American Football are sharing Ethel Cain’s arresting rendition of their song ‘For Sure’ as they continue to celebrate the the 25th anniversary of their seminal debut album ‘American Football’ (fondly referred to as ‘LP1’) with a completely remastered version of the 1999 album, as well as a covers edition of the record featuring contributions from an array of talented artists including Iron & Wine, Ethel Cain, Manchester Orchestra, Blondshell and more. Both the remastered ‘American Football (25th Anniversary Edition)’ – lovingly adorned in a spot embossed and silver foil gatefold packaging with a 24-page booklet, and the ‘American Football (Covers)’ LPs will be out via Polyvinyl Record Co. on October 18th, 2024.
“I knew I wanted to do ‘For Sure’ immediately,” shares Cain, who also shot and edited the footage for the cover’s music video. “It’s always stood out to me every time I spin the record, and I knew exactly how I wanted to translate it into my sound. My favorite part of the entire track is the sound of the train going by the apartment I lived in back in Pennsylvania, stretched out like a synth at the beginning and end. American Football is one of those bands that really marked such a moment in time with their debut record, a mark with so much longevity that it found me the same way at 20 years old that I imagine it found everyone else the day it was first released: as an instant classic. Their sonic storytelling has inspired me in more ways than I can count over the years, so being asked to contribute to this covers edition was truly an honor. American Football forever.”
American Football’s Steve Lamos highlights ‘For Sure’ as one of his favorite AF songs. “It’s a simple-but-powerful statement on change and uncertainty that still rings as true for me in middle age as it did when I was in my mid-20s,” he shares. “It also showcases some of my all-time favorite Mike vocals: the ‘ooooohs’ and ‘aaaaahs’ of ‘June seems / too late / delayed / maybe for the better’ are, to my mind, perfection. Ethel Cain has somehow made me like this track even more than I already did.” Lamos, a college professor by day, first became acquainted with Cain’s music through one of his students. “They wrote a brilliant paper explaining how Cain’s ‘American Teenager’ created a lush sonic landscape through textural elements, careful pacing, and plaintive lyrics,” he shares. “Cain bathes ‘For Sure’ here in similar luxury. She takes her time with each note, each phrase, and each vowel. In the process, she manages to intensify the ache and longing of the original: the ‘ooooohs’ and ‘aaaaahs’ echo almost endlessly here.”