The Academic’s Matt Murtagh talks new song and touring

Jayde G Forde

The Academic are “keeping it barebones” with their new single ‘Easy on the Eyes’, according to their guitarist Matt Murtagh, who recently finished a UK and European tour.

From their humble beginnings at pub gigs in Mullingar to global stages, The Academic have been making waves in the indie rock scene, and for Matt, music has always been a family affair. Growing up in Raharney, Matt and his brother Stephen developed a passion for music early on.

“I was in class with Dean and Craig, and we all shared a love for music,” Matt said. “Our tastes were quite different – some of us were into G-Unit, others preferred Arctic Monkeys.”

The band’s early days were marked by informal jam sessions. “Craig and I started bringing guitars to school and playing together during breaks. Eventually, we thought, ‘Why don’t we do this outside school?’.”

As they neared the end of secondary school, their lineup was completed with the addition of Dean. “Dean was in a bunch of other bands, he was in a country band, a metal band, and we knew he was a fantastic drummer. We really wanted him in the band,” said Matt. “It wasn’t until Craig and Dean went to Oxegen together, had a few drinks, and Craig asked him to join us, that Dean agreed.”

Matt recalls their first gig: “It was at Danny Byrnes in Mullingar, a Battle of the Bands where we came last. It was our first gig as The Academic.”

Despite that rocky start, the band didn’t give up. “When we were in school, we played regularly at a local pub,” Matt said. “We’d play covers and sneaked in our own songs. Those gigs helped us become a cohesive live act.”

Opening for Louis Tomlinson in November of 2023 was a significant milestone. “It massively helped us,” Matt acknowledged. “Our recent European and UK tour was our most successful, almost every show sold out. Places we struggled in before, like Germany, we had sold-out shows.”

Matt said they especially enjoyed days off in Berlin. “We took a boat through the city – it was beautiful.”

Fan interactions were also a highlight. “In different cities, fans had special projects. During the song ‘Pushing Up Daisies’, fans held up cardboard cutouts of daisies. Those moments were surreal.”

Touring isn’t without its challenges, and Matt recounted road mishaps, including a frightening incident in Texas where metal debris from a truck struck their van. On their latest tour, traveling by bus provided a sense of safety and comfort. “You can just go to bed after the gig. It’s pretty sweet,” Matt said.

‘Easy Are the Eyes’, their latest single was recorded at Attica Studios in Donegal with producer Tommy McLaughlin, known for his work with Villagers and Pillow Queens. The song originated from a demo sent by Craig, lead singer, featuring just an acoustic guitar. “It had this cool 60s, slightly darker vibe, and we all really liked it,” Matt said. The recording process was swift, at just a day and a half. “It was really fun and seems to have received a great reaction, which is amazing.”

As for whether ‘Easy Are the Eyes’ will lead to a new album or project, the band are uncertain. “We’re currently working on new music, but whether this song will be part of a larger project, we don’t know yet,” Matt admitted.

Recording ‘Easy Are the Eyes’ with Tommy McLaughlin allowed The Academic to explore unique guitar pedal sounds and a vintage vibe. “We wanted to keep it bare bones, like four dudes in a room playing instruments,” Matt explained.

Touring also influenced the release of ‘Easy Are the Eyes’ as the band named their tour after the song and included it in their encore every night. “It was amazing to see people start learning the words and singing it back,” Matt recalled. “The song came out during the tour, and it was incredible to see it become a staple in our set.”

As The Academic reflect on their most successful tour yet, they remain focused on creating new music and evolving as artists. “We’ll get back into the lab to see what we can come up with next,” Matt concluded.