AMERICAN FOOTBALL SHARE CINEMATIC NEW VIDEO FOR 'WAKE HER UP' FEATURING WISP

Oscar-winning filmmaker Cord Jefferson joins skate legends Atiba Jefferson and Ty Evans behind the camera as the band's acclaimed 'No Feeling' world tour rolls on.

American Football have unveiled the official video for 'Wake Her Up', the standout single from their critically acclaimed fourth album American Football (LP4), pairing one of the band's most expansive songs to date with a visually stunning collaboration between three celebrated filmmakers.

Featuring guest vocals from rising artist Wisp, 'Wake Her Up' has quickly emerged as one of LP4's defining moments, blending American Football's unmistakable emotional depth with shimmering late-'80s alternative influences and a more melodic, pop-leaning sound that Mike Kinsella jokingly describes as "our best The Smiths impression to date."

The accompanying video is every bit as ambitious. Co-directed by legendary skate filmmaker Ty Evans, acclaimed photographer Atiba Jefferson, and Oscar-winning writer-director Cord Jefferson (American Fiction), it follows Kinsella and Wisp through the streets of nighttime Los Angeles, with dreamlike projections of Paris creating a striking visual metaphor for longing, distance and impossible love.

Speaking about the collaboration, Kinsella explains:

"The female melody, 'wake her up', existed for a while. We didn't have anyone in mind to sing it, and then we heard a Wisp song and were collectively like, 'She's gotta sing that line!' The whole song is presented as if it's about the girl in the River Seine, but it's actually about the boy who fell in love with her." For Ty Evans, the project was an opportunity to push visual storytelling into new territory.

"We wanted to create something that felt cinematic and experimental," he says. "The result blends two cities, two perspectives and multiple layers of motion into a single frame."

Atiba Jefferson adds:

"It's hard to do something different in music videos. I'm really proud of using projector overlays as both the background and key light while capturing everything with the Shotover—it created something completely unique."

Meanwhile, Cord Jefferson, a longtime admirer of the band, describes working with American Football as "a dream come true."

The release arrives as American Football continue their expansive 2026 'No Feeling' World Tour, following sold-out runs across North America, Europe, the UK and Asia. Recent dates have featured surprise guest appearances from Hayley Williams, Wisp and Rainer Maria's Caithlin De Marrais, while upcoming shows include a headline performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre and appearances in Mexico, Chile and Peru.

Produced by Sonny DiPierri (My Bloody Valentine, Nine Inch Nails, Portugal. The Man), LP4 has been widely hailed as one of the band's finest records, earning praise from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, NPR Music, SPIN, The New York Times and beyond. Exploring grief, change and middle age with renewed ambition, the album proves that, more than 25 years after redefining emo, American Football continue to evolve in remarkable ways.

With its haunting visuals and emotionally charged performances, 'Wake Her Up' offers another compelling chapter in the band's celebrated return—one that confirms American Football remain as innovative and affecting as ever.