Sisky Biz Talks to Buzznet: New Album, Internet Drama and Spear Fishing

You might think that being a 20-year-old bassist for a band like The Academy Is… would go to someone’s head. After all, the second the band stepped on stage last Tuesday in Pittsburgh, PA, there were high pitched screams of “WE LOVE YOU SISKY!” from the audience.

Click the picture for more shots from the TAI… set in Pittsburgh!

But when I sat down with Adam T. Siska earlier that day, he was nothing but polite, friendly and talkative. It was more like talking to someone I’d just met at a bar…or coffee shop, I guess, since Sisky’s not QUITE legal. In fact, he even at one point leaned over the table to look at my tattoo and complimented it. Then at the end of our interview, he inquired about the Take Back Gotham City button on my bag and started up a conversation about The Dark Knight.

But mostly we stayed on the topic of his band. We started off talking about his favorite song TAI… has been playing on Warped Tour, a cut from their new album Fast Times at Barrington High due out on August 19, titled “Summer Hair = Forever Young.” Siska clarified for me that the song technically has two titles, hence the “=.” He said the reaction they’ve been getting from the crowd has been terrific.

And no wonder! I got a chance to hear the song during their set, along with “About A Girl,” the first song leaked from the album. Both songs are a return to TAI…’s sound on their first album, Almost Here. With heavy guitars and focus on William Beckett’s smooth vocals, the songs bode well for the group’s new release.

Adam says that being on tour after recording the album is “a weight off the band’s shoulders.” Their last album, Santi, was recorded while on tour in 2006. Siska told me it was harder for the band to get inspiration last time around, but this time they’re just having run on Warped and “just being The Academy Is…”

Which is apparently no easy task. The band has not had a single Off-Day during Warped Tour, since they’ve been so busy working to promote the new album. In fact, at one point the band flew from Montreal to Los Angeles for a photo shoot, then recorded a video for “About a Girl” that same day. The next day they woke up, filmed another video for “Summer Hair = Forever Young” and then flew back to join the rest of the Warped bands in Boston.

On top of being busy, Adam says he’s being asked now and again about a trash group that targets Fueled By Ramen bands. His comments on the group are that it’s disgusting and it’s people over stepping their boundaries. And while Siska might have a Friends or Enemies account, he distinguishes that it’s something he does to promote the band and is totally different from journals run by non-music people who feel the need to broadcast themselves and their personal life online.

But there’s always ways to distract yourself on Warped, especially with music. Siska told me he’s had the joy of rediscovering Say Anything while on tour. He’d never seen them live before and it’s renewed his interest in the band. He also likes grabbing just about anything Italian from catering, such as Fettuccine Alfredo and ravioli. His other recommendation is the pasta and falafel.

As we finished up, I asked Siska one more burning question. Knowing that his brother Jason was this past season of Survivor, I challenged Sisky Biz to tell me which member of his band would win The Academy Is… Survivor.

After a few moments of thought, he confessed that while he had the skills to win (including being able to fish with a spear, a skill he learned with growing up in the Virgin Islands), his band would “likely gang up” against him. His final verdict?

“The Butcher. He’s capable of anything.”

Click here to pre-order Fast Times at Barrington High at the Fueled By Ramen online store.