If midwest emo trailblazers American Football had only ever existed for their initial, short, three-year run, and only released their single eponymous, now-classic 1999 debut LP, as for many years, seemed would be the case, they would’ve undoubtedly still been remembered as icons of their scene; a band whose existence was all too brief, and whose immense influence on the emo explosion of the subsequent decade wasn’t fully recognized or appreciated until the cult status they achieved after their breakup. But, by some miracle, the group sprang back to life out of nowhere in 2014- 14 years after initially calling it quits- for what, at the time, was suggested to only be a handful of shows in celebration of a 15th anniversary reissue of their debut. Incredibly, though, American Football stayed back together, continuing to tour, and going on to a release a second album, also self-titled (and colliqually known as ‘LP2’), in 2016, a work that in many ways picks up right where their first record left off, with the same math-y, confessional, resonant emo and indie sound they helped define in their youth, though from the perspective of a group then in their late 30s (they were still in college when the first album came out), with so many more years of life experience and musical refinement.
A third album- you guessed it, also self-titled (‘LP3’)- arrived in 2019, which, though true to American Football’s sonic roots, felt like a band finally gaining the confidence to push to new musical territory rather than simply ruminating on their past, tapping guest vocalists Hayley Williams, Elizabeth Powell, and Rachel Goswell, and incorporating elements of indie, dream pop, and post-rock. And, seven years later, they’re back once more with another self-titled effort (‘LP4’), more ambient, post-rock, dark and raw than any of their prior work, and featuring guests Brendan Yates of Turnstile, Caithlin de Marrais of Rainer Maria, and Wisp, proving that they’re as relevant as ever 25 years later.
Initially a trio of frontman Mike Kinsella, guitarist Steve Holmes, and drummer Steve Lamos (Mike’s cousin Nate Kinsella joined as bassist when they reformed in 2014, rounding out the core lineup), the members of American Football grew up in the Chicago suburbs, and ran in the same musical circles, playing in other fantastic groups within that scene like Cap’n Jazz (emo legends in their own right, fronted by Mike’s brother Tim Kinsella), Joan of Arc, and The One Up Downstairs. They were students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign when American Football became active in 1997, crafting a melodic, jangly, math-y sound distinctive from and more complex than other midwest emo groups at the time, but just as lyrically raw and emotionally resonant, releasing an eponymous debut EP in 1998 and their aforementioned debut the following year. The band graduated from school around the same time their LP was released, and though they played some shows in support, it wasn’t a huge hit at the time, and by the following year, they had drifted their separate ways. Mike went on to perform solo as Owen, carrying on much of American Football’s vibe, as well as to drum in Owls- featuring most of his former group Cap’n Jazz- and indie supergroup Their / They’re / There (and more recently, Lies), whereas Holmes and Lamos largely stepped away from music, going on to work in tech and academia, respectively.
Since their return, the band have been given the recognition and critical acclaim they deserved the first time around, and pulled off the rare feat of crafting three late-career albums in their second act- which has now lasted four times longer than their original run- just as timeless and lauded as their debut. Around the last (and, apparenlty, very first) time they played Nashville, in 2023, the band even made headlines when they (as well as their label and some other interested parties) bought the famed “American Football House”- the former punk rock house in Urbana, IL which served as the cover of their debut (and sophomore LP), gaining such an iconic reputation over the years that it had become a tourist attraction (and was in danger of being demolished).
While that last run of shows three years ago- their first post-pandemic- was a success, they came after some inner turmoil (the creative isolation of lockdown, drummer Steve Lamos departing and rejoining the band, members dealing with alcoholism and divorce), and ended with a little bit of uncertainty about what might come next, or when they might again make new music. Their latest album, produced by Sonny DiPerri and recorded between Chicago and Southern California, really channels that tumult though, dealing with some of the most mature, raw, and dark lyrical themes they’ve ever tackled, and leaning into some of the most ambient, post-rock, and math-y influences yet. Three years after making their apparent Nashville debut, the emo icons return to Music City to headline Marathon Music Works, tonight, Aug. 12 with Canadian indie trio Afternoon Bike Ride. Tickets are still available here!
Though they’ve been back together now for more than a decade, and certainly have received their flowers from those in the scene, we still can’t state enough just how criminally underrated American Football were in their day and even now, amidst a wave of new interest in the scene they helped influence, they still don’t seem to be as well-known as they deserve for how incredible and important they are (for our money, “Never Meant” might be the greatest emo song of all time). Whether you’ve been listening to them for 30 years or you’re just now jumping on the bandwagon, this show is a must-see for fans of real-deal emo, indie, and post-rock!
American Football and Afternoon Bike Ride perform tonight, Aug. 12 at Marahton Music Works. The show is all ages, begins at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.), and tickets are available for $53.02-88.22.
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