American Football Delivers Unique Cover of the Cure Classic

WHO:

Pitchfork - American Football, a veteran emo band led by Mike Kinsella

Spin Magazine - Robert Smith, the frontman of the Cure

WHAT:

Pitchfork - American Football performed a live cover of the Cure's classic song "Boys Don’t Cry"

Spin Magazine - The cover of "Boys Don’t Cry" is only the second cover ever performed by American Football in its 25-plus-year history, following a 2021 version of another song

WHERE:

Spin Magazine - The cover was recorded in Nashville during a session for SiriusXMU

WHEN:

Spin Magazine - The cover was recorded during the summer

WHY:

Spin Magazine - American Football salutes the formative influence of Robert Smith and the Cure

HOW:

Pitchfork - The cover was performed as a live session for SiriusXM

(UPDATED October 7, 2026 19:11 UTC)

American Football, the veteran emo band led by Mike Kinsella, recently performed a live cover of the Cure's classic song "Boys Don’t Cry" during a session for SiriusXM in Nashville. This marks only the second cover ever done by American Football in their 25-plus-year history, following a previous cover from 2021. The band pays tribute to the formative influence of Robert Smith and the Cure with this special performance recorded over the summer.