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Members

Current

Name
Begin
Occupation

Mike Kinsella

2014

Guitar

Mike Kinsella

2014

Lead vocals

Nate Kinsella

2014

Bass guitar

Nate Kinsella

2014

Vibraphone

Steve Holmes

2014

Guitar

Nate Kinsella

2014

Background vocals

History

Name
Begin
End
Occupation

Steve Lamos

2014
2021

Drums (drum set)

Steve Lamos

2014
2021

Trumpet

Steve Lamos

2014
2021

Percussion

Mike Kinsella

1997
2000

Lead vocals

Guitar

Bass guitar

Steve Holmes

1997
2000

Guitar

Keyboard

Steve Lamos

1997
2000

Drums (drum set)

Percussion

Trumpet

Story of American Football

American Football, the seminal indie rock band from Urbana, Illinois, first emerged in 1997, leaving an indelible mark on the emo and math rock scenes before disbanding in 2000. Their reunion in 2014 reignited a fervent fanbase.

The band's core initially comprised Mike Kinsella (guitar/bass/vocals – formerly of Cap'n Jazz and Joan of Arc, currently of Owen), Steve Holmes (guitar – also of The Geese), and Steve Lamos (drums/trumpet – formerly of The One Up Downstairs, a brief stint with The Firebird Band and Edward Burch & the Staunch Characters, and currently of The Geese and DMS). Lamos departed in 2021 but rejoined in 2023.

Their self-titled debut album, released during their original run, achieved legendary status, solidifying their place as a cornerstone of the genre. The reunion saw the addition of Nate Kinsella (Mike's cousin), resulting in two further self-titled releases: American Football / LP2 (2016) and American Football / LP3 (2019).

History:

Formation:

Mike Kinsella and Steve Holmes, former classmates at Wheeling High School in Wheeling, Illinois, forged a musical connection early on. Kinsella drummed for Cap'n Jazz, while Holmes played guitar in various bands and shared a room with Kinsella. Before American Football, Kinsella, Lamos, and the Johnson brothers (David and Allen) formed The One Up Downstairs in 1997. Kinsella focused solely on vocals in this project, which recorded three songs intended for a 7" release on Polyvinyl Records.

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