American Football’s LP3 is here, and with it, the final shedding of their “one-album wonder” status. From emo pioneers to middle-aged parents writing about existential malaise, Mike Kinsella and Nate Kinsella talk about embracing change, working with Hayley Williams and Rachel Goswell, and why that house didn’t make the cover this time.
For a band that once seemed frozen in time, LP3 is a huge step forward. “The first two albums were kind of first records in their own way,” Mike explains. “This is the first time we really got to stretch out and explore what this band is capable of.” That meant curating the songs carefully—cutting anything that felt too familiar and leaning into a more expansive, cinematic sound.
The record features stunning guest appearances, including Paramore’s Hayley Williams on Uncomfortably Numb and Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell, fulfilling a shoegaze-emo crossover dream. “She didn’t even know who we were when we reached out,” Mike laughs. “But getting to collaborate with someone I admired for so long? That was surreal.”
And yes, they’re aware that they’ve written emo for adults. “I mean, I don’t get paid enough for it to feel like a duty,” Mike jokes. “But writing from where we are now—middle-aged, raising kids, dealing with real-life stuff—it just happens naturally. Some of it’s heavy, but that’s what music is for me.”
Fans have also noticed the absence of the famous LP1 house on the new cover. “The music felt too different,” Nate says. “We wanted something that reflected the space in the sound.” Enter the album’s vast, sunlit imagery, a shift from the cozy, suburban nostalgia of their past.
As for the 20th anniversary of LP1, don’t expect a big blowout. “We might do a show,” Mike teases, “but honestly, we’ve done so much with that album already. It’s all kind of folding into itself at this point.”
What’s clear is that American Football has broken free from its own mythology. No longer a relic of the past, LP3 proves they can still surprise us—and more importantly, themselves.
Listen to the interview above and then check out the video below.
