Jack Antonoff shares what it’s like to sing love songs about Margaret Qualley after split

Jack Antonoff has opened up about what it’s actually like to perform love songs he wrote about his ex-wife Margaret Qualley following their split.

Jack and Margaret first started dating in 2021 and married in August 2023. They separated earlier this year after nearly three years of marriage. Jack is currently touring with his band Bleachers, which means performing songs he wrote during happier times in his relationship with Margaret.

Naturally, he had thought about whether he should change the setlist following their separation. But he eventually decided against it.

Speaking to The Guardian, Jack explained, “Songs which I wrote recently, I obviously was really worried about this specific thing. I sat long and hard with it and thought, ‘If I change the setlist …’ and in my gut there was a unanimous jury that said, ‘No, this is the deal. The deal I’ve made with my audience is that I’m going to tell you honestly how I feel and I’m going to risk at any moment having to stand behind it for f***ing ever.’”

“Anyone could relate to the terrible sadness and pain, but there’s a great power to it also,” he said.

He then described the experience as “really beautiful”, explaining that fans understand the stories behind the songs and can connect them to their own lives, too.

“I mean, for people to come together, to know what I write a song about, to know how that must feel for me now, to know what that song means to you as an audience member, to just hold it all and sort of celebrate,” Jack added.

Jack says he refuses to ‘rewrite the past’ after his split

He explained, “I don’t rewrite the past, I have no shame about the things I’ve said. My life has been dedicated to making it impossible for me to rewrite the past, because I’m standing there, singing about how I felt during the good times, so when the bad times hit I can’t look myself in the mirror and pretend that those times didn’t exist.”

He also said, “I would rather live through something publicly than even escape it privately.”

This is not the first time Jack has addressed his separation from Margaret in a public setting. During Bleachers’ five-night residency at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, the band performed its final show on 15 September. According to footage shared by USA Today, a fan called out the title of the band’s 2017 song “Let’s Get Married”, explaining that it had been his wedding song.

Jack responded with a laugh, “Absolutely not.”

He then joked, “Read the news, brother,” before clarifying, “No, I love that song, and I wrote it like 11 years ago.”

It was after news of his separation from Margaret had become public. Although he made light of the fan’s request, he also made it clear that he still loved the song itself.

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Featured image credit: Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock.