Influential and beloved Chicago alt-rock band The Academy Is… have shared “L Train,” the final single from their long-awaited new album, Almost There, arriving on March 27, 2026, via I Surrender Records. Rhythmic and driving, “L Train” captures the intrigue of a big night out in Chicago. The band reminisce on late nights and the emotional chaos that can ensue. Airy riffs bounce through William Beckett’s vocals as the evening carries on, bubbly synths punctuating every moment.
“‘L Train’ is a song about those nights where you’re stuck in your own head; alone in a crowded room, surrounded by social ghosts,” the band explains. “The song is dreamy, but there’s a haunting, nervous energy running through it. It’s our lens into a midwest mind trip where you’re replaying memories over and over…”
The first new The Academy Is… studio album in over 18 years, Almost There, was heralded by the release of the urgent and melodic lead single “2005,” available now on all digital platforms. The news was shared exclusively via Rolling Stone and eagerly welcomed by fans and tastemaking outlets such asAlternative Press, Brooklyn Vegan, The Needle Drop, and more. Bursting with shimmering guitars, driving rhythms, and one of Beckett’s most emotionally direct vocal performances to date, the first single captures the band’s ability to fuse youthful immediacy with hard-won perspective. An official music video is now on YouTube. Last month, the band shared “Miracle.” The song sways between intense, driving guitars and reflective moments underlined by glimmering tones. The band throws themselves into the iridescence headfirst, as William Beckett sings, “I need to love again/Turn me on my head/I need to feel the warmth/Tell me I’m not dead.”
“Almost Here was the beginning. Almost There is the reflection,” Beckett says. “It’s about checking in with who you thought you’d be twenty years later, seeing what changed, what stuck, and what still feels like home.”
The follow-up to 2008’s Fast Times at Barrington High, Almost There finds The Academy Is… reflecting on distance, from youth, from expectations, and from the versions of themselves that once felt permanent. Across 11 new songs, the band revisits the emotional intensity that defined their early work while embracing a more expansive, mature approach to songwriting. The result is a record that feels both familiar and newly sharpened, rooted in pop-punk urgency but unafraid to slow down, open up, and linger in uncertainty. Pre-orders and pre-saves are available now. Vinyl, CDs, and merch are available for pre-order now in the band’s webstore, with limited signed vinyl available in I Surrender’s webstore.
Almost There was shaped in studios around a grounded emotional center. Guitarist Mike Carden, bassistAdam Siska, and drummer Andy Mrotek lean into dynamic arrangements that balance punchy immediacy with textured detail — songs often begin with stripped-back melodies before swelling into full-band catharsis, driven by soaring choruses and tightly coiled tension.
After some teasing and speculation, The Academy Is… announced their return last year with the Almost Here 20th Anniversary Tour. Fans were treated to high-energy sets built around the songs that defined the mid-2000s, performed with the intensity and emotion that made the debut record a cult classic. The show blends past and present, weaving in refreshed arrangements, new creative elements, and glimpses of what the band is creating next.
The response has been overwhelming, with many markets selling out instantly and demand continuing to climb. The band recently announced a second leg to meet the momentum, marking this as one of their most anticipated touring moments in years. The first date kicks off on April 10 at Town Ballroom in Buffalo, NY, with dates throughout April and May. For more information on upcoming performances, see below.
