Gordon Withers shares cello cover of American Football’s “Never Meant” on new benefit double single
July 17, 2026
Maryland rock cellist Gordon Withers has released Never Meant: A Benefit for SPLC, a two-track set pairing a cello arrangement of American Football’s “Never Meant” with a cover of Ethel Meserve’s “Calba’s Last.”
The double single was mastered by Dan Coutant at Sun Room Audio and features artwork by Nathan Shumaker of The Burning Paris. It arrives through Sweet Cheetah Records’ Covers For A Cause series, with all proceeds after fees donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Withers said a full version of “Never Meant” felt inevitable after American Football fans responded to the cello riffs he shared on social media. He chose “Calba’s Last” for the B-side as a way to bring more attention to Ethel Meserve’s lesser-known ’90s emo and post-hardcore catalog.
Stream and purchase Never Meant: A Benefit for SPLC below.