After quietly releasing their self-titled debut album in 1999 while still in college, American Football disbanded after the album’s release to focus on other projects, only to reunite 15 years later to a fanbase that had been consistently growing throughout the underground / emo scene. The album later appeared on Rolling Stone’s “40 Greatest Emo Albums of All Time” list at #6, with Pitchfork giving its deluxe reissue the “Best New Reissue” title, calling it the “most influential album in the genre.” The reunion was followed by 2 more self-titled full-length albums (LP2 and LP3), collaborations with the likes of Paramore’s Hayley Williams, San Holo, boyband and others, as well as numerous sold-out world tours. In 2024 to celebrate 25 years of the band's self-titled inaugural release, the recently unearthed original tapes were remastered by Jonathan Pines, the same engineer who first captured the band's 1999 debut at Urbana’s Private Studios. American Football (25th Anniversary Edition) sounds sharper and more full of depth than it ever has before and arrives alongside American Football (Covers) featuring an array of talented artists including Iron & Wine, Ethel Cain, Manchester Orchestra, Blondshell and more. This ingeniously programmed set highlights not only the way American Football fueled an eventual “emo revival,” but also how their songs and sounds cut across borders of generation, genre, and geography.