Cure

For anyone recording a cover, praise from the song's own author is the ultimate achievement. That's exactly what American Football, the cult band of midwest emo, has pulled off with their recently released version of a Cure classic, "Boys Don't Cry". They even won over Robert Smith himself: "It's one of the most heartfelt and beautiful Cure covers I've ever heard," the English singer commented.

Anatomy of a cover

Slowing down "Boys Don't Cry", stripping it of its jangly brightness to let all its melancholy surface, right down to adding a trumpet solo. This is the path American Football chose to reinterpret the Cure's 1979 classic. Recorded during a session for SiriusXMU this summer, in between stops on the "No Feeling Tour", the reinterpretation is now available on streaming platforms as the single "Wake Her Up/ Boys Don't Cry (SiriusXM Session)". Rounding out the release is an acoustic version of "Wake Her Up", a track from their latest album "LP4", whose original recording features Wisp.

For the American band's leader, Mike Kinsella, the choice of song carries a meaning that goes beyond musical tribute. "The Cure, and 'Boys Don't Cry' in particular, were essential to my growth as a songwriter, but just as much, if not more, to my growth as a man," the frontman explained. "It felt like the perfect song to deconstruct and try to make our own, for a group of grown men driven by melody and capable of opening up to their emotions."
The arrangement thus translates the song into the American band's own musical language, while preserving its emotional core. "We swapped the jangle for thin, spindly guitars, slowed the tempo right down, and added a melancholy trumpet solo, but that plainly stated teenage longing still resonates with just as much force."

The other feat

Covers remain a rare presence in American Football's catalog: this is only the second one released in roughly thirty years of career, following their 2021 reinterpretation of "Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star. American Football stretch "Fade Into You" into a reinterpretation of over seven minutes, turning Mazzy Star's intimacy into a broader, more rarefied landscape. The arpeggiated guitars and the voice of Miya Folick, a special guest on the track, preserve the fragility of the original, while the arrangement heightens its sense of suspension. Rather than changing its meaning, the band draws out its longing, finding a natural meeting point between dream-pop and emo sensibility.

The release of the new cover of "Boys Don't Cry" comes as American Football's "No Feeling World Tour" approaches its next leg. After summer shows across the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia and Mexico, with surprise appearances from Hayley Williams, Wisp and Soccer Mommy, the band will resume in Chile on November 28, before heading to Brazil, Argentina and Peru and wrapping up with eight dates in the United States. Thanks to a partnership with PLUS1, one dollar from every ticket sold will go to organizations working to protect immigrant rights and support deported people, migrants and refugees.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google

15/10/2026