Celebrating a subgenre that came out of a flyover country but connected with the world, Midwest Emo traces modern emo's ubiquitousness back to its origins in Illinois, Wisconsin, and surrounding Midwestern states through interviews with members of formative bands like Cap'n Jazz, The Promise Ring, American Football, and more.

This book is about the relationship between music and place: both physical location and the ephemeral “places” emotive music can take us. It explores the multi-faceted definition of the subgenre, which originated in the Midwestern region of the United States but has spread to fans of twinkly guitars and introspective lyricism worldwide. Through interviews with members of pioneering bands of the 90s and early 2000s like Cap'n Jazz, The Promise Ring, Braid and American Football-as well as record labels like Jade Tree and Polyvinyl and artists from the subsequent, more mainstream era and the ongoing modern emo revival-Midwest Emo highlights the profound impact an oft-overlooked area has had on music at large. Unlike any other emo book, it shifts focus from the coasts back to flyover country: where the setting was perfectly suited for the scene that emerged.