AMERICAN FOOTBALL MAKE THEIR LONG-AWAITED RETURN WITH NEW SINGLE “BAD MOONS”
Press Photo: Alexa Viscius
After years of measured silence and only occasional appearances, American Football returns with “Bad Moons,” a new single that signals the next chapter in their quietly towering legacy.
The track arrives ahead of their highly anticipated new album, American Football (LP4), out May 1 via Polyvinyl. For a band whose self-titled releases have each marked distinct eras, LP4 feels poised to continue that evolution while staying rooted in the emotional DNA that made them essential in the first place.
Few bands have shaped the emotional language of modern indie and emo quite like American Football. Their 1999 debut became a generational landmark, its intricate guitar work and open-hearted vulnerability influencing countless artists in its wake. Rather than distancing themselves from that history, “Bad Moons” expands it. The song feels less like a reinvention and more like a deepening.
Built on the band’s signature interlocking guitar lines and spacious arrangements, the track unfolds with unhurried confidence. The melodies feel reflective and lived in, while the rhythm section anchors everything with subtle precision. Lyrically, “Bad Moons” circles themes of distance, inevitability, and emotional gravity, delivered with the restraint that has always made their music linger.
The accompanying video amplifies the song's emotional impact. Shot in stark black-and-white, it plays almost like a short film. Scenes of adolescence unfold in quiet, intimate moments — snowball fights, wandering through winter landscapes, flashes of youth that feel both immediate and already fading. It captures that specific ache of looking back at who you were and realizing how quickly it slips away. The absence of color only heightens the nostalgia, making every frame feel suspended in memory.
With American Football (LP4) arriving May 1 via Polyvinyl, this return feels both familiar and forward-moving. For longtime fans, it is a reconnection. For newer listeners, it is a doorway into one of the most important bands in the evolution of emo and indie rock.
Listen and watch “Bad Moons” now.
2026 Tour Dates
05/15 - Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall *
05/17 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Block Party
05/18 - Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Hall *
05/19 - Seattle, WA @ Moore Theater *
05/20 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom *
05/22 - San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom *
05/23 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern *
05/24 - San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park * (Sold-Out)
06/19 - Milan, Italy @ Alcatraz !
06/20 - Stuttgart, Germany @ Im Wizeman !
06/21 - Cologne, Germany @ Die Kantine !
06/23 - Brussels, Belgium @ La Madeleine !
06/24 - Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso !
06/26 - Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy !
06/27 - London, UK @ O2 Kentish Forum !
06/28 - London, UK @ O2 Kentish Forum ! (Second Date Just Added)
07/08 - Boston, MA @ Royale #
07/09 - New York, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount #
07/10 - Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall # (New Venue)
07/11 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club #
07/14 - Richmond, VA @ The National #
07/15 - Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel # (Sold-Out)
07/16 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse #
07/26 - Niigata, JP @ Fuji Rock Festival
08/07 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues ^
08/08 - Toronto, ON @ History ^ (New Venue)
08/09 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Roxian Theatre ^
08/10 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall ^
08/12 - Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works ^
08/13 - Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe at Old National Centre ^
08/14 - Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed ^
08/15 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom ^
08/16 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue ^
* Mei Semones: 5/15 - 5/24
! Marconi Union: 6/19 - 6/27
# IAN SWEET: 7/8 - 7/16
^ Afternoon Bike Ride: 8/7 - 8/16