WHEN American Football released their only album in 1999, they weren't exactly headline news.

Their break-up a few months later didn't gain too much attention either.

Yet over the years the album earned a strong following, hailed for setting the template for many emo bands that followed in its wake, and the band's reunion last year saw shows sell out instantly.

Now they're preparing for a first ever UK tour, adding a Glasgow date at SWG3 this Sunday due to demand.

"I do remember the initial run of London shows selling out quickly enough that we started to get interest from clubs in other cities," says drummer Steve Lamos.

"Glasgow seemed like a wonderful opportunity for us, and the club came highly recommended.

"We're really excited for the opportunity.

"I've never been to Scotland before, but a friend of mine lived in Edinburgh for a time, and can't say enough about how much he enjoyed the experience, and so I'm personally excited to see your country for myself.

"I am catching grief at home, though. My wife's parents are from Dublin, and so I'm constantly being asked why we're not playing there, too."

The band's reunion came out of the blue, coinciding with a deluxe re-issue of their 1999 album.

They were always a cult group, the trio who mixed confessional lyrics with melodic tunes and clever math-rock inspired ideas, often quoted by other bands as being an influence.

Steve has drummed in other bands and singer/guitarist Mike Kinsella has spent the past several years in the band Owen, but nobody was expecting the demand for the American Football reunion.

"We were extremely surprised-and in some ways we continue to be," adds Steve.

"None of us, not even Mike, who does music for his living, had any idea about the popularity of the record.

"We're very humbled by it, and we're very grateful for it."

Although there's been unexpected demand for the group's return, the band haven't gone crazy with the amount of shows they've done. They've kept their gigging to short bursts, letting them return to normal life afterwards.

"We've joked that this UK tour will be the most we've played in a row ever," explains the sticksman.

"Except that it's no joke: seven shows in five days or whatever it is will be a record for us, and it will certainly be the closest we've ever come to a proper tour.

"The fact that Glasgow comes at the very end of that stretch means that you'd all better get ready.

"We're going to be on fire.

"Or, at least, our version of being on fire, which might simply translate to 'well-rehearsed,' or even just 'properly warmed up.'"

However, the drummer admits they have been toying with new material, aided by Nate Kinsella, Mike's brother and their bassist on the current tour.

"That's news sure to thrill fans - and they might try a new song in Glasgow.

"We've been talking about writing new songs, provided that doing so is fun for us all and provided that Nate becomes a full-fledged band member," says Steve.

"We've also started to mess around with a couple of things, including one song that we might try on this trip, but we don't want to push too hard on anything.

"Given how tough it can be to get us in the same place at times, it had been better be a fun process, otherwise, it simply won't be worth the headache."

There's another headache that Steve has from the reunion tour - where to put his wedding ring when onstage...

"I had really only been playing drums for about three years at that point," he says, referring to when the band first formed.

"For that reason, I would invent all kinds of beats and patterns that I thought sounded good but that maybe a proper drummer wouldn't play, and so there have been a couple of times in the course of re-learning these songs that I've found myself asking 'what was that?'"

"One other thing is that younger me was not married, although I was dating my wife Tracy back in the early days.

"I say this because I used to love to do tons of weird sticking things that presently hurt my ring finger- and so I can't wear a wedding ring when I play this stuff.

"Young me obviously didn't take wedding rings into account."

American Football, SWG3, tomorrow, sold out, 7pm