The Academy Is... Announce First Album in 18 Years, Release New Single “2005”

Chicago alt-rock icons The Academy Is... have announced their first album in 18 years, Almost There, marking the long-awaited end of the band’s hiatus. The album will be released on March 27 via I Surrender Records. Preorder the album HERE and presave it HERE.

To celebrate the announcement, the band released the lead single from the album, “2005”, an upbeat track featuring emotionally vulnerable lyrics from frontman William Beckett, reflecting back on the past while looking towards a hopeful future. Stream the track HERE and watch the official music video below:

“‘Almost Here’ was the beginning. ‘Almost There’ is the reflection,” Beckett shares. “It’s about checking in with who you thought you’d be twenty years later, seeing what changed, what stuck, and what still feels like home.”

Following 2008’s Fast Times at Barrington High, Almost There is an introspective album, with the band revisiting the past 18 years of their lives, taking a closer look at their past selves and how they’ve grown since then. While The Academy Is… reflects on the emotional chaos that surrounded their early career with a more vulnerable and mature approach to songwriting, the album still has its roots in pop-punk, which is sure to excite longtime fans.

The Academy Is… announced their reunion in 2025 with the Almost Here 20th Anniversary Tour, after months of speculation. The band will embark on Leg 2 of the tour on April 10 in Buffalo, NY, and will conclude the tour in San Diego on May 9. Get tickets HERE.

THE ACADEMY IS…

ALMOST HERE 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR 2026

APRIL

10 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom

11 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall

15 – Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theatre

16 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl Nashville

18 – Tampa, FL – The Ritz Ybor

19 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues Orlando

24 – Austin, TX – Emo’s

25 – Dallas, TX – The Echo

26 – Houston, TX – House of Blues Houston