Ethel Cain has shared her cover of American Football’s ‘For Sure’, alongside a self-directed video. It’s taken from the upcoming American Football (Covers), which features takes on songs from the band’s 1999 self-titled debut LP by Iron & Wine, Manchester Orchestra, Blondshell, and more. American Football have also released a newly remastered version of the original track from the 25th anniversary edition of the LP. Take a listen below.
“I knew I wanted to do ‘For Sure’ immediately,” Cain, aka Hayden Anhedönia, said in a press release. “It’s always stood out to me every time I spin the record, and I knew exactly how I wanted to translate it into my sound. My favourite part of the entire track is the sound of the train going by the apartment I lived in back in Pennsylvania, stretched out like a synth at the beginning and end. American Football is one of those bands that really marked such a moment in time with their debut record, a mark with so much longevity that it found me the same way at 20 years old that I imagine it found everyone else the day it was first released: as an instant classic. Their sonic storytelling has inspired me in more ways than I can count over the years, so being asked to contribute to this covers edition was truly an honor. American Football forever.”
American Football’s Steve Lamos had this to say about ‘For Sure’: “It’s a simple-but-powerful statement on change and uncertainty that still rings as true for me in middle age as it did when I was in my mid-20s. It also showcases some of my all-time favorite Mike vocals: the ‘ooooohs’ and ‘aaaaahs’ of ‘June seems / too late / delayed / maybe for the better’ are, to my mind, perfection. Ethel Cain has somehow made me like this track even more than I already did.”
Lamos, a college professor by day, came across Cain’s music through one of his students. “They wrote a brilliant paper explaining how Cain’s ‘American Teenager’ created a lush sonic landscape through textural elements, careful pacing, and plaintive lyrics,” he explained. “Cain bathes ‘For Sure’ here in similar luxury. She takes her time with each note, each phrase, and each vowel. In the process, she manages to intensify the ache and longing of the original: the ‘ooooohs’ and ‘aaaaahs’ echo almost endlessly here.”
American Football (25th Anniversary Edition) and American Football (Covers) are both out October 18 via Polyvinyl.
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