By Kelsey Sidman, Staff Writer
You might recall hearing indie pop trio fun. all over the radio in the early 2010s. Songs such as "Some Nights," "Carry On," and "We are Young," were omnipresent in our lives. But have you ever wondered what happened to these hitmakers? Today, I am here to discuss fun.'s separation and where the artists are now. Members Jack Antonoff, Andrew Dost, and Nate Ruess have all taken different paths after working together. In early 2015, the band announced their interest in moving on to different projects. While their days making music together may be long over, none of them have been quiet.
JACK ANTONOFF FORMS BLEACHERS
Let's start with a name many of us still probably know or have heard in today's world: Jack Antonoff. After his time with fun., the multi-instrumentalist went on to pursue more musical endeavours. In 2014, Antonoff started the now-successful indie group Bleachers. He spent lots of time bringing this idea to life, even while still performing and writing with fun. That year, Bleachers released their first album Strange Desires, which featured Antonoff's hard work on songs that centered around loss. Soon after the record was released, lead single "I Wanna Get Better" was at the top of alternative charts. Bleachers' success continued with their 2017 sophomore album, Gone Now. Recently, Antonoff worked with legend Bruce Springsteen on their single "Chinatown."
Aside from Bleachers, Antonoff has made a name for himself as a pop writer and producer. He's written for artists such as Taylor Swift, St. Vincent, Lorde, and Lana Del Ray. Antonoff co-wrote three songs for Swift's landmark album "1989," which was released in 2014. Seeing as this was just a few months from fun. formally announcing their hiatus, it's safe to assume this played a role in the band's decision to split.
ANDREW DOST WEARS MANY HATS
Moving on now to Andrew Dost, pianist and instrumentalist of fun. After pausing his work with the band, Dost went on to compose the soundtrack for the film "The D Train,'' directed by Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul. He also explained in interviews that he was exploring music in many ways, such as making music for dogs! At the 2015 Detroit Music Awards, he performed "Where Did They Go," which was released after his performance. Dost is also known for founding The Ally Coalition, an organization that works with entertainers to raise money for the LGBTQ+ community. Antonoff has worked extensively with The Ally Coalition, consistently inviting them to his annual Shadow of the City music festival. Dost has been fairly inactive with releasing music, but still remains involved and inspired.
NATE RUESS GOES SOLO
Lastly, Nate Ruess, lead singer of fun. Ruess went on to create his own solo music. In an interview he explained how working with a band was always "fun" (no pun intended). However, he also had ideas of his own that were not meant for the group setting. Ruess released his debut solo album Grand Romantic in 2015, where he was able to showcase his solo talent. Ruess has since written for many other artists such as Keith Urban, Kesha, P!nk, and Hayley Williams. He was featured on the Hamilton Mixtape track "My Shot." Ruess has also spent time focusing on his family. He has two children: Levon, born in January 2017, and Olympia, born in 2019.
Despite stepping away from fun., Antonoff, Dost, and Ruess continue to keep in touch and support one another on their current and future endeavours as creators.
