The Academic are an Irish indie rock quartet from the town of Mullingar. Formed when the bandmembers were still in their teens, the Academic found early exposure opening a show for the Pixies and soon began amassing a strong regional following. After signing a deal with Global Publishing in late 2014, they issued the singles "Different" and "Northern Boy," which were later included on their 2015 debut EP, Loose Friends. The summer-vibed 2016 single "Mixtape 2003" expanded on the Academic's hooky guitar pop sound and was followed a year later by another single, "Bear Claws."