"As you can tell, I'm still pretty pasty, but come two weeks, hopefully I'll be well-toasted. ... Sort of ran through the toaster oven, like a Quizno's sandwhich."

Yes, it's going to be a long, hot summer indeed for William Beckett and his band The Academy Is ..., who are one of the bigger names playing the entirety of this summer's Warped Tour. The Academy Is ... actually have a handful of additional off-dates they'll be playing with Decaydance pals Gym Class Heroes, Cobra Starship and Four Year Strong: Friday in Las Vegas; July 8 in New Orleans; August 7 in Missoula, Montana; and August 11 in Eugene, Oregon.

We caught up with Beckett at the launch of the trek on Friday in Pomona, California, where we chatted him up about The Haircut; taking showers; and the band's new album, which doesn't have a name yet.



Buzznet: I don't mean to start this interview off shallowly, but dude ... you cut your hair.

William Beckett: I did. I cut my hair.

Buzznet: Everybody freaked out.

Beckett: They did, but I didn't really understand it. I think it looks good.

Buzznet: It looks good, but, like, they just miss it. Are you gonna ever let it grow back?

Beckett: Hair grows ... you know ... hair grows.

Buzznet: Are you gonna let it?

Beckett: I don't know. Maybe we should do, like, a poll question on Buzznet. I'm a man of the people, so whatever they want. But, you know, I have to see, like, the hard numbers.

Buzznet: OK, we'll make a poll: Should you cut your hair or let it grow, and if they vote yes, you have to let it grow. You realize that, right?

Beckett: Contractually. See, I'm the type of guy that would see the poll and still cut my hair short just to screw with people.

Buzznet: They would be upset.

Beckett: I'll take it seriously ... very seriously. The only other thing is, when my hair was long, people said that I looked like a girl, and then when I cut my hair short, everyone thinks that I look like a little boy. So I really can't win, can I?

[William spoke and we listened: Take our haircut poll right here!]

Buzznet: You have an album coming out on August 19, right?

Beckett: Yes ... if all goes well. Cross your fingers and dot your T's and lowercase J's. You can cross your T's ... please, please do.

Buzznet: What new songs are you playing out on Warped Tour from your new album?

Beckett: We're playing a couple of new songs.

Buzznet: What are they called?

Beckett: One's called "About a Girl," and that's one of my favorite songs. I just think it's an incredible song. It's very ironic and there's a twist in it. I think that it's a nice song about not being in love when you clearly are in love but being afraid to admit that to said crush.

The other one is actually kind of a clever little thing: "Forever Young."

Buzznet: So is [the new album] done ... artwork, everything?

Beckett: We're finishing up the artwork now actually, but the recording process is completely finished. We couldn't be happier. It's the album I've been waiting to make. I'm so incredible excited that we made it. I can't wait for people to hear it. It's gonna be an infectious little number. Infectious and scintillating?

Buzznet: Can you tell us the story behind one of the other songs on your album?

Beckett: There's a song on the record about dating an older girl ... and it's sort of a crash course into everything that is relationships before you're ready for it, like, sex and partying and drinking and things like that. [Stuff] that I was totally foreign to in high school, 'cause I was just like a kid that looked down upon partying and stuff like that, and then I loosened up a little bit after that. It's a song about that wild ride of becoming a young adult and dealing with that coming of age ... so to speak.

Buzznet: What's gonna be your first big song from the album? "About a Girl"?

Beckett: Maybe ... I think so ... I mean, they're all [strong].

Buzznet: What's the first one you're gonna make a video for?

Beckett: Probably one of the two that we're playing now live, "About a Girl" or "Forever Young."

Buzznet: I'm actually going on most of the Warped Tour. Do you have any survival tips for me?

Beckett: Shower often as you can.

Buzznet: Where are the showers?

Beckett: There's showers by the buses today. We have a shower in our bus, which is key. That'll keep me alive. You're not invited there though ... no offense.

Watch parts one and two of our Beckett interview below by clicking on each of pictures below:





And because we know you can never get enough Academy Is ... action, check out live clips of the band performing at the Warped stop in San Francisco on Saturday (click on the image below to watch).

"Neighbors":


"We've Got a Big Mess on Our Hands":


Catch all our nonstop Warped Tour coverage right here.

Don't miss our nonstop Warped Tour 2008 coverage:

"Warped Tour '08: The Academy Is ... Saved Sunday With High-Quality Set"
"Travis McCoy Reportedly Gives Katy Perry a Diamond Ring"
"Warped Tour '08 Weekend Kickoff: Cobra Starship Draw Huge Crowd, Pennywise Nearly Break Up"
"Warped Tour Founder Kevin Lyman: 'Ill Make Less Money' This Summer"
"Cobra Starship Drummer: 'Shake What Your Momma Gave Ya!' Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Classic Crime Promise 'Pyrotechnics': Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Relient K Guitarist Recalls Seeing Blink-182, Eminem: Warped Tour"
"Warped Tour '08: The 411 on Four Year Strong, Against Me!, Every Avenue, The A.K.A.s"
"As I Lay Dying Guitarist: Don't Wear Black Clothes - Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Warped Tour '08: Who Are You Most Excited to See?"
"Warped Tour '08: A to Z"
"Warped Tour '08: Hip-Hop Acts Might Give You a Reason to Leave Emo Alone"
"Norma Jean Considering Nirvana Cover, Fireball Dance: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Fall Out Boy's Andy Hurley Unveils Clothing Line; Plans For Warped Tour Booth"
"We the Kings Singer Saved Drummer's Life at Summer Fest: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Warped Tour '08: The 411 on Angels & Airwaves, Bouncing Souls, 1997, Devil Wears Prada"
"Angels & Airwaves Ditching Lasers This Time Around: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Race Through the Aisles of Virgin Megastore Phoenix With As I Lay Dying, Protest the Hero"
"From First to Last Call Themselves 'Romantics,' 'Fatties': Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Midnight to Twelve Want Some McLovin: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Motion City Soundtrack Extend Warped Stay; Fear Just on for One-Night Stand"
"Academy Is ... Bassist Prefers Leap Frog Over 'Halo': Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"All-American Rejects Drop Off Warped Tour"
"Warped Tour '07 Retrospective"
"Be Your Own Pet Talk Trash About Warped Tour: 'It's Like the New Hair Metal' "
"Every Time I Die on 'Punkguins,' GCH and Sitting in Pee: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Warped Tour '08: How to Meet the Bands"
"The Audition Buffing Up for This Summer: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Maylene and the Sons of Disaster Writing New LP on the Road: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Warped Tour '08: Last Chance to Be a Pit Reporter and Get the VIP Treatment"
"Pennywise Can't Get Enough of Warped Tour, Add More Dates"
"A.K.A.s to Be Joined Onstage by Gym Class Heroes? Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Forever the Sickest Kids Want 'A Monkey at Every Show': Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Warped Tour '08: Roll Call - and Dos and Don'ts"
"Charlotte Sometimes Wonders if She'll Blow Up This Summer: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Warped Tour '08: A Guide to Pit Etiquette"
"1997 Keyboardist Longs for the Slip-N-Slide: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Warped Tour '08: The VIP Guide"
"Protest the Hero Singer Says 'We Don't Roll Like Carrot Top': Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Set Your Goals Are Packing Extra Boxers: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Warped Tour '08: Top 10 Must-Haves"
"Two More Killer Bands Added to Warped Tour Main Stage"


[Click on picture to view the rest.]


[Click on picture to view the rest.]

Also, feast your eyes on these pics of Katy Perry, Beat Union and more at the Warped Tour kickoff show on April 11 in West Hollywood, California – click on the image below.



Get psyched for summer with Buzznet's Warped Tour 2008 gallery:


[Click on picture to view the rest.]

See which females will be rocking out on Warped this summer:


[Click on picture to view the rest.]

Check out these bands that will be playing Warped for the first time:


[Click on picture to view the rest.]

Find out which Warped artists are out of their 20s:


[Click on picture to view the rest.]

Warped Tour dates:

6.25: Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Pavilion
6.26: Las Cruces, NM @ N.M.S.U. Practice Field
6.28: Salt Lake City, UT @ TBA
6.29: Denver, CO @ Invesco Field
7.1: St. Louis, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7.2: Kansas City, KS @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7.3: Dallas, TX @ Superpages.com Center
7.5: San Antonio, TX @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7.6: Houston, TX @ Sam Houston Race Park
7.9: Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheater
7.10 : Orlando, FL @ Central Florida Fairgrounds
7.11: Tampa, FL @ Vinoy Park
7.12: Miami, FL @ Bicentennial Park
7.13: Jacksonville, FL @ St. Johns County Fairgrounds
7.14: Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7.15: Virginia Beach, VA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7.16: Washington DC @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
7.17: Cleveland, OH @ Time Warner Cable Amphitheater at Tower City
7.18: Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park
7.19: Toronto, ON @ Downsview Park Allen Road
7.20: Montreal, QC @ Parc Jean Drapeau
7.23: Boston, MA @ Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts
7.24: Buffalo, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
7.25: Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
7.26: Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
7.27: Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion
7.28: Englishtown, NJ @ Raceway Park
7.29: Pittsburgh, PA @ Post Gazette Pavilion
7.30: Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
7.31: Indianapolis, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
8.1: Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheatre
8.2: Chicago, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
8.3: Minneapolis, MN @ Canterbury Park
8.5: Saskatoon, SK @ Credit Union Centre
8.6: Calgary, AB @ Race City Speedway
8.8: Boise, ID @ Idaho Center Amphitheatre
8.9: Seattle, WA @ George Amphitheatre
8.10: Portland, OR @ Columbia Meadows
8.13: Fresno, CA @ Save Mart Center
8.14: San Diego, CA @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
8.15: San Francisco, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
8.16: Sacramento, CA @ Sleep Train Amphitheatre Lot
8.17: Los Angeles, CA @ Home Depot Center

Win Warped tix on Buzznet right here!

Check out The Academy Is ...' Friends or Enemies profile right here.