After spending years together in the studio working in a producer-artist capacity, Jim Roach and Dan Avidan had realized they shared an affinity for many older bands that all shared themes of big music, big guitars, and even bigger songs.
During the early months of the pandemic, Jim started sending Dan new music to work on, mostly to pass the time and Dan would work on lyrics and melodies that were inspired by classic books he was reading at the time.
“After writing our first song, “White Whale,” together we knew we were onto something special” recalls Jim – and thus Shadow Academy was born.
From the start, their goal was to make a big rock album with heavy songs that could take the paint off the walls but also songs with lush soundscapes, orchestras, and synths. The duo just wanted to make songs that moved them and incorporated their roots, with the wild idea of releasing them into the world someday.
Shadow Academy reminds the listener of the likes of Rush, Smashing Pumpkins, My Bloody Valentine, and Alice in Chains, just to name a few.
With their debut single “White Whale” released, Shadow Academy is gearing up to release their self-titled album this spring via Santa Monica Recordings / AWAL.
