Before attaining global recognition as a defining pillar of the “Midwest Emo” sub-genre, American Football was a humble University of Illinois-based indie rock band led by Mike Kinsella (founding Cap’n Jazz drummer-turned-vocalist-and-guitarist) along with Steve Holmes (guitar) and Steve Lamos (drums / trumpet). They were influenced at the time by artists including Steve Reich, Tortoise, and The Sea and Cake.
Together, American Football would play no more than a dozen sparsely attended shows before going their separate ways. With college graduation and some variation of adulthood looming, the band’s parting gift would be shared in the form of a self-titled album, released in September of 1999 via the locally founded Polyvinyl Record Co. What would transpire over the ensuing fifteen years, however, is something made of rock and roll legend – where word of mouth meets message boards, and mixtapes, burned CDs, and early file sharing platforms allowed for the lore of an otherwise unknown band, with a nondescript house on their lone album cover, to grow into something much larger.
In 2014, answering the call from a growing legion of dedicated fans, American Football would reunite to international acclaim. With the addition of bassist/multi-instrumentalist and cousin Nate Kinsella, the quartet has since released two additional (and equally beloved) self-titled records in 2016 and 2019, while steering a natural evolution in their evergreen sound towards post-rock, post-punk, and more experimental influences. They’ve collaborated with admired peers and fans alike, including Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell, and Ethel Cain, among others. The band has been touted among the most important artists of their class by the likes of Alternative Press, The FADER, GQ, The Guardian, KEXP, NME, NPR Music, Rolling Stone, Vulture, and elsewhere.
Hailed as the “most influential album in the genre” by Pitchfork, American Football spent the last two years honoring its 25th anniversary of their self-titled debut – colloquially known as “LP1,” by embarking on a sold out world tour. In the process, they shared a remastered edition of the landmark record, compiled an LP1 covers album by artists of mutual inspiration, put out their first live album, and released a companion concert film of its recording.
Having recently ventured into parts of the globe for the first time, the band has also found an overwhelming embrace among a new generation of fans. Many of these fans have never been to the American Midwest, yet have all felt that same emotional connection to its vast geography and rich creative soil. As spring approaches in 2026, so does new growth…
