American Football
caught Nate sippin'

watch American Football play "Stay Home" while staying home

American Football‘s “Stay Home” continues to be an anthem for the mass quarantine. First, American Football made a “Stay Home” playlist of music to listen to in isolation, and then they headlined the virtual Nether Meant festival in Minecraft, then frontman Mike Kinsella contributed a 1975 cover with his Owen moniker to Polyvinyl’s Stay Home benefit compilation, and now American Football have filmed themselves doing a socially-distanced performance of the 1999 song. They trimmed the lengthy intro of the original, traded their electric guitars for acoustics, and newer member Nate Kinsella added in keyboards and backing vocals. (And Cory Bracken helped out on vibraphone.) It’s a lovely take on a classic song, as you can watch/hear for yourself below.

The band says:

A lot of people (us included) have a natural tendency to stay home. And now, strangely, that’s the responsible way to be. We hope at the very least that our homemade and tech-lite video will serve as a distraction from anxiety-inducing news coverage and stress about the future. And at best, maybe it will remind you that your antisocial tendencies are justified. You’ve been making the right decision all along: stay home.

Together in isolation,
American Football

And Steve Lamos adds:

Mike recorded audio and video first in Chicago, accentuating heartfelt lyrics with speed metal attire. Holmes recorded next out in the ‘burbs, throwing in a tempo flutter for the sake of live-band authenticity. I (Lamos) went third out in Colorado, sporting the tiniest of hats while squinting often. Cory—or, at least Cory’s hands and torso—went next, out in Queens. Flanked by a carpet deodorizing machine, Nate completed the cycle somewhere in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Listen to American Football’s “Stay Home” playlist here and Polyvinyl’s Stay Home compilation (with Owen’s 1975 cover) here.

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