American Football releases 'Year One Demos' to celebrate 20th anniversary of 'LP1' featuring unreleased 1997 instrumental recordings
American Football’s 'Year One Demos' released December 13. The collection of newly mastered and previously unreleased instrumental demos mark the 20th anniversary of the band’s seminal eponymous debut LP, 'American Football (LP1)'.
'Year One Demos' also closes out a terrific year for the band that included the release of 'American Football LP3'. Their latest album won widespread praise upon its release and has recently been heralded in best of 2019 album lists by the likes of NPR Music, Alternative Press, Variety, Kerrang and more.
“The band's third eponymous album (and second since reuniting in 2014) is impressionistic in its quietly bursting arrangements and attuned to the individual talents of its vocal guests (Land of Talk's Elizabeth Powell, Slowdive's Rachel Goswell and a stunning harmonious duet with Paramore's Hayley Williams).” - NPR Music
As the release of 'Year One Demos' marks the 20th anniversary of the debut album, it’s important to remember that its current status as a foundational entry into the indie-rock canon was likely the furthest thought from the band’s minds when it was released, or for that matter in the years that followed.
“American Football was never intended to be a real band,” Steve Holmes writes in the liner notes for 'Year One Demos.' “The band was our creative outlet, and gave us something to do outside of schoolwork. Not to say that we didn’t take the music seriously. We spent an enormous amount of time crafting and arranging these little songs, but we had zero interest in a ‘music career.’”
The recordings found on 'Year One Demos' are a raw, meaningful peek-back at that inauspicious time. According to drummer and trumpet player Steve Lamos who recently re-discovered the original tape (labeled with the date May 31, 1997), this is the first proper set of demos the band ever made.
“My dad ‘recorded’ this in the basement of the house I grew up in. As far as I can recall, he set up two vocal mics, at 90-degree angles, set the levels, showed me how to turn the Roberts two-track to ‘record,’ and then went upstairs while we played”, says Lamos.
Lamos last remembers coming across and listening to the demos in the mid-2000s, nearly a decade before American Football’s eventual reunion. He hadn’t thought about the recordings since until the approach of the 20-year anniversary of 'LP1' reminded him of their existence.
'Year One Demos' tracklist
1. Five Silent Miles (Demo)
2. Song #1 / Song #2 (Demo)
3. The Summer Ends (Demo)
4. For Sure (Demo)
Upcoming Tour Dates
29 Dec. - Chicago, IL - Schubas Tavern (sold out)
30 Dec. - Chicago, IL - Schubas Tavern
31 Dec. - Chicago, IL - Schubas Tavern
Band members
Steve Holmes (guitar)
Mike Kinsella (vocals, guitar)
Nate Kinsella (bass)
Steve Lamos (drums, trumpet)