A Classic Education

Don't be fooled by where they're from — even though A Classic Education formed in the Italian college town of Bologna, they could just as easily have come from Leeds or Toronto. The band's lead singer, Jonathan Clancy, originally hails from Canada, and given their sound — nocturnal, reverb-slicked, brimming with Clancy's melodramatic croon — their influences could easily include Brit-pop/indie pop acts like the Wedding Present, the Field Mice, and the Smiths. Clancy teamed up with Luca Mazzieri and Paul Pieretto to form the band in the early 2000s; soon after A Classic Education formed, the lineup expanded to include Giulia Mazza, Federico Oppi, and Stefano Roveda. The band released a couple discs within the first few years of its existence: a self-titled EP distributed by Rough Trade and the Best Regards/Rest 7", which was released on Balliwick Recordings in 2009. A Classic Education's profile enjoyed a hefty boost following a number of choice gigs during their first U.S. tour in 2009, including appearances at CMJ and SXSW. Their next single, What I Could Have Been/Toi, was released online via the Maryland indie pop label Holiday Records in the wake of their U.S. appearances. A Classic Education's debut mini-album, Hey There Stranger, was released on Lefse Records in 2010. They followed it up in October of the next year with their first full-length, Call It Blazing.