Jack Antonoff has become the go-to producer for some of the most critically-acclaimed pop stars of the current era, and his flourishes are all over Lana Del Rey’s newest album, Chemtrails Over The Country Club, released only a few months ago. But now it’s time for his own project, Bleachers, to take the spotlight again. Late last fall the band shared their first song in two years, “Chinatown,” — which, rather magically, features fellow Jersey troubadour Bruce Springsteen — and the B-side track “45.”
Little did we know back then that one of the lyrics in “Chinatown” was actually an Easter egg revealing Bleachers’ next album title: “Stop Making This Hurt” is the single that formally introduces the band’s next record, Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night, but close listeners might’ve already latched onto that phrase in “Chinatown” last November. Now, it’s officially a part of Bleachers lore, and the album will be released later this year, on July 30. As for the new track, it’s the third song we’ve heard off the record, and it too features the lyric/album title “take the sadness out of Saturday night.” We love a theme.
Here’s what Antonoff had to say about the song:
“‘Stop Making This Hurt’ is what you get when we are not allowed to go play for our people. it’s a line that had been ringing in my head for years. i fell into a dark place after a loss and then starting to have that feeling of rage towards the depression — which is when you know there’s a way out. started looking at the people close to me in my life and finding all the ways we keep ourselves from breaking through. ‘Stop Making This Hurt’ started ringing more and more in my head. then the pandemic hit and i got the band in a room and we played like we may never play again. at that point it took on another meaning. found myself banging at the door of the next phase of my life and to open brings up all the darkness from the past and what’s holding you back. i could intellectualize it for days but what i’m truly left with is a voice in my head shouting ‘Stop Making This Hurt.'”
Kudos to Antonoff for working through all that, and for putting it out into the world in song form. Check out the dance-party-in-a-diner video above and the full tracklist below. But wait: In even more exciting news, there will also be a tour! It kicks off at Antonoff’s Shadow Of The City festival in New Jersey. Those dates are below as well.
1. “91”
2. “Chinatown” Feat. Bruce Springsteen
3. “How Dare You Want More”
4. “Big Life”
5. “Secret Life”
6. “Stop Making This Hurt”
7. “Don’t Go Dark”
8. “45”
9. “Strange Behavior”
10. “What’d I Do With All This Faith?”
09/11 — Ashbury Park, NJ @ Shadow Of The City
09/12 — New York, NY @ The Rooftop
09/13 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
09/15 — Columbus, OH @ Express Live
09/17 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
09/18 — Newport, KY @ Ovation
09/22 — Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion
09/23 — Philadelphia, PA @ Skyline Stage at The Mann
09/24 — Washington, DC @ Anthem
09/25 — New York, NY @ Gov Ball
09/28 — Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewery Company
09/29 — Tampa, FL @ Jannus Live
10/03 — New Orleans, LA @ Fillmore
10/05 — Houston, TX @ House Of Blues
10/06 — Dallas, TX @ House Of Blues
10/11 — Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
10/13 — San Diego, CA @ Humphrey’s
10/15 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
10/16 — San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
10/19 — Seattle, WA @ Showbox SODO
10/20 — Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
10/22 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union Event Center
10/23 — Denver, CO @ The Mission Ballroom
10/24 — Kansas City, MO @ Uptown
10/26 — Minneapolis, MN @ Fillmore
10/27 — Madison, WI @ The Sylvee
10/28 — Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
10/30 — Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian
10/31 — Detroit, MI @ Fillmore
11/02 — St. Louis, MO @ The Factory
11/03 — Cleveland, OH @ House Of Blues
11/04 — Grand Rapids, MI @ 20 Monroe Live
11/06 — Harrisburg, PA @ Harrisburg University @ XL Live
Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night is out 7/30 via RCA. Pre-order it here.
