Jack Antonoff

Jack Antonoff
Antonoff in 2012
Background information
Birth name Jack Micheal Antonoff
Born (1984-03-31) March 31, 1984
Bergenfield, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • vocals
  • drums
  • piano
  • bass guitar
  • mandolin
Years active 2000–present
Labels
Associated acts

Jack Micheal Antonoff (born March 31, 1984)[1] is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the lead singer and songwriter of Bleachers, and lead guitarist of the indie rock band Fun. He was previously the lead singer-songwriter of the band Steel Train. Antonoff has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award and has won three Grammy Awards - two of which were for his involvement in Fun, the other was for production on Taylor Swift's 1989. He also started his own music festival, Shadow of The City, which takes place annually in New Jersey.[2]

Early life

Antonoff was born in Bergenfield, New Jersey,[1] the middle child of three children of Shira (Wall) and Rick Antonoff.[3] He is the younger brother of fashion designer Rachel Antonoff.[4] His younger sister, Sarah, died of brain cancer at the age of 13 when Antonoff was a senior in high school.[5] The event had a profound effect on Jack who has said "...my whole career has been revisiting that through a different lens."[6]

Antonoff is Jewish.[7] He grew up in New Milford, New Jersey, and Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, and attended elementary school at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County.[8][9] For high school, he and his sister commuted to Manhattan, to attend the Professional Children's School.[4]

During his sophomore year of high school, he and several friends from elementary school formed a punk rock band called Outline[8] in November 1998. They released a self-titled EP through a friend's record label in January 2000. Antonoff initially sang in the group until early 2000 when Eddie Wright took over on vocals.[10] With the addition of Wright, they recorded six songs which were later released[11] as 6 Song Demo in the summer.[12] They released an album, A Boy Can Dream, in July 2001 through Triple Crown Records.[11] When they were 15, Antonoff and his Outline bandmate used a DIY guide to book shows in numerous states, including Florida and Texas, and borrowed Antonoff's parents' minivan to travel in. During the tour, Outline played in venues such as anarchist bookstores, while the oldest member of the band drove because he was 18 years old. Antonoff explained in 2014: "Half the time no one would show up or the equipment would be too fucked up to play ... but that's when I fell in love with touring." The band lasted until 2002.[5][8]

Career

2002–12: Steel Train, Fun, and "We Are Young"

In 2002, Antonoff and friend, Scott Irby-Ranniar, formed the band Steel Train—Antonoff was the lead singer,[13] and they recruited drummer Matthias Gruber. The band then convinced two of their friends from the band Random Task, Evan Winiker and Matthew Goldman, to drop out of college to join the new band.[8] Steel Train secured a recording deal with Drive-Thru Records.[8]

In 2008, Nate Ruess (formerly the frontman of The Format) asked Antonoff to join him and Andrew Dost (formerly of Anathallo) in a new band, which became Fun.[14] Antonoff was already well acquainted with Ruess and Dost, as their former bands had all toured together.[14]

The new band released its debut album, Aim and Ignite, in 2009.[15] Fun's second album, Some Nights (2012), produced the band's first number-one hit single, "We Are Young." The song was cowritten by Antonoff with Ruess, Dost, and Jeff Bhasker.[16]

2013–present: Taylor Swift, Lorde, St. Vincent, Bleachers and Lana Del Rey

Antonoff co-wrote the 2013 song "Brave" with Sara Bareilles, after they were introduced by Sara Quin of band Tegan and Sara. Bareilles said to Billboard: "We met for breakfast one day, and I was just so enamored with him and his personality ... The first day we sat down together was the day we wrote 'Brave.'" Antonoff wrote the song about a friend's struggle to speak openly about his sexuality.[17] The quickly written song was released on April 23, and by the end of June, "Brave" had sold 160,000 digital copies and peaked at number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The music video for the song was viewed 1.1 million times on YouTube within a month of its release in May 2013, and by the start of 2015, had received nearly 39 million views.[18][19] "Brave" was used by Microsoft to advertise its Windows tablet technology device.[20]

Also in 2013, "Sweeter Than Fiction," a song Antonoff co-wrote with Taylor Swift for the film, One Chance, was released. The song was written in Antonoff's New York City apartment after he and Swift shared a love of a particular snare drum sound from a Fine Young Cannibals song. They brainstormed ideas by email before starting the songwriting process.[5][21]

Fun then played with musical heroes Queen in September 2013 at the iHeartRadio Music Festival, which was held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, U.S. Antonoff played Brian May's guitar during the rehearsal, which he described as the "most surreal experience ever."[22] The band then released a free six-song EP in December 2013, titled Before Shane Went to Bangkok: Fun Live in the USA.[15]

Antonoff performing as Bleachers in 2014

Antonoff announced a solo project called Bleachers in February 2014.[23] Antonoff explained in June 2014 that the project had been a consideration for around 10 years, and the name was inspired by the "disconnected, darker side" of suburban youth and John Hughes movies, which were "tied to a time when big songs were great songs." The songs for the debut Bleachers album were mostly written on Antonoff's laptop computer in hotel rooms during a Fun world tour.[5]

The Huffington Post published a positive review of Bleachers' first single, "I Wanna Get Better"—released on February 18—calling it the "catchiest song of 2014,"[24] while Time proclaimed, "[Bleachers] is more fun than Fun."[25] Antonoff revealed the intent behind the debut single in a Rolling Stone interview:

I wanted to bridge the gap between Disclosure and Arcade Fire—something both streamlined and organic ... The production and songwriting is extremely over-the-top, extremely epic and unapologetic. The record is all about finding a world where you can be kind to yourself in.[23]

Antonoff explained to Rolling Stone that, while the song might sound joyous, "it's very desperate" and, like many of the other songs on the album is about loss.[23]

Antonoff worked with producers John Hill and Vince Clarke on the Bleachers studio album, as he sought to create "massive, beautiful pop songs that sound fuckin' cool." The completed album, Strange Desire, was released in July 2014, and "I Wanna Get Better" peaked at number one on the U.S. Alternative charts during the same week. In regard to Strange Desire, Antonoff said:

It doesn't have to be one or the other ... You don't have to [make] big pop songs that sound stupid and you don't have to make these fuckin' apologetic, tired droney songs that sound incredible. I really wanted both things to happen.[23]

"I Wanna Get Better" was eventually named number 18 in Rolling Stone's 50 Best Songs of 2014, with the publication describing the song as "therapy rock" that is "as fun as it is cathartic".[26]

Antonoff co-wrote and co-produced three songs on Swift's 1989, including the single, "Out of the Woods," 'I Wish You Would,' and the bonus track "You Are In Love." Released in October 2014, 1989 became the biggest-selling album in the U.S. in 2014.[27] On the deluxe version of the album, Swift explains in a voice memo that the song "I Wish You Would" originated from a guitar track that Antonoff had recorded on his smartphone. After Swift first heard the track, she asked Antonoff if she could develop the idea further, and it eventually became an album track after both songwriters were satisfied with Swift's work.[28]

Antonoff released Bleachers' sophomore album Gone Now on June 2, 2017. Its lead single "Don't Take the Money" peaked at #2 on Alternative Radio.[29]

In 2017 Antonoff also co-wrote and produced Lorde's Melodrama which was released in June. USAToday described it as "the best pop album of 2017 so far".[30] Rolling Stone's praises Jack's production specifically, noting that he uses "empty space to spectacular effect, [as] the arrangements veer from stark clarity to delirium."[31]

Antonoff co-wrote and produced Swift's #1 single "Look What You Made Me Do", which was released on August 25, 2017. He also was a key contributor to her Reputation album.[32][33] He also contributed to Pink's Beautiful Trauma and produced St. Vincent's Masseduction album [34]

In 2018, Antonoff produced the soundtrack for the 20th Century Fox romantic comedy-drama film Love, Simon. Bleachers also contributed four songs. On working on the ground-breaking film, the first major studio picture to focus on a gay teenager, Antonoff said "I believe Love, Simon is pivotal, a major step for a new generation" and added that he was "honored" that "genius" director Greg Berlanti asked him to work on the soundtrack.[35] He also said he was "very lucky to be a part of [Love, Simon]" and "loved every moment of making this soundtrack"[36] after stating he was "beyond blown away" by the response to the film and soundtrack.[37]

Accolades

Antonoff was nominated for a Golden Globe for his collaboration with Swift, "Sweeter Than Fiction."[21] He won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for writing "We Are Young" with Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost & Jeff Bhasker and also won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for his work on Taylor Swift's 1989.[38]

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States. Antonoff has earned three Grammys out of nine nominations.[39]

Year Nominee/work Award Result
2013 Fun Best New Artist Won
"We Are Young" Record of the Year Nominated
Song of the Year Won
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance Nominated
Some Nights Best Pop Vocal Album Nominated
Album of the Year Nominated
2016 1989 Won
2018 Melodrama Nominated
"I Don't Wanna Live Forever" Best Song Written for a Visual Media Nominated

Personal life

When Antonoff first moved out of the family home near the end of 2012, he lived with his sister, Rachel, on the Upper West Side of New York City three blocks north his cousin Andrew Xenos. Shortly afterward, he relocated to Brooklyn Heights to live with Lena Dunham, whom he was dating at the time.[5] Antonoff and Dunham remained together until January 2018, with representatives of both announcing their separation as "amicable".[40]

In June 2014, Antonoff said he was "desperate" for kids, explaining:

It just seems like the most fun thing in the world. I've never met people who have kids who haven't looked me in the eye and been like, "It's the greatest thing that's ever happened." ... I think it's biological. I'm 30. I'm not that young, right? I'm not, like, 24 or 22. I'm no longer in the phase of my life where I talk about everything as in the future. Like, I'm in the future.[5]

Antonoff has spoken publicly about his struggles with depression, anxiety and obsessive–compulsive disorder. He claims that hearing of others' battles with depression made him feel "not better, but not alone" and "way less scared."[41] As of June 2014, Antonoff was seeing both a therapist and a psychopharmacologist, while also taking anti-anxiety medications. He has germophobia which was exacerbated by a bout of pneumonia that he suffered in 2011 while recording a studio album for his band Fun. His pulmonologist prescribed a daily run, but he explained that he hates it "more than anything" because it is "one of the most truly boring experiences on Earth."[5]

Music is central to Antonoff's life and he explained in June 2014:

I need a hobby, and I don't want it to be basketball ... I want it to be music. So to get away from music, I do other music. If I'm producing someone's song or writing with someone else, then doing a Bleachers song or a Fun song is an escape and it keeps me creative and it keeps me locked into what I want to do. If something's making me crazy, I need to go somewhere else and I don't want that thing to be yoga.[5]

Antonoff was once in a relationship with American actress Scarlett Johansson, his classmate at the Professional Children's School.[42][43][44]

Songwriting credits

YearArtistSongCo-written withU.S. peak
position		U.K. peak
position
2011Fun"We Are Young"Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost, Jeff Bhasker1[16]1[45]
2012"Some Nights"Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost, Jeff Bhasker3[46]7[47]
Carly Rae Jepsen"Sweetie"Carly Rae Jepsen, Sara Quin, Klas Åhlund––
2013Tegan and Sara"How Come You Don't Want Me"Sara Quin, Tegan Quin[48] ––
Sara Bareilles"Brave"Sara Bareilles[49] 2348
"Chasing the Sun"Sara Bareilles[49] ––
Taylor Swift"Sweeter Than Fiction"Taylor Swift[50] 3445[51]
2014Christina Perri"I Don't Wanna Break"Christina Perri[52] ––
Taylor Swift"Out of the Woods"Taylor Swift 18136
"I Wish You Would" ––
"You Are in Love" 83–
2015Grimes, Bleachers"Entropy"Claire Boucher[53] ––
Troye Sivan"Heaven"Troye Sivan, Alex Hope, Claire Boucher ––
Rachel Platten"Stand by You"Rachel Platten, Joy Williams, Matthew Morris 37115
2016St. Lucia"Help Me Run Away"Jean-Philip Grobler[54] ––
Sia"House on Fire"Sia Furler[55] ––
Brooke Candy"Changes"Brooke Candy, Jesse St. John ––
Fifth Harmony"Dope"Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter ––
How to Dress Well"Lost Youth/Lost You"Tom Krell ––
Zayn, Taylor Swift"I Don't Wanna Live Forever"Taylor Swift, Sam Dew[56] 2[57]5[58]
2017Lorde"Green Light"Ella Yelich-O'Connor, Joel Little 19[59]20[60]
"Sober" Ella Yelich-O'Connor – –
"The Louvre" – –
"Liability" 78[59]84
"Hard Feelings/Loveless" – –
"Sober II (Melodrama)" – –
"Writer in the Dark" – –
"Supercut" – –
"Liability (Reprise)" – –
"Perfect Places" – 95[61]
Banks"Crowded Places"Jillian Banks, Tim Anderson––
St. Vincent"New York"Annie Clark[62]––
"Los Ageless" Annie Clark – –
"Happy Birthday, Johnny" Annie Clark – –
Taylor Swift "Look What You Made Me Do"[63] Taylor Swift, Richard Fairbrass, Fred Fairbrass, Rob Manzoli 1 1
"Getaway Car"[64] Taylor Swift – –
"Dress"[64] – –
"This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things"[64] – –
"Call It What You Want"[64] 27 29
"New Year's Day"[64] – –
Pink "Beautiful Trauma" Alecia Moore 78 25
"Better Life" Alecia Moore, Sam Dew – –
2018 Troye Sivan "Strawberries & Cigarettes" Troye Sivan, Alex Hope – –
MØ "Never Fall in Love" Karen Marie Ørsted – –
Amy Shark "All Loved Up" Amy Billings – –
Lana Del Rey "Mariners Apartment Complex" Elizabeth Grant – 79
"Venice Bitch" – –

Discography

Outline

  • Outline (2000)
  • 6 Song Demo (2000)
  • A Boy Can Dream (2001)

Steel Train

Fun.

Bleachers

As producer

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Steel Train: Band Members", archived from the original on April 25, 2014.
  2. ↑ Spanos, Brittany (2015-06-09). "Jack Antonoff: Why I'm Starting a New Jersey Music Festival". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  3. ↑ "CRUSH". Directors Notes. 2013-11-21. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  4. 1 2 Swerdloff, Alexis. "Sibling Success: The Power of 2", The New York Times, July 4, 2012. Accessed January 2, 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Yuan, Jada. "Jack Antonoff, a Pop Star a Mother Could Love". Vulture. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
  6. ↑ Schnipper, Matthew. "Bleachers' Jack Antonoff Is Your Favorite Pop Star's Secret Weapon". Pitchfork. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  7. ↑ "Jewish it couple Lena Dunham and Jack Antonoff break up". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2018-01-10. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Leichman, Joseph. "More powerful than a locomotive...", Jewish Standard, November 26, 2010. Accessed January 2, 2013. "Jack Antonoff of New Milford and Daniel Silbert of Tenafly first crossed paths in elementary school at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County in New Milford, where they also met Evan Winiker, whose family moved to Teaneck in time for him to begin the sixth grade at Schechter. ....
  9. ↑ Aberback, Brian. "Pop-rock band Fun playing at Jingle Ball", The Record (Bergen County), December 5, 2012. Accessed January 3, 2012. "'The past year has been crazy in so many ways,' said guitarist Jack Antonoff, who grew up in New Milford and Woodcliff Lake."
  10. ↑ "Outline". Triple Crown Records. Archived from the original on July 27, 2001. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  11. 1 2 "History". Outline. Archived from the original on December 11, 2001. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Discography". Outline. Archived from the original on December 11, 2001. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  13. ↑ "AOL Radio – Listen to Free Online Radio – Free Internet Radio Stations and Music Playlists". Spinner.com. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  14. 1 2 "Profile: Andrew Dost ‹ CU IndependentCU Independent". Cuindependent.com. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  15. 1 2 Kory Grow (December 18, 2013). "Fun Ask 'What the F*ck' on Free Live EP". Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  16. 1 2 "Fun Find Breakout Anthem With 'We Are Young'". MTV.com. 2012-02-21. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  17. ↑ Hardeep Phull (January 23, 2014). "How well do you know the Grammy nominees?". New York Post. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  18. ↑ Jason Lipshutz (June 24, 2013). "Sara Bareilles' Blessed Unrest: Inside Her Personal & Professional Changes For New Album". Billboard. Billboard. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Sara Bareilles – Brave" (Video upload). SaraBareillesVEVO on YouTube. Google Inc. May 14, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  20. ↑ "SARA BAREILLES RACKS IN GRAMMY NOMINATIONS FOR "ALBUM OF THE YEAR" AND "BEST POP PERFORMANCE"". SARA BAREILLES. Sony Music Entertainment. January 26, 2014. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  21. 1 2 Amy Kaufman (January 12, 2014). "Golden Globes 2014: Jack Antonoff of Fun talks Taylor and Lena". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  22. ↑ Steve Baltin (September 21, 2013). "How Queen Hooked Up with Fun at iHeartRadio". Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  23. 1 2 3 4 Jon Blistein (February 19, 2014). "Fun's Jack Antonoff Talks 'Over-the-Top' Solo Project Bleachers". Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Twitter / HuffPostEnt: Jack Antonoff has released". Twitter.com. 2014-02-18. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  25. ↑ Cox, Jamieson (2014-02-18). "Bleachers "I Wanna Get Better": Jack Antonoff's New Band's Debut Track | TIME.com". Entertainment.time.com. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  26. ↑ "50 Best Songs of 2014". Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. December 3, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  27. ↑ Keith Claufield (December 31, 2014). "Taylor Swift's '1989' Beats 'Frozen' As Top Selling Album of 2014". Billboard. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  28. ↑ "1989 (Deluxe) Taylor Swift". iTunes Preview. Apple Inc. October 27, 2014. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  29. ↑ "Data". www.song-database.com.
  30. ↑ "Lorde's 'Melodrama' is 2017's best pop album so far". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  31. ↑ "Lorde's 'Melodrama' is 2017's best pop album so far". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2017-09-05.
  32. ↑ Aroesti, Rachel (November 9, 2017). "Taylor Swift producer Jack Antonoff: 'I'm drawn to female artists who are brutally honest'". the Guardian. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  33. ↑ "Jack Antonoff: 'I feel as though I've had a few lives already'". November 8, 2017. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  34. ↑ "How Jack Antonoff Became the Most Important Producer in Pop". Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  35. ↑ "jackantonoff on Twitter".
  36. ↑ "jackantonoff on Twitter".
  37. ↑ "jackantonoff on Twitter".
  38. ↑ Greenburg, Zack O'Malley. "Grammy Winners 2016: The Full List". Forbes. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  39. ↑ "Jack Antonoff". www.grammy.com. Recording Academy. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  40. ↑ Jensen, Erin (January 9, 2018). "Lena Dunham, Jack Antonoff break up after spending more than five years together". USA Today. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  41. ↑ "Jack Antonoff Opens Up About Depression: 'It's Manageable If You Know You're Not Alone'". Huffingtonpost.com. 2015-06-18.
  42. ↑ "Lena Dunham Jokes About Jack Antonoff, Ex Scarlett Johansson Photo". usmagazine.com. February 22, 2014.
  43. ↑ Lawson, Richard. "Scarlett Johansson Went to the Prom With Lena Dunham's Boyfriend". vanityfair.com.
  44. ↑ "Lena Dunham discovers Scarlett Johansson once dated her boyfriend Jack Antonoff". nydailynews.com.
  45. ↑ "Fun hold off The Wanted to score first UK No.1 single – Music News". Digital Spy. 2012-05-27. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  46. ↑ "Fun – Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  47. ↑ "2012-10-06 Top 40 Official Singles Chart UK Archive". Official Charts. 2012-10-06. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  48. ↑ "Tegan and Sara / Heartthrob Press Kit" (PDF). Warner Bros. Records. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
  49. 1 2 "Brave Webisode". Sony Music Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 18, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  50. ↑ Bamigboye, Baz (August 2013). "Taylor-made for a maestro: Pop singer Swift so moved by film charting BGT's Paul Potts's rise to unlikely maestro she penned song for it". London: Mail Online.
  51. ↑ "Taylor Swift". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  52. ↑ "Brave Girls". Thelodgemastering.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  53. ↑ "Listen: Grimes and Bleachers Share New 'Girls' Song 'Entropy'".
  54. ↑ "St. Lucia / About". Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  55. ↑ Lindsay, Zoladz. "Sia's This Is Acting Is Full of Hits, Misses, and Some Great What-Ifs". Vulture. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  56. ↑ Legaspi, Althea. "Taylor Swift, Zayn Team Up for Sultry 'I Don't Wanna Live Forever'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  57. ↑ Trust, Gary (February 21, 2017). "Ed Sheeran Tops Hot 100, Katy Perry Debuts at No. 4 & Bruno Mars, Rihanna & The Weeknd All Hit Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  58. ↑ "2017-02-17 Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  59. 1 2 "Lorde – Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
  60. ↑ "2017-04-14 Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  61. ↑ "2017-06-09 Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
  62. ↑ "Hear St. Vincent's Melancholy New Song 'New York'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2017-09-05.
  63. ↑ "Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor Swift". Qobuz. Archived from the original on August 29, 2017. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  64. 1 2 3 4 5 ""reputation" by Taylor Swift on iTunes". itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 2017-11-09.
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