American Football performed an acoustic rendition of The Cure’s classic “Boys Don’t Cry” during a new session for SiriusXMU.
The emo band’s melancholy, stripped-down performance was recorded as part of its inaugural SiriusXMU session, which airs tonight, October 7th, at 9:00 p.m. The appearance also marks American Football’s first-ever acoustic performance as a full band and just their second officially released cover, following their 2021 rendition of Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You.” Their take on “Boys Don’t Cry” is considerably more solemn and understated than the original, and even incorporates a nod to their beloved 1999 song “Never Meant.”
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“The Cure, and specifically ‘Boys Don’t Cry,’ has not only been fundamental to my growth as a songwriter but as much or more so on my development as a man,” American Football frontman Mike Kinsella said. “It just seemed like the perfect fit for a bunch of melodically-driven, emotionally available grown men to deconstruct and try to make our own. We replaced the jangle with some spindly guitars, slowed it down quite a bit, and added a mournful trumpet solo, but the plain-spoken adolescent longing remains as resonant as ever.”
American Football have a few 2026 tour dates left on the docket, including some December shows in the US with she’s green. Get tickets to see them here.
