American Football share new 8-minute song “Bad Moons” off LP4

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American Football are officially set to release their highly-anticipated LP4 on May 1 via Polyvinyl, and while most album details are still under wraps, they just released its first single, “Bad Moons.” It’s an eight-minute song, and it earns its runtime in a much different way than some of American Football’s other songs of that length. It starts out sounding about as classic American Football as it gets (though with some gorgeous harp), and about halfway through it takes a moody, cacophonous turn into territory that’s new for American Football but suits them very, very well. The song was produced by Sonny DiPerri, and here’s what Mike Kinsella has to say about it:

“Bad Moons” is actually a Frankenstein of two different demos we’d been passing around for quite a while: one playful, with children playing and toy-pianos plinking; one brooding, with guitars screeching and drums bombasting. I had already been singing the “(…) in the dark” mantra over the latter, so the biggest challenge for me was thematically bridging the innocence and buoyancy of the first act with the deep despair of the second. I decided to begin the song as a child. Or, rather…two. Stacked up in a single trench coat; secretly, reluctantly living the life of a grown man, accruing all of his missteps and guilt along the way. By the end, these missteps are almost spilling out of the boys. A cathartic confession, hopefully at least somewhat relatable to anyone listening who’s ever lived a life.

It also comes with a cinematic music video that the band’s press release refers to as “a slow-motion montage analyzing the complexities of boyhood to manhood and how turbulent and fragile that transition can be.” It was directed by Alex Acy and Rémi Belleville and it stars a long list of actors. Acy says:

I think part of growing up is realizing you can only become more empathetic with others once you become empathetic with yourself. I think boys often have a harder time grasping this, which leads to a lot of dumb & regrettable actions. Rémi & I grew up together and felt like we could connect around this concept from a shared & honest point of view. Quebec, where we grew up & the Midwest feel very similar in a lot of ways. It only felt right to anchor the video in rural Canada.

Check out “Bad Moons” and its video below.

American Football will also be touring this year, including a NYC show on July 9 at Brooklyn Paramount with Ian Sweet. They also moved their Philly and Toronto shows to larger venues and added a second London show since the initial tour announcement. Updated dates are listed below.

American Football – 2026 Tour Dates
05/15 – Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall *
05/17 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Block Party
05/18 – Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Hall *
05/19 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theater *
05/20 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom *
05/22 – San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom *
05/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern *
05/24 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park * (Sold-Out)
06/19 – Milan, Italy @ Alcatraz !
06/20 – Stuttgart, Germany @ Im Wizeman !
06/21 – Cologne, Germany @ Die Kantine !
06/23 – Brussels, Belgium @ La Madeleine !
06/24 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso !
06/26 – Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy !
06/27 – London, UK @ O2 Kentish Forum !
06/28 – London, UK @ O2 Kentish Forum ! (Second Date Just Added)
07/08 – Boston, MA @ Royale #
07/09 – New York, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount #
07/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall # (New Venue)
07/11 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club #
07/14 – Richmond, VA @ The National #
07/15 – Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel # (Sold-Out)
07/16 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse #
07/26 – Niigata, JP @ Fuji Rock Festival
08/07 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues ^
08/08 – Toronto, ON @ History ^ (New Venue)
08/09 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Roxian Theatre ^
08/10 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall ^
08/12 – Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works ^
08/13 – Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe at Old National Centre ^
08/14 – Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed ^
08/15 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom ^
08/16 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue ^