Jack Antonoff considered changing Bleachers’ setlist after his separation from Margaret Qualley, but decided to keep performing the songs inspired by their marriage.
The musician explained his decision to Alexis Petridis in a Guardian interview published October 25. They spoke at a Denver hotel while Antonoff was on tour with the band.
Antonoff, 42, and Qualley, 32, began dating in 2021 and announced their engagement in May 2022. News of their separation became public on July 8, 2026.
Bleachers’ fifth studio album, Everyone for Ten Minutes, had arrived on May 22, only weeks before the split was reported.
Antonoff Says He Won’t Rewrite the Past
Antonoff described his approach as an agreement with his audience. He writes honestly about his feelings and accepts that he may have to stand behind them after his life changes.
He described audiences bringing their own connections to the songs while understanding what the material means for him now. “It’s actually been really beautiful,” he said.
“I don’t rewrite the past,” Antonoff added. He said he felt no shame about what he had expressed.
Petridis attended Bleachers’ September 23 show at Red Rocks, where the band performed “Dirty Wedding Dress” and “You and Forever.” Antonoff followed the latter with a solo acoustic rendition of “I Wanna Get Better,” while the audience sang loudly enough to nearly drown him out.
Qualley Stars in the ‘You and Forever’ Video
Released February 11, “You and Forever” arrived with a video directed by Alex Lockett. Its credits name Qualley and Antonoff as stars, alongside their dog Smokey.
Qualley had already taken a larger creative role in Bleachers’ 2024 “Tiny Moves” video, which she choreographed and co-directed with Lockett. It features her dancing in a white dress near the Hudson River, with Antonoff watching from the hood of a car.
She told Vogue that the project was a love letter to him. The shoot took place a few weeks before their wedding, although the video was released afterward.
‘Dirty Wedding Dress’ Explores Who Gets Into His Private Life
“Dirty Wedding Dress,” released in March, draws on their August 2023 wedding on Long Beach Island, New Jersey. Guests included Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Channing Tatum, Zoë Kravitz and Cara Delevingne, with crowds gathering outside the festivities.
In a May interview with NPR, Antonoff said he and Qualley were absorbed in celebrating with loved ones and barely noticed the people outside.
He explained the song’s broader meaning to Apple Music‘s Zane Lowe. It concerns the boundary between friends, family and an audience who know his work, and outsiders seeking access to his private life.
The song’s official video followed on April 17. Directed by Gabe Drechsler, it brings together studio footage, rehearsals and scenes of the band performing.
Qualley’s Representative Rejected Rumors About the Separation
On July 10, Qualley’s representative denied claims that trust issues or infidelity had contributed to the split. The statement said the couple continued to care deeply about each other.
As reported by People, the spokesperson also challenged the accounts of unnamed sources discussing the marriage, saying those individuals did not know the couple, and requested privacy.
His ‘Let’s Get Married’ Joke Came With a Clarification
At the Troubadour in West Hollywood on September 15, Antonoff laughed off a request for “Let’s Get Married,” telling the fan to read the news. The concertgoer had identified it as their own wedding song.
Antonoff then said he still loved the track. Us Weekly noted that the song, released on 2017’s Gone Now, was written before his relationship with Qualley began.