Bleachers return with new music as Jack Antonoff’s band previews the fifth studio album Everyone For Ten Minutes ahead of its May release
by Paul Cashmere
Bleachers have released the new single I’m Not Joking, the latest preview of their forthcoming fifth studio album Everyone For Ten Minutes, due on Friday 22 May. The track arrives as the Bleachers project, led by Jack Antonoff, continues a prolific cycle following their 2024 self-titled record and an extensive global touring run.
The release of I’m Not Joking positions the album firmly within Bleachers’ evolving catalogue, offering another insight into a record described as the culmination of years of collective musical development. It follows earlier tracks including The Van, You And Forever and Dirty Wedding Dress, each contributing to the sonic framework of Everyone For Ten Minutes.
The significance of this release sits in Bleachers’ trajectory as a studio and live act.
Since emerging in 2014 with Strange Desire, the band has built a reputation for translating introspective songwriting into large-scale, audience-driven performances. With Everyone For Ten Minutes, the band expands that dynamic, drawing on a broader palette that moves between harmony-focused folk rock, polished pop soul and the saxophone-driven New Jersey sound that has become central to their identity.
I’m Not Joking reflects that direction. The track carries the layered instrumentation and melodic emphasis that have defined Antonoff’s production style, while maintaining a direct lyrical tone. It arrives at a moment when Bleachers are transitioning from a project initially centred on Antonoff into a fully realised six-member band, with long-time touring musicians formally integrated into the line-up in 2023.
The album itself is framed as a collective statement. According to the project’s positioning, Everyone For Ten Minutes represents a point where each member reaches a creative peak, shaped by years of touring and recording together. While the material touches on darker emotional spaces, the overall tone is described as optimistic, with themes of connection and forward momentum.
Bleachers’ catalogue provides context for this evolution. The debut album Strange Desire introduced Antonoff’s approach of blending nostalgic influences, particularly from late 1980s and early 1990s pop culture, with contemporary production. Follow-up records Gone Now in 2017 and Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night in 2021 expanded on that framework, incorporating autobiographical themes and broader sonic experimentation.
By the time of the 2024 album Bleachers, the project had reached a new level of cohesion, both musically and structurally. That record was supported by the From The Studio To The Stage world tour, which concluded with the band’s largest headline performance to date at Madison Square Garden in New York. The transition into Everyone For Ten Minutes builds directly on that momentum, maintaining continuity while refining the group dynamic.
The timing of the new single also aligns with Bleachers’ live strategy. The band has confirmed the return of their annual Shadow Of The City festival, set to take place at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey on May 23. The event, curated by the band, will feature a line-up including Grace Ives, Toadies and Annie DiRusso, reinforcing Bleachers’ connection to their New Jersey roots.
From an industry perspective, the release underscores the sustained influence of artist-led projects that operate across both recording and live environments. Antonoff’s parallel career as a producer for major artists has informed Bleachers’ sound, particularly in its emphasis on arrangement and texture. At the same time, the band maintains a distinct identity, grounded in live instrumentation and a collaborative framework.
There is also a broader trend at play, where established acts are consolidating their core line-ups after years of fluid membership. Bleachers’ decision to formalise its touring musicians reflects a shift towards stability and long-term creative cohesion, a move that often results in more unified studio output.
While critical reception for previous releases has highlighted the band’s ability to balance personal narrative with accessible songwriting, the challenge for Everyone For Ten Minutes will be maintaining that balance across a fully realised group dynamic. The integration of multiple creative voices can expand the musical scope, but it also requires a clear artistic direction to remain coherent.
Looking ahead, I’m Not Joking serves as a key indicator of what to expect from the album. It reinforces Bleachers’ established strengths while signalling incremental progression. With the album release imminent and a major touring schedule in place, the band is positioned to extend its reach both commercially and culturally through 2026.
Everyone For Ten Minutes Tracklisting:
Sideways
The Van
We Should Talk
You And Forever
Dirty Wedding Dress
Take You Out Tonight
I Can’t Believe You’re Gone
Dancing
She’s From Before
I’m Not Joking
Upstairs At ELS
Bleachers 2026 Tour Dates:
Fri 06/05/26, Chicago, IL, Salt Shed Fairgrounds
Fri 06/07/26, Chicago, IL, Salt Shed Fairgrounds
Tue 06/09/26, Toronto, ON, RBC Amphitheater
Wed 06/10/26, Montreal, QC, Mtelus
Fri 06/12/26, Columbia, MD, Merriweather Post Pavilion
Sat 06/13/26, Philadelphia, PA, TD Pavilion At Highmark Mann
Tue 06/16/26, Boston, MA, MGM Music Hall At Fenway
Wed 06/17/26, Boston, MA, MGM Music Hall At Fenway
Sat 06/20/26, Canandaigua, NY, CMAC
Tue 06/23/26, New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
Thu 09/10/26, Los Angeles, CA, The Troubadour
Fri 09/11/26, Los Angeles, CA, The Troubadour
Sat 09/12/26, Los Angeles, CA, The Troubadour
Mon 09/14/26, Los Angeles, CA, The Troubadour
Tue 09/15/26, Los Angeles, CA, The Troubadour
Thu 09/17/26, Berkeley, CA, Greek Theatre
Sat 09/19/26, Tacoma, WA, Dune Peninsula
Sun 09/20/26, Bend, OR, Hayden Homes Amphitheater
Wed 09/23/26, Denver, CO, Red Rocks Amphitheater
Sat 09/26/26, Minneapolis, MN, The Armory
Sun 09/27/26, Milwaukee, WI, Landmark Credit Union Live
Tue 09/29/26, Sterling Heights, MI, Michigan Lottery Amphitheater
Wed 09/30/26, Cincinnati, OH, The Andrew J Brady Music Center
Mon 10/05/26, Atlanta, GA, Coca Cola Roxy
Tue 10/06/26, Raleigh, NC, Red Hat Amphitheater
Thu 10/08/26, Nashville, TN, The Truth
Thu 05/11/26, Milan, IT, Alcatraz
Sat 07/11/26, Munich, DE, Tonhalle
Mon 09/11/26, Berlin, DE, Columbiahalle
Tue 10/11/26, Berlin, DE, Columbiahalle
Thu 12/11/26, Oslo, NO, Sentrum Scene
Fri 13/11/26, Stockholm, SE, Annexet
Sun 15/11/26, Hamburg, DE, Sporthalle
Tue 17/11/26, Amsterdam, NL, Paradiso
Wed 18/11/26, Amsterdam, NL, Paradiso
Fri 20/11/26, Brussels, BE, Cirque Royal
Sat 21/11/26, Paris, FR, Salle Pleyel
Tue 24/11/26, Bristol, UK, O2 Academy
Wed 25/11/26, Glasgow, UK, O2 Academy
Thu 26/11/26, Leeds, UK, O2 Academy
Sat 28/11/26, Birmingham, UK, O2 Academy
Mon 30/11/26, Dublin, IE, 3Olympia
Wed 02/12/26, Manchester, UK, O2 Apollo
Thu 03/12/26, London, UK, Eventim Apollo
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