Mike Kinsella (born March 4, 1977) is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He has been involved in many Illinois-based bands and is best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the emo band American Football.
Career Kinsella's first musical project was serving as drummer for the band Cap'n Jazz, which he co-founded with his brother Tim. Cap'n Jazz originally featured their local high school star running back on drums. When he quit to focus on football, a 12-year-old Mike Kinsella learned how to play a 16-piece drum set.
With either Tim and/or cousin Nate Kinsella, he has also participated in the projects Owls and Joan of Arc.
In 1997, Kinsella, along with Steve Lamos and Steve Holmes, formed the band American Football, which would go on to release an EP in 1998 and a full-length album in 1999, before disbanding. After a 15-year hiatus, the band returned in 2014. They issued a second album in 2016, a third in 2019, and a fourth one in 2026.
In 2001, Kinsella began his current solo project, Owen, in which he performs vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, loops, etc. Kinsella was also in a band called The Shirts and Skins, with his wife. In 2013, he released two EPs with Their / They're / There, a project featuring Evan Weiss of Into It. Over It. and Matthew Frank of Loose Lips Sink Ships. He has also been part of the band The One Up Downstairs, alongside American Football drummer Steve Lamos.
Many of his albums, including Owen and No Good for No One Now, were recorded at his mother's home.
Influences and legacy Kinsella has cited numerous bands as influences, including the Cure, Depeche Mode, Dinosaur Jr., the Sundays, the Smiths, and My Bloody Valentine.
John Hill of Loudwire wrote, "It's not often a guitarist is credited for being the progenitor of an entire style of music; however, you'd be hard-pressed not to give Mike Kinsella his dues for what he's given to the worlds of mid-west emo and math rock", adding that "emotion bleeds into every note he plays".
Personal life Kinsella married his wife Ryan in 2006; they have two children together. In 2019, Ryan discovered that Kinsella had been in a two-year relationship with another woman, leading to their divorce.
Discography YearTitleBandLabelFormatAdditional information1995Burritos...(AKA: Shmap'n Shmazz)Cap'n JazzMan With Gun RecordsLP/CDDrums/vocals1997A Portable Model Of...Joan of ArcJade Tree RecordsLP/CDDrums1998AnalphabetapolothologyCap'n JazzJade Tree Records2×CDDrums/vocals1998American FootballAmerican FootballPolyvinyl RecordsEP/CDGuitar/vocals1999American FootballAmerican FootballPolyvinyl RecordsLP/CDGuitar/bass/vocals1999Live in Chicago, 1999Joan of ArcJade Tree RecordsLP/CDDrums2000The GapJoan of ArcJade Tree RecordsLP/CDDrums2001OwlsOwlsJade Tree RecordsLP/CDDrums2001OwenOwenPolyvinyl RecordsCDGuitar/vocals/drums/bass2002No Good for No One NowOwenPolyvinyl RecordsCDGuitar/vocals/drums/bass2002Open GroundKyle FischerPolyvinyl RecordsCDDrums2003Best of AltanThe Songs AltanGreen Linnet RecordsCDHarmonica2003In Rape Fantasy and Terror Sex We TrustJoan of ArcPerishable RecordsCDBass/drums/percussion2003So Much Staying Alive and LovelessnessJoan of ArcJade Tree RecordsCDBass/drums2004Anyone in Love With You (Already Knows)Rainer MariaPolyvinyl RecordsCDTambourine2004The Rutabega/Owen Split EPOwenPolyvinyl RecordsCDGuitar/vocals/drums/bass2004Total Eclipse of the HeartThe Love of EverythingRecord Label RecordsCDDrums2004(The EP)OwenPolyvinyl RecordsCDGuitar/vocals/drums/bass2004Joan of Arc, Dick Cheney, Mark TwainJoan of ArcPolyvinyl RecordsCDDrums2005I Do PerceiveOwenPolyvinyl RecordsCDGuitar/vocals/drums/bass/programming2005Association of Utopian Hologram SwallowersOwenPolyvinyl RecordsCDGuitar/vocals2005Presents Guitar DuetsJoan of ArcRecord Label RecordsCDGuitar2006At Home with OwenOwenPolyvinyl RecordsCDGuitar/piano/vocals2007Many Times I've MistakenJoan of ArcPolyvinyl RecordsEP/CDGuitar2007Owen/The City on FilmOwenRed Cars Go Faster7-inch vinylGuitar/piano/organ/vocals2008Boo! HumanJoan of ArcPolyvinyl RecordsLP/CDDrums2009The Seaside EPOwenPolyvinyl RecordsCDGuitar/vocals2009New LeavesOwenPolyvinyl RecordsCDGuitar/vocals2010Abandoned BridgesOwenPolyvinyl Records7-inch EPGuitar/vocals2010Darling, DarlingCrissi CochraneIndependentCDDrums/guitar2011Oh, EvelynOwenPolyvinyl Records7-inch EPGuitar/vocals/drums/bass2011Ghost TownOwenPolyvinyl RecordsCD, vinylGuitar/vocals2013Their / They're / ThereTheir / They're / TherePolyvinyl RecordsCD, vinylDrums2013L'Ami du PeupleOwenPolyvinyl RecordsCD, vinyl, cassetteGuitar/vocals/drums/piano/bass2013Analog WeekendTheir / They're / TherePolyvinyl RecordsCD, vinylDrums2014TWOOwlsPolyvinyl RecordsCD, vinyl, cassetteDrums2014American Football (Deluxe Edition)American FootballPolyvinyl RecordsCD, vinyl, cassetteGuitar/bass/vocals Deluxe edition of first LP2014Other People's SongsOwenPolyvinyl RecordsCD, vinyl, cassetteGuitar/vocals/drums/piano/bass2015Owen/Into It. Over It. Split EPOwenPolyvinyl RecordsVinylGuitar/vocals/drums/piano/bass2016The Sleep Whose Dreams Are LifeAleph ErisHOMHOMHOM Records of the Eternal NowVinylDrums2016The King of WhysOwenPolyvinyl RecordsCD, vinyl, cassetteGuitar/vocals/drums/piano/bass2016American FootballAmerican FootballPolyvinyl RecordsCD, vinyl, cassetteGuitar/vocals2019American FootballAmerican FootballPolyvinyl RecordsCD, vinyl, cassetteGuitar/vocals2020The AvalancheOwenPolyvinyl RecordsCD, vinyl, cassetteGuitar/vocals2023LiesLiesPolyvinyl RecordsVinylGuitar/vocals2024The Falls of SiouxOwenPolyvinyl RecordsCD, vinylGuitar/vocals2026American FootballAmerican FootballPolyvinyl RecordsCD, vinyl, cassetteGuitar/vocals
References
External links
Biography on a Joan of Arc fan site, archived Owen official website Owen live on The Current Owen Myspace page The Shirts and Skins Myspace page