American Football’s Self-Titled Debut Gets a 25th Anniversary Celebration

25 years after its release, American Football’s self-titled debut — often called LP1 — occupies an assured place in the indie pantheon. With its blend of intricate guitar melodies, jazz-influenced drumming, plaintive vocals, and confessional lyrics, the album is a Midwest emo landmark. Which is a bit ironic since the band never planned for the long haul; shortly after releasing LP1 on Polyvinyl Records, American Football’s members went their separate ways and assumed that was that. (Of course, they ended up reuniting in 2014 and releasing two more acclaimed albums.)

Listening to it now, American Football’s debut has lost none of its emotional impact. Songs like “Never Meant” and “Honestly” are instant nostalgia triggers for me, tugging on the heartstrings while resurfacing memories from the early ’00s of hanging out with friends, going to basement shows, and taking roadtrips throughout the Midwest.

To celebrate LP1’s 25th anniversary, American Football have announced two new projects. The first is a remastered version of the original album sourced from the original DAT recordings. The second is a collection of covers of the album’s nine songs that features contributions from Iron & Wine, Ethel Cain, Tortoise’s John McEntire, and more.

Both of these will be released by Polyvinyl Records on October 18, 2024. The band will also be performing LP1 in its entirety on several U.S. dates throughout the fall.