By
Anna Goldfarb
Rocket Fuel Contributor

3/1/1999

Photos from Polyvinyl Records website.
 
When you really think about it, the band American Football has more in common with the game tetherball than football. For one thing, the band stays in one place, Champaign-Urbana, IL, while their record is bounced from kid to kid without them really have done much to encourage it besides just existing. Contrary to the images of cheerleaders, elaborate halftime shows, and fat men wearing body paint that their name in invokes, American Football should identify more with the classic game where it's just a couple of kids in a backyard on a springtime evening chatting about sixth grade things, hitting around the tetherball that has been there since they were little kids.

With only one CD single on Polyvinyl Records and a track on the Tree/Southern/Polyvinyl sampler CD, the Football have seemingly mesmerized the indie-rock underground without even leaving their town, really. Already their CD, which hit the streets this fall, has almost sold out of its first pressing. That's not bad for a project band that has only played a handful of live shows, ever.

Friends since high school, guitarist/vocalist Mike Kinsella, guitarist Steve Holmes and drummer Steve Lamos started playing together their sophomore year of college. That's right kids, this game of tetherball has been two years in the making. Holmes jokes that they have diligently proven their motto that "slow and steady wins the race." He goes on to say that, "I am surprised that we get anything done. We are fairly lazy."

All the buzz around this band can be traced directly to Mike Kinsella. Maybe his name sounds familiar because of his old band, Cap'n Jazz. Maybe you heard of him because of a current band he stars in with his brother Tim called Joan of Arc. With a rock resume like that, ears are definitely tuned in to his new project. But, let's be honest here, can the Kinsella name alone effectively carry the whole band?

American Football is candid regarding the hype that is bound to surround them because of their singer's past and present. But, in their little Champaign-Urbana window they do not seem to feel the glare. To be honest, Kinsella seems downright shocked by the whole thing. He concedes that "I am surprised that anyone is interested in what I'm doing. So many bands are able to tour and put out records, I am surprised that anyone cares at all."

Although the Kinsella name recognition might give the band a headstart to the turntables, their music itself is keeping the interest high. Kinsella agrees, "I think that we are easy to listen to. When we put our songs together, the volume is easy to listen to and the progression of notes, they all fit. We do not throw any curveballs."

Holmes chimes in, "We try to make music that we would want to listen to. If we can impress ourselves, which we try to do at least once in a song, then we know that we are going the right way."

Because they have been more of a project band then a full-on touring one, the connection that they share with their audience is affected. To put it another way, the band has no idea who even is listening. Holmes explains, "It seems weird that we are getting such a positive response from people. I feel removed from it, myself. The record is sold out pretty much, so there are a thousand kids we don't know who have this record. So, we get a call [from the record label] that the record has done well, be we feel so removed from it."

Kinsella goes on to say that, "It seems like more people take this band seriously than we do. We haven't played very many shows so not too many people know who we are. And, our live show isn't the most spectacular that you will ever see. Its just two guys kind of standing there playing guitar."

Well, Mike, I guess that whatever you boys are doing, you are doing it well. As of now, there is talk of American Football recording a full-length for a fall release on Polyvinyl Records.