American Football release Cure cover endorsed by Robert Smith
American Football have officially shared an acoustic version of The Cure's 'Boys Don't Cry', which they first played during a SiriusXMU session. Frontman Mike Kinsella said the song was important to his growth as both a songwriter and a person, while Robert Smith praised the cover. The release also includes an acoustic take on 'Wake Her Up' from the band's album 'LP4'.
American Football have now made their SiriusXMU session recordings available: an acoustic reading of The Cure’s 1979 single “Boys Don’t Cry” and a quieter version of “Wake Her Up,” a track from LP4 that originally included Wisp. The Cure cover is just the second cover in the band’s roughly 30-year catalog, after their 2021 take on Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You.”
Mike Kinsella framed “Boys Don’t Cry” as formative for his songwriting and personal growth. The arrangement swaps jangle for sparse guitars, slows the tempo, and adds a trumpet solo. Robert Smith endorsed the result. The group’s No Feeling World Tour continues later this year through South America and the U.S., with a charitable ticket initiative.
This release may let American Football reach Cure fans while giving longtime emo listeners a familiar song reworked in the band’s style. Such cross-generational covers could encourage streaming discovery of both artists’ catalogs and may add momentum to the tour. For audiences, the endorsement from Robert Smith lends cultural credibility, possibly deepening interest in American Football’s later work. The impact is likely modest, centered on music communities rather than broad society.