Irish indie-pop quartet The Academic have scored their second Number 1 on the Official Irish Albums Chart with their sophomore record Sitting Pretty. The follow up to 2018 album Tales From The Backseat – their first chart topper – saw off stiff competition from both Paramore and Taylor Swift to take the coveted top spot. Sitting Pretty also achieved the biggest physical and digital download sales of the week.

Produced by Nick Hodgson (Mark Ronson, Dua Lipa) at London’s Snap Studios, Sitting Pretty, which was released via EMI on Friday 10th February, is an album about navigating life in your 20s; the uncertainties and the ever-shifting sense of self.

“It’s about the entrance into true adulthood and how that can alienate you from yourself, making you feel like you’re playing a supporting role in your own life,” the band explain. “In one moment feeling 100% certain about everything, only to become overwhelmed with feelings of aimlessness and lack of direction in the next.”

Staying true to the idiosyncrasies that have cultivated their ever-growing fanbase  however, The Academic persist in finding the fun and the romance within the transience of it all. “Ultimately it’s about finding your feet, feeling the weight of time passing on your shoulders, and trying to enjoy the good times and the meaningful relationships along the way.”

The Academic are currently in the middle of a world tour, playing a string of dates in the UK, Europe and the USA throughout February, March and April. Their show at Dublin’s 3Olympia Theatre is sold out.

Sitting Pretty is available now in Standard Black Vinyl, and Exclusive Limited Sky Blue Vinyl via The Record Hub