An Introduction to Midwest Emo, From A Reformed Iowian
By Anna Miller
Whenever I tell anyone that I was born and raised in West Des Moines, Iowa, it is usually followed by an “Oh, wow!” This is typically due to shock from the fact that I’ve adopted Northern California, where I attended high school, as a central part of my personality, or them simply knowing nothing about Iowa — which is understandable. No shade, but Iowa is a very boring place. To put into context, the three most memorable aspects of Iowa are: The Iowa Caucus, The Iowa State Fair, and The Iowa Feeder Farms.
I have two brothers that are 10 years older than me so, while I was still convinced that the entire world existed within a ten mile radius of my backyard, they were navigating the teenage experience within the confines of a tiny Catholic High School that had seen generations of Millers before them. My oldest brother Nicholas always harbored resentment for our cookie-cutter suburbia, which is why he, as with many angsty teens, was in a band. Nicholas will always be undeniably cool to me, not only because he is my brother but because he also made pretty dope music circa 2010. His band was called So Much Fun (you can still find them on Spotify) and consisted of four teenage boys making experimental, almost psychedelic, rock music. When I was still only four-feet-tall, my parents would take me to my brother’s shows where I would dance in the back as I watched him scream profanity into a megaphone (pictured below).
There’s no doubt that my brother had an influence on my own music career — but, I find it even cooler that I get to brag about how my brother grew up in the “Midwest Emo” scene. Midwest Emo has become a buzzword within recent years. The other day, a TikTok video came up on my “for you” page that was a stylistic guide to “dressing like you listen to Midwest Emo” (which might say more about me than anything else). Nonetheless, I’ve noticed a lot more bands being described as “Midwest Emo,” as the word gets thrown around in conversation. Despite this, I still think Midwestern Emo hasn’t gotten the appreciation it deserves, and I would concur that nasally voices over crunchy guitar do pair well with an thrifted, oversized sweater (thanks TikTok).
What initially began as an exploration of my Midwestern childhood and the sounds that defined it, surprisingly, left my music taste buds satiated and craving more. Nowadays, I mostly listen to Indie-Folk so I was afraid that the heavy power guitar and discordant vocals that have come to define early-2000s Midwest Emo would steer me away from the genre entirely. However, the musicality and structure of the Midwest Emo’s most beloved songs closely resembles that of contemporary Indie-Rock bands, such as Pinegrove, The Districts, and Snail Mail.
The first band I stumbled upon was American Football. There’s a high possibility that you’ve heard of this band before (they have a song out with Paramore’s Hayley Williams called “Uncomfortably Numb”) but, nevertheless, they’re a nice introduction into the world of Midwest Emo as one of the genre’s most influential and well-received bands. Formed in Urbana, Illinois in 1997, American Football was only around for three years before ultimately splitting up. Although short-lived, their self-titled debut album, released in ‘99, established footing for Midwest Emo rockers — boasting an 8.6 rating by acclaimed music publication Pitchfork to this day. In terms of Emo, American Football is pretty mild. They tend to focus more on intricate layers of instrumentation rather than overwhelming their tracks with drums and electric guitar. Their song “Honestly?” is a quintessential emo anthem, opening with the lines: “Honestly I can’t Remember / All my teenage feelings / And the meanings / They seem too see through / to be true.” The first half of the song consists of a repeating melody on guitar and a steady drum beat, until, halfway through the song, the drums open up and the power chords, accompanied by a hollow guitar solo, ring throughout.
I will always be a sucker for drums. I think they are one of the most critical and defining aspects of a song, which is why I fell in love with Empire! Empire! (i was a lonely estate). Formed in Michigan in 2006, Empire! Empire! may, at first glance, look like every other square midwesterner. However, they feature a badass female lead-guitarist Cathy Latinen who’s playing, alone, makes the group something worth discussing. In comparison to American Football, this band is definitly more dedicated to the hardcore elements of Emo. They tend to fill the space in their songs — and, with fantastic intention. Instead of piling every instrument on top of one another, they build and disburse to create dynamic levels. Their album, What It Takes To Move Forward, is probably their most climatic, and their song “It’s a Plague, and You’re Invited” goes so hard, and with a change of tempo, a swelling chord progression, and a repeating solo line, makes one of the most head-banger worthy outros I’ve ever heard.
Lastly, we have Joie De Vivre, from Rockford Illinois (2007). This band probably excites me the most. Not only are they fairly “underground” but their lead vocalist, Brandon Lutmer, writes some of the most beautifully painful lyrics, truly encompassing what the Midwest Emo scene is all about — having emotions be exacerbated by the lack of surrounding life that, in turn , fosters an intense tie to a such subpar place. In their song “Maybe People Do Change”, Lutmer writes about not wanting to leave his hometown as everyone else moves away: “And I could walk the streets for hours / But I’d still end up in the same bed / Drowning with mine.”
Joie De Vivre and the other Midwest Emo bands are so impressive because they seemed to bridge the gap between the storytelling aspects of Indie-Folk and the musical catharsis permitted by genres like Emo and Rock. And so, if you’re looking for a way to start expanding into Emo, Midwest Emo might be the perfect place to start. Although Midwest Emo never got it’s moment in the spotlight during the early 2000s, I’ve seen a return to music that is heavily defined by geographical location, perhaps finally allowing Midwest Emo the standing ovation it deserves.