Featuring four fellas - including brothers Matthew and Stephen Murtagh - from the small village of Killucan in Ireland’s County Westmeath, The Academic started out a decade ago by playing Kings Of Leon covers in their local pub. In the years which followed, a winning combination of buoyant guitar hooks, earworm melodies and lyrics about teenage romance and tribulations in rural Ireland saw them make a real name for themselves. Their CV now includes two well-received albums and support slots for such stellar names as The Pixies, The Rolling Stones, Noel Gallagher and The Killers.