Achieving cult status is not something an artist can plan for, which is certainly not what American Football's Mike Kinsella expected when he went his own way with bandmates Steve Holmes and Steve Ramos shortly after recording their self-titled debut album in 1999.
Kinsella began writing and releasing songs under the name Owen, but the adoration of their album American Football spread across the US and abroad, and those in the know knew that their shimmering guitar tones, alternate tunings and unusual time signatures made them a sonic touchstone of almost biblical importance that boomed in the mid-2000s Midwest emo, post-rock and math rock scenes.
Twenty-five years after the album's release and 10 after American Football's reunion, Kinsella says it still makes him happy to know that the music he and his college buddies made lives on.
“We've just been really lucky, but people still can't believe this is going to be a full-time band,” he jokes from his Chicago home. “We're like, 'No, it's just a band we did in college.'”
He returns with his 11th Owen record. Sue FallsHere we take a deep dive into two sides to Kinsella's musicality: as an acerbic acoustic songwriter and a Telecaster-toting math rock pioneer.
What were your musical goals for this new album?
“I think it was just to excite me or keep me interested. It's limitless. The last album was written while going through a divorce, so it was cathartic and serious in a lot of ways.”
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“I wasn't tied down to a story or anything on this one. It was just a grown man trying to capture my interests! There were really no limitations, so I think it's more diverse than any of my other solo records.”
How does your approach on guitar change when writing for Owen?
“When I'm singing Owen's songs, I have to have in the back of my head the thought, 'OK, at the end of the day, I'm the only one on stage,' so I need to think about whether it's interesting enough, whether I'm carrying the melody and the root note. I need to know whether the song will be exciting enough for me alone.”
“Whereas in American football, you play 11/4 noodling and it doesn't really bother you because Nate's going to do something and Steve's going to do something.”
You've cited Steve Reich as a major early influence. What was it about his compositional style that appealed to you?
“Well, we all went to college, at least me and Steve Holmes, but we didn't discover marijuana the way we did when we discovered Steve Reich. It was a real shocker!”
“I remember as a freshman before I really started playing Americana I was interested in the idea of some things moving and other parts staying the same, and I thought that was really cool. We came from a really indie-punk DIY vibe, so anything that wasn't screaming was shocking!”
Your solo arrangements are still quite orchestral, especially on this new album…
“Working with Sean Carey helped me a lot in that regard. His productions are very pastoral, which is one of the reasons I'm such a big fan of his, so I knew he'd add atmosphere. Every time I play around with layers in the studio, it's a bit of a problem because I know this is something I'm going to be playing live.”
I find all the pop music and crap on the radio boring… I think I'm trying to stimulate myself, to challenge myself.
Can you talk about the track? Sue Falls What do you particularly like?
” Cursed IDWhen I was talking to Sean in pre-production and I sent him the demo, I thought this would be a cool Paul Simon song, kind of classy. Then I recorded a really cheesy drum demo on my phone to get some vibe, but at one point it got really awkward.
“That song is also in the silliest tuning. Usually my whole purpose in tuning is to get an interesting or good sound when I strum it with an open stroke. This song is the complete opposite. The B string is tuned lower than the G string, so in my mind, every time I play it, that becomes the most interesting part of the song.”
What is the appeal of non-standard tuning to you?
“I don't know what's so good about open tunings, but I've known since I was about 15 that all the standard stuff – pop music and all the crap on the radio – is boring, so I guess I'm trying to stimulate myself and challenge myself.”
“Standards have a very 'coffeehouse' sound to me, and I'm fully aware that in many ways what I'm doing shares 99.9% of the DNA of coffeehouse chimps. It's like a guy with an acoustic guitar sitting down and playing quiet, sentimental tunes. I know I'm doing the same thing, but I want it to sound a little different.”
We broke up for 15 years after a lot of really awkward gigs where we spent the whole time staring at a tuner.
Using unconventional tunings is a relatively common practice today, but what inspired you to start doing it back in the '90s?
“I first thought of it, or rather noticed it, when I was in high school and I was in another band called Captain Jazz. The guitar player, Victor Villarreal, was a genius, and I learned from him not only tuning but also playing with a pick and other little finger embellishments.
“The last two songs that Captain Jazz wrote were in FACGCE, I don't know where he found them. The internet existed but it was only for the government and Harvard! So he stumbled across it and got addicted.
“As I recall, the other guitarist left the band and then started another band that was basically based on FACGCE tuning, and their sound was pop punk, but very bright, with lots of ringing notes and huge chords.
“So, I was totally influenced by that. I got really into Mark Kozelek and the Red House Painters and I think that's where I learned DADGAD. I'd play those songs or try to write my own and if I couldn't get the notes to come out, I'd tune the strings down further. And it just went from there.”
How did you and Steve Holmes decide that using different tunings on the same song was a viable idea?
“I don't know! First of all, we never set out to be a dynamic band. We were just roommates in college and spent Friday nights sitting on the couch trying different tunings on our guitars and tweaking patterns.
“We just messed around with stupid stuff and later figured out how the tuning worked and it just sounded cool. Then after a bunch of really awkward gigs staring at a tuner the whole time, we broke up for 15 years!”
The world of gear has evolved a lot since the first American Football records, how much of the gear you used back then are you still using today?
“Not at all! I was using guitars and amps I borrowed from friends. I had no pedals. The sound on the record is cool, but I think there were times during the 15-year hiatus when I felt a bit embarrassed because I was so young.
In high school, everyone made an album and broke up… if the songs weren't cool, no one cared.
“I think we only had one borrowed tuner for the recording session, and since we didn’t have a bass, we doubled and tripled the guitar parts to create choruses to enrich the guitar sound.
“Nowadays you can buy a shimmer pedal and recreate what we did, but we did it manually, so I think it was just luck. We did it in a stupid way and it became our own thing. Now if you do something stupid like three guitars through a clean amp with no bass, it sounds like American Football.”
These circumstances and breakups may be as much a part of the legend as the music itself.
“Absolutely true! We all make albums in high school and college and then break up. We all know how big that myth has become. But I can tell you that if the songs weren't kind of cool, no one would care.
“They're serious young people and they see us discovering new things, and I think it makes kids their age happy when they discover the same things. It resonates with them because they're interested in hearing new things too.”
What gear have you acquired over the last 25 years and what do you use most today?
“I can only play a Telecaster. That's all I've ever played. I've tried to play a Les Paul a few times, but I didn't really enjoy it, just because I had to.
“Fender Twins are our backline every night. They're around 3.5 and 5 volume, clean sounding but with a little grit and push, which is a comfortable range for me.
“When I want to play hard, I can hear the grain of this guitar. When I want to play softer and relax, this guitar blends in really well. I can play loud or soft, so I'm a fan of this guitar.”
“In terms of pedals, my current favorites are the Keeley Caverns Delay Reverb and the EarthQuaker Avalanche Run.”
What were some of the sonic effects you employed on the new record?
It was a guitar I didn't mind losing or destroying, one that kids had painted on, but now it's priceless.
“I've got a 1967 Martin that I only take out once every two years to go over my tracks, and that's pretty much it. It's just lovely. It stays in tune. It's incredible. And my go-to travel guitar is like my best friend.
“When I was in college, my roommate had an acoustic guitar that he never played, and I played it every day for two years. When I graduated, I thought, 'I've got to get this!' It was a Guild guitar. I think it was about $600 at the time. I don't know if it sounds good, but I love it. I always thought of it as a guitar that I could lose or break. Kids used to paint pictures on it. But now it's priceless.”
Some of the great guitarists of today, like Yvette Young, have cited you as a major influence. How does it feel to be seen as a pioneer by the next generation?
“It's amazing. She's incredible. I remember the first time we went to Japan and the band we opened for were big fans of ours. I'm older now and they were just kids, but when they played I was like, 'Wow!' They were doing the same stuff we were doing, but better.
“I think I fell into it and I think other girls fell into it and just took it to another level. It's incredible. Especially when I see what Yvette is doing, I feel like I don't have the brain capacity for it!”
