American Football is an American midwest emo band from Urbana, Illinois, originally active from 1997 to 2000. The band reunited in 2014.
American Football was formed by guitarist, bassist and vocalist Mike Kinsella, formerly of Cap'n Jazz and Joan of Arc and also active as Owen; guitarist Steve Holmes; and drummer and trumpet player Steve Lamos, who had previously played in several bands including The One Up Downstairs and Edward Burch & The Staunch Characters and has also been associated with DMS. Lamos left the band in 2021 but rejoined in 2023.
Despite the group's brief initial activity period, their self-titled debut album became one of the most critically acclaimed emo and math rock releases of its era. After reuniting in 2014, with Mike Kinsella's cousin Nate Kinsella joining on bass, American Football released three additional albums, all self-titled, in 2016, 2019 and 2026.
Mike Kinsella and Steve Holmes met while attending Wheeling High School in Wheeling, Illinois. Kinsella had played drums in Cap'n Jazz, while Holmes played guitar in various local bands and was a former roommate of Kinsella. In 1997, Kinsella and Lamos began playing together with David Johnson and Allen Johnson under the name The One Up Downstairs, with Kinsella as the vocalist. The group recorded three songs intended for release as a 7-inch record on Polyvinyl Records, but disbanded before the release could be completed. The recordings were later issued in 2006 as a digital EP and in 2009 as a 7-inch release. Kinsella later stated that the group "broke up with their fists".
David Johnson and Allen Johnson went on to form Very Secretary, later known as Favorite Saints, while Kinsella, Lamos and Holmes continued working together. Holmes later described the band's emerging style as a reaction against the loud, aggressive post-hardcore music they had grown up with, citing influences such as Red House Painters and Nick Drake and a desire to create quieter, more minimal songs.
American Football released a self-titled EP in 1998 and a self-titled debut album in 1999 through Polyvinyl Records. Although the EP did not feature bass guitar, Kinsella played bass on some tracks of the album, and Lamos added an additional bass part on one song. Within a year of the album's release, the band ceased active collaboration and became primarily a studio project before disbanding. The album nevertheless received critical acclaim and developed a cult following. Kinsella's solo project Owen incorporated similar musical elements, and he re-recorded the song "Never Meant" in 2004 under that project.
In March 2014, Polyvinyl Records announced a deluxe reissue of the band's debut album, including previously unreleased demos and live recordings. The announcement was followed by reunion performances in Champaign and New York, which sold out. Nate Kinsella joined the band on bass for these shows and remained a permanent member thereafter. The band subsequently toured internationally, including dates in the United States, Canada, Spain, the United Kingdom, Japan and Australia.
In 2016, American Football released their second album, again self-titled, preceded by the single "I've Been So Lost for So Long". The album's artwork featured a photograph of the same house shown on the debut album cover, with an interior image used instead of the exterior. The house, often referred to by fans as the American Football House, became a notable site associated with the genre, attracting visitors to Urbana, Illinois.
The band's third self-titled album was released in 2019. It was preceded by the singles "Silhouettes" and "Uncomfortably Numb", the latter featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore, marking the band's first collaboration with a guest vocalist.
Steve Lamos left the band in 2021, citing personal circumstances, although he later stated that he had experienced ongoing creative and interpersonal difficulties within the group. Following his departure, a single featuring "Rare Symmetry" and a cover of Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You" was released later that year.
In 2023, American Football were announced as the opening act for The 1975's outdoor concert at Finsbury Park in London, which led to confirmation of Lamos's return to the band. The same year, the band purchased the house featured on their debut album cover to prevent its demolition. They also performed their first public show since 2019 in Chicago.
In 2026, the band announced their fourth self-titled album, released on May 1 through Polyvinyl Records, and planned a tour running from May to September of that year with support from several artists including Mei Semones, Marconi Union, Ian Sweet, Afternoon Bike Ride and Bleachers.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Football_(band)
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…shrink me down again