Hailed by Robert Smith as “one of the most heartfelt and beautiful Cure covers I have heard,” American Football officially release their stripped-back take on ‘Boys Don’t Cry’
American Football have officially released a stripped-back cover of The Cure’s “Boys Don’t Cry”, which Robert Smith praised as one of the most heartfelt and beautiful Cure covers he had heard. The release brings the band’s acoustic version of the song, first performed on SiriusXMU earlier this summer, to streaming services and highlights The Cure’s influence on frontman Mike Kinsella.
The session also includes an acoustic version of American Football’s “Wake Her Up”, from their latest album, LP4. Kinsella said the band slowed the 1979 song, replaced its jangly sound with spindly guitars and added a mournful trumpet solo. The covers are only the second time the group have released a cover in their 30-year history; their next tour leg begins in Chile on 28 November, and $1 from each ticket will support organisations working with migrants and refugees.
- American Football have released their acoustic “Boys Don’t Cry” cover.
- Robert Smith praised it as heartfelt and beautiful.
- The session also features “Wake Her Up”.
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The Cure are a British band formed in the 1970s, led by singer and guitarist Robert Smith. “Boys Don’t Cry”, released in 1979, is one of their best-known songs. Its lyrics and guitar sound have influenced musicians across several generations.
American Football are an American band whose singer, Mike Kinsella, has cited The Cure as an influence. The two groups work in different musical styles, but covers of familiar songs can show how one band’s work is reinterpreted by another.