American Football

American Football bring their quietly intricate take on Midwest emo and math-leaning indie rock to O2 Academy Leeds on 26 June 2026. Formed in the late 90s in Champaign-Urbana around Mike Kinsella, Steve Lamos and Steve Holmes, the band built its identity on chiming, interlaced guitar arpeggios, shifting time signatures, understated vocals and, at times, trumpet lines that thread through the arrangements. Their first LP in 1999 was followed by a long pause, then a return to the stage and two further self-titled albums in 2016 and 2019, where the palette widened with denser textures and guest voices.

On stage, American Football expands the original nucleus, letting the intricate patterns breathe and the trumpet parts bloom while keeping the intimate atmosphere that defines their songs. The set draws across their catalog, from early vignettes to later, more layered pieces, carried by patient builds, ringing harmonies and subtly shifting rhythms.