As part of the upcoming ‘American Football (Covers)’ album that is set to complement the original album’s 25th-anniversary remastered release on October 18th, US singer-songwriter Ethel Cain has shared her version of American Football‘s ‘For Sure’.
Accompanied by a video shot and edited by the indie artist, Cain‘s reworking sees her put an alluring spin, producing a layered and expansive rendition.
“I knew I wanted to do ‘For Sure’ immediately. 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,” commented Ethel on the track. “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.
Reflecting on the influence the Illinois group has had on her, Cain said “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 has also shared the remastered version of ‘For Sure’. With it’s pensive and poignant tone, it retains the sullen richness. “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,” American Football‘s Steve Lamos shares. “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, also commented on how he was made aware of Ethel 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.”
On Cain’s reworking of ‘For Sure’, the percussionist and trumpeter said “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.”
Both ‘American Football (25th Anniversary Edition)’ and ‘American Football (Covers)’ are set to be released through Polyvinyl Records Co. on October 18th.
