"The next big thing. The It band. We’ve been told this too often before. But join us tonite for THE RATIONAL ACADEMY and you’ll leave smugly, knowing this time Richard Kingsmill hasn’t beaten you to it!" - Faster Louder 2007
Debut full length album "a heart against your own" available from March 2008 on the Someone Good label featuring 7 new songs produced by Lawrence English with guest performances from Ben Frost (School of emotional engineering), John Chantler (For Barry Ray) & Anna Arvan (i love you avalanche).
CLICK ON THE ALBUM COVER TO ORDER YOUR COPY NOW OR SIMPLY CLICK BELOW!
Mid 2004. Brisbane's Fortitude Valley district battled sound restrictions and kids ran back to an early 90's DIY culture. Somewhere close by The Rational Academy began writing songs.
Drawn at first by the sonic scree of early Pavement records and a love for pop music accompanied by male + female vocals, Meredith McHugh & Benjamin Thompson began adjusting tuning pegs until melodies and clashing chords worked themselves into a meaningful translation of The Rational Academy - a distant nod in the direction of their indie rock counterparts coupled with tender regard towards the avante garde and experimental composers within contemporary culture. Small DIY attack minus the scene-heavy indifference of Electro-Clash. After much movement and mayhem they were joined by Oliver Makay & Matt Jonas.
Where The Academy differ in their approach is the inclusion of local sound artist, composer and head of the experimental ROOM 40 label, Lawrence English, in the production seat transforming the simple pop meanderings of guitars, vocals and drums into involved sonic investigations of sound and space.
In their time together The Rational Academy have shared the stage with the likes of Touring American groups Deerhoof, Xiu Xiu, Novi Split (with whom they have since collaborated for a split release), Japanese Electro Pop marvels Tujiko Noriko and Tenniscoats, Mum (Iceland), Spoon (USA), Dear Nora (USA), The Blow (USA), Sarah Dougher (USA), Scout Nibblet (UK), Holly Throsby, Art of Fighting, Love of Diagrams, Deloris, Guy Blackman, The Crayon Fields, Macromantics, Dappled Cities Fly and local stalwarts Screamfeeder, Turnpike, Shuriken, The Zebras and Iron On.
Everyone was really busy earlier this year so, just before the Album came out Benjamin went on a short "solo" Academy tour! This was taken at a house show at Will from Ohana's House after the pouring rain forced everyone out of the garage and into the living room! This is a very quiet "Squid & Whale".
