Bleachers is an American
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band from New Jersey, formed in 2013 by musician
Jack Antonoff. Antonoff was the only permanent member of the group until 2023, when longtime touring musicians
Mikey Freedom Hart, Sean Hutchinson, Evan Smith, Michael Riddleberger, and Zem Audu became official members.
Bleachers' early music was heavily influenced by the late 1980s and early 1990s, plus the high school-based films of
John Hughes while still using modern production techniques.
Their debut single "
I Wanna Get Better" was released in February 2014, followed by five studio albums: ''
Strange Desire'' (2014), ''
Gone Now
''Gone Now'' is the second studio album by American indie pop act Bleachers (band), Bleachers, released on June 2, 2017. The album deals with themes of growing old, as well as struggling with losing people in life, told over the course of day and ...
'' (2017), ''
Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night'' (2021), ''
Bleachers
Bleachers (North American English), or stands, are raised, tiered rows of benches found at sports-fields and at other spectator events. Stairways provide access to the horizontal rows of seats, often with every other step enabling access to a ...
'' (2024), and a re-recording of their debut album, titled, ''A Stranger Desired'' (2024).
Career

2013–2016: Origins and ''Strange Desire''
While on the road with his band,
Fun, musician
Jack Antonoff began working on a new project during his time in different cities. For about a year he kept the project a secret until February 18, 2014, when the first single "
I Wanna Get Better" was released along with the launch of Bleachers' website, social media profiles, and a selection of tour dates. News of Bleachers was first publicly announced in a Facebook post by Brooklyn music studio Mission Sound in May 2013.
About making the first Bleachers album, Antonoff said, "I spent the past year working on the music but not talking about it, and eventually it became this psychotic alter-ego situation, where it was second nature to have this part of me that no one knew about. Except for a small group of people, most of which happened to be members of my immediate family, no one was aware that this music, or this album even existed... even though it existed so deeply to me." Antonoff also stated that Bleachers was never meant to be a departure from his position in Fun., and that he will remain in the band.
Bleachers' debut album ''
Strange Desire'' was released July 10, 2014, from
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
. Variance Magazine called the single "
Rollercoaster" a "brilliant summer anthem". Bleachers went on their debut Come Alive! tour, which features
Night Terrors of 1927 and
Joywave
Joywave is an American band from Rochester, New York, formed in 2010. Their lineup consists of Daniel Armbruster (vocals), Joseph Morinelli (guitar), and Paul Brenner (drums). The band first became known for its collaboration with electronic mus ...
as opening acts, from March to April 2015. From there, they went on the Strange Desire World Tour from July to November of that same year. They juggled this with the
Charli and Jack Do America Tour, a tour co-headlined by Bleachers and
Charli XCX
Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is a British singer and songwriter. She began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene. Signing a recording contract with Asylum Re ...
.
On September 25, 2015, Bleachers released ''Terrible Thrills, Vol. 2'', a sequel to ''Strange Desire.'' The album contained songs from ''Strange Desire'' being covered by numerous female artists with modified tunes. When asked about the album, Antonoff told Billboard “I hear my songs being sung by females before I change them and make them into my voice. The whole heart of this idea is for people to hear the album the way I hear it in my head, reinterpreted by the artists who sort of inspired it to be written in the first place.” Covers were contributed from artists such as
Sara Bareilles
Sara Beth Bareilles ( ; born December 7, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. She has sold over three million albums and over 15 million singles in the United States. Bareilles has earned various accolades, including ...
,
Charli XCX
Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is a British singer and songwriter. She began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene. Signing a recording contract with Asylum Re ...
, and
Sia. The band appeared as the fictional band Baby Goya and The Nuclear Winters in the 2015 film ''
Hello, My Name Is Doris''.
2017–2019: ''Gone Now'' and ''Love, Simon''
Bleachers' second album ''
Gone Now
''Gone Now'' is the second studio album by American indie pop act Bleachers (band), Bleachers, released on June 2, 2017. The album deals with themes of growing old, as well as struggling with losing people in life, told over the course of day and ...
'' was released June 2, 2017. Its lead single "
Don't Take the Money" has been described by Atwood Magazine as "an epic uplifting pop-rock anthem ultimately about how when love is real, its worth everything that comes along with it". In celebration of the album release, he brought his childhood bedroom on tour with him. He had it dismantled and rebuilt inside of a portable trailer. During May and June concerts, fans could enter the "moving, living art exhibit" and listen to the album prior to its official release. Antonoff explained in a press release, saying "when I thought about where this album was coming from and what it’s kissing goodbye I thought of this room. I wished I could play the album for people who care about Bleachers in this space that it is coming from and leaving." The band was on its Gone Now Era: Part 1 tour from September to November 2017. The tour featured Tove Styrke, Bishop Briggs, and Tangerine as openers.
In September 2017, Bleachers performed on
MTV Unplugged
''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV. It showcases recorded live performances of popular music artists playing acoustic instrument, acoustic or "unplugged" variations of songs. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999. F ...
at
The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey. The live session was later released as an album, also entitled ''MTV Unplugged''. The album features 11 tracks from both ''Gone Now'' and ''Strange Desire'' and was released November 10, 2017. Antonoff produced the soundtrack of ''
Love, Simon
''Love, Simon'' is a 2018 American teen romantic comedy drama film directed by Greg Berlanti from a screenplay by Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker, based on the 2015 novel '' Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda'' by Becky Albertalli. The fi ...
'', released on March 16, 2018.
He contributed five songs, with four being credited to Bleachers—"Alfie's Song (Not So Typical Love Song)", "Rollercoaster", "Keeping a Secret", and "Wild Heart"— and one credited to his real name, a duet with
MØ titled "Never Fall in Love".
Throughout 2019, Bleachers released the third volume of ''Terrible Thrills'' in a series of four vinyl records, each featuring covers of songs from ''Gone Now'' by female artists as well as new demos by Bleachers.
2020–2022: ''Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night''
In late 2019, Antonoff began recording the third Bleachers album. During this time the band embarked on a three-day "mini-tour" called the "I Love Making This Album but I'm Also Losing My Mind in Here & Need to Come Out and Play" Tour. On January 6, 2020, Antonoff announced on Twitter that a new Bleachers album would come within the year. In May, Bleachers was featured on
Carly Rae Jepsen
Carly Rae Jepsen (born November 21, 1985) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. After studying musical theatre for most of her school life and while in university, Jepsen garnered mainstream attention after placing third on the fifth season of ...
's song "Comeback" which was the first official release of the band in nearly two years.
On November 16, 2020, Bleachers released the first two singles from ''
Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night'', "45" and "
Chinatown
Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...
", the latter featuring
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
. The same day it was announced that the album would be released in 2021. "Stop Making This Hurt", the third single, was released on May 18, 2021. ''Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night'' was released on July 30. Bleachers announced a North American tour for ''Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night'' in May 2021. On October 28, Bleachers announced on Facebook that they will be performing two shows in March 2022 at Roadrunner, Boston dedicated to their first two albums: ''Strange Desire'' and ''Gone Now''. On the January 15, 2022, episode of ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'', which was hosted by
Ariana DeBose
Ariana DeBose (; born January 25, 1991) is an American actress and singer. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Ariana DeBose, various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe ...
, Bleachers replaced the originally scheduled
Roddy Ricch
Rodrick Wayne Moore Jr. (born October 22, 1998), known professionally as Roddy Ricch, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Compton, California, Moore rose to fame in 2018 following the release of his song "Die Young ...
.
Later that month they announced "The 2022 Tour" featuring openers
Allison Ponthier,
Blu DeTiger,
The Lemon Twigs,
Beabadoobee, Charly Bliss, and
Wolf Alice. In November 2022, the band featured on a remix of
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
's "
Anti-Hero
An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero or two words anti hero) or anti-heroine is a character in a narrative (in literature, film, TV, etc.) who may lack some conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism and morality. Al ...
".
2023–present: ''Bleachers'' and ''A Stranger Desired''

Bleachers featured on
Lana Del Rey
Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Lana Del Rey discography, Her music is noted for its melancholic exploration of Glamour (presentation), glamor and Romanc ...
's song "
Margaret
Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Iranian languages, Old Iranian. It has been an English language, English name since the 11th century, and remained popular thro ...
" from her album ''
Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd'', released on March 24, 2023. In August 2023, the band signed a record deal with
Dirty Hit
Dirty Hit Limited is a British independent record label founded in February 2010 by Jamie Oborne, Chuck Waite, Brian Smith, and former England national football team, England footballer Ugo Ehiogu. Based in London since 2009, it has expanded op ...
and released the live album ''Live at Radio City Music Hall''. On September 20, 2023, Bleachers released "Modern Girl" as the first single from their fourth studio album, referred to at the time as "B4" in promotional material. A music video for the song was released the same day. "Alma Mater" was released as the second single on November 15, and its music video was released on December 7. "Tiny Moves", the album's third single, was released on January 17, 2024. The fourth and final single from the album, "Me Before You", was released on February 22.
Bleachers' fourth studio album, titled ''
Bleachers
Bleachers (North American English), or stands, are raised, tiered rows of benches found at sports-fields and at other spectator events. Stairways provide access to the horizontal rows of seats, often with every other step enabling access to a ...
'', was released on March 8, 2024. The album's 22-track deluxe edition was released on May 17, featuring eight additional songs. ''Bleachers'' explores themes of "love, marriage, grief, contentment, and maturity",
mostly influenced by Antonoff's personal thoughts and experiences.
On July 15, 2024, Antonoff announced on his social media that a "reimagined" version of Bleachers' debut album, ''Strange Desire'', would be released under the title ''A Stranger Desired''. The first single, "Wild Heart", was released on August 1, followed by the full album release on September 6.
The band kicked off their 2024 "From the Studio to the Stage" tour with a sold-out leg across the United Kingdom.
The tour also featured shows throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan, including sold-out dates at
Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Red Rocks Amphitheatre (also known colloquially as simply Red Rocks) is an open-air amphitheater in the Western United States, western United States near Morrison, Colorado, approximately southwest of Denver. It is owned and operated by the c ...
and their largest headline show to date at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
.
On November 13, 2024, Bleachers released their single "Merry Christmas, Please Don't Call", two years after premiering it at the Ally Coalition Talent Show. It became their first song to reach the national chart of the United Kingdom, peaking at number 77. The band also released the continuous live album ''From the Studio to the Stage'', featuring live recordings of "Margaret" (with
Jeff Tweedy
Jeffrey Scot Tweedy (born August 25, 1967) is an American musician, singer songwriter, author, and record producer best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the band Wilco. Tweedy, originally from Belleville, Illinois, began his music care ...
), "Me Before You", "Rollercoaster", "Tiny Moves" (with
Carly Rae Jepsen
Carly Rae Jepsen (born November 21, 1985) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. After studying musical theatre for most of her school life and while in university, Jepsen garnered mainstream attention after placing third on the fifth season of ...
), "Merry Christmas, Please Don't Call", "Royal Love", and "91".
Band members

Current
*
Jack Antonoff – lead vocals, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards,
programming, synthesizers,
samples (2014–present)
*
Mikey Freedom Hart – guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, piano, bass guitar, backing vocals (2023–present; touring 2014–2023)
* Sean Hutchinson – drums,
sampler, synthesizers, bass guitar, backing vocals (2023–present; touring 2014–2023)
* Evan Smith – keyboards, synthesizers, saxophone, flute, guitar, backing vocals (2023–present; touring 2014–2023)
* Mike Riddleberger – drums, sampler, keyboards, backing vocals (2023–present; touring 2016–2023)
* Zem Audu – keyboards, saxophone, guitar, bass guitar, backing vocals (2023–present; touring 2021–2023)
Former touring member
* Jon Shiffman – drums, sampler, backing vocals (2014–2015)
Discography
Studio albums
Live albums
Compilation albums
EPs
Singles
Promotional singles
Other charted songs
Guest appearances
Notes
Tours

Headlining
*''Strange Desire World Tour'' (2014)
*''Come Alive! Tour'' (2015)
*''
Charli and Jack Do America Tour'' (with
Charli XCX
Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is a British singer and songwriter. She began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene. Signing a recording contract with Asylum Re ...
) (2015)
*''Gone Now Era Tour'' (2017–2018)
*''I Love Making This Album but I'm Also Losing My Mind in Here & Need to Come Out and Play Mini-Tour'' (2019)
*''Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night Tour'' (2021)
*''How Dare You Want Tour'' (2022)
*''From The Studio To The Stage Tour'' (2024)
Opening
*''Tour Four'' (with
Paramore
Paramore is an American rock band formed in Franklin, Tennessee, in 2004. Since 2017, the band's lineup includes lead vocalist Hayley Williams, lead guitarist Taylor York, and drummer Zac Farro. Williams and Farro are founding members of ...
) (2018)
*
At Their Very Best (2023,
Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park is a public park in Harringay, north London, England. The park lies on the southern-most edge of the London Borough of Haringey. It is in the area formerly covered by the historic parish of Hornsey, succeeded by the Municipal ...
)
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
American pop music groups
Musical groups from New York City
RCA Records artists
Dirty Hit artists