car. I think it’s fine to have an ipod as long as you’re still experiencing music for what it’s supposed to be.”
Catch Adam Siska and William Beckett on the second half of the Snakes & Suits tour through April 9th with Evan Taubenfeld, This Providence and Empires (select dates.)