American Football have released a new music video for “Wake Her Up,” featuring singer and guitarist Wisp. The song appears on the band’s fourth self-titled album, American Football (LP4), which arrived in May through Polyvinyl Record Co.
“Wake Her Up” moves toward a more direct pop sound while retaining American Football’s guitar-focused style. Mike Kinsella described the track as the band’s “best The Smiths impression to date.” Steady percussion and layered electric guitar riffs support Wisp’s airy vocals, which appear alongside Kinsella’s lead performance.
The song follows a boy who falls in love with a girl associated with the River Seine. Although the lyrics initially seem to focus on the girl, Kinsella explained that they are told from the boy’s perspective and concern his attachment to someone he cannot reach.
“The female melody/line ‘wake her up’ existed for a while,” Kinsella said in a statement. “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 accompanying video places Kinsella and Wisp on separate nighttime bicycle rides through Los Angeles. Images of Paris are projected behind them, causing the two cities to occupy the same scenes. Kinsella and Wisp spend the video searching for each other, but their paths never meet. Their physical separation reflects the song’s account of isolation and impossible love.
Ty Evans, Atiba Jefferson and Oscar-winning filmmaker Cord Jefferson co-directed the video. Evans said the directors combined technology with practical effects to create the visual relationship between Los Angeles and Paris. Atiba Jefferson used the projections as both the background and a source of light on the performers.
Atiba Jefferson previously worked with American Football on the video for “Uncomfortably Numb,” the band’s collaboration with Hayley Williams from its third self-titled album. He has also directed videos for TV on the Radio, Soccer Mommy and Turnstile.
“Wake Her Up” follows the LP4 singles “Bad Moons” and “No Feeling,” which features Turnstile vocalist Brendan Yates. American Football are currently supporting the album on their 2026 No Feeling World Tour.
According to mxdwn, American Football recently performed “Uncomfortably Numb” with Hayley Williams for the first time during the band’s Kilby Block Party set. Like that 2019 collaboration, “Wake Her Up” pairs Mike Kinsella with a female guest vocalist, with Wisp joining him to express the song’s isolation and unreturned love
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