The Academic’s ‘Sitting Pretty’ Is A Raw Take On Life In Your Twenties

Posted On February 5, 2023

Samantha Colleran, February 2023

Mature, honest, unpredictable, and emotional are just a few of the many words The Academic would use to describe their upcoming album Sitting Pretty, set to release on February 10. The Mullingar, Ireland band is made up of Craig Fitzgerald (lead vocals, guitar), Matt Murtagh (guitar, vocals), Stephen Murtagh (bass, vocals), and Dean Gavin (drums) who are not only incredibly talented, but beyond humble about their success. Their first album Tales from the Backseat (2018) earned them widespread recognition, and Sitting Pretty is bound to make them into the worldwide household names they deserve to be. Ahead of the release, º1824 hosted a press conference with The Academic to talk about the process of creating Sitting Pretty, their upcoming tour to support the release, and what it’s like to navigate life in your twenties. 

There are five years between the release of Sitting Pretty and Tales, but the band have been hard at work making music in between. Two EPs, Acting My Age (2020) (little fun fact, this was released on my birthday!) and Community Spirit (2021), were released in between the albums. With COVID still prevalent, the band used these EPs as creative outlets to experiment with sounds and production styles that allowed them to find the honest and heartfelt direction they wanted to take for Sitting Pretty. Tales from the Backseat was written and recorded in Dean’s dad’s shed; the band were young and didn’t know much about the industry except that they had songs they wanted to get out into the world. Sitting Pretty shows a band that has matured with time, perfected their craft in the studio, and are ready to take on the world.

If you want a taste of Sitting Pretty, there are a few singles out now that show just how versatile the band’s style has become over the years. If you were to ask the band themselves which one is most representative of this new era of music, they proudly share their sad bop “Homesick” as a go to track. Matt says “Homesick” shows their development as songwriters as they’ve never released anything like it until now, Stephen refers to it as a heartfelt, emotional moment that they never would have thought to include on Tales from the Backseat. When asked which songs they were most excited to perform live, the answers varied. Dean shared “Right Where You Left Me” as his answer due to its raw energy and the overall exciting sound, Craig said “Buying Smokes” which has a Bob Dylan bluesy style they’ve never experimented with before, Matt shared “This Is Your Life” which has a lot of layered instruments and a celebratory feel, and Stephen’s is Paul Simon inspired “Step My Way”. 

The album reflects the overall message the band identifies with regarding optimism and looking at life through a glass half full perspective, even in the darkest times. It’s an honest record; the lyrics and sound are overall very authentic, there’s raw emotion flowing through every line and note played. The purpose of creating Sitting Pretty was to embrace life and the little happy accidents that come along with creating music as four friends in their twenties coming out of a dark period in the world who have learned to become better at sharing their emotions. Packed with emotion and the trials and tribulations that come along with being in your twenties figuring life out for the first time, you’ll find it impossible to turn this album off once you start listening. 

For first time listeners of The Academic, the band shared the songs they suggest starting with so you can get a feel for who they are musically. “My Very Best” is a highlight, Stephen describes it as the “emotional epicenter” of Sitting Pretty where lyrically we see Craig getting vulnerable. Upbeat “What’s Wrong With Me” which will surely be a fan favorite on tour, “Buying Smokes”, and ballad “Rain Keeps Falling” were also mentioned, although you’ll have to wait until the album is released to hear those three!

The Academic left conference attendees with one message, and it’s all about checking in with yourself and being honest with others about your emotions. Even in the toughest times, there are people who are going through similar things as you, or who have been through something similar, so it’s important to share those feelings and acknowledge them. Don’t be hard on yourself when you’re going through hard times, and lean on the people in your life you know will always be there for you. 

Sitting Pretty will be out everywhere on February 10, this Friday! If you liked what you read, and hopefully what you listened to after running to your favorite streaming service to listen to the Sitting Pretty singles, you can catch The Academic on their upcoming tour (I’ll be at the New York show on April 12)! Be sure to follow the band on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter to stay up to date on their future endeavors, and let me know your favorite track by The Academic in the comments!