Jack Antonoff (Bleachers, everyone for ten minutes) is a Grammy-winning producer, songwriter, and frontman. Jack joins Armchair Expert to discuss growing up as an unsupervised middle child in suburban New Jersey, processing profound family loss at a young age, and finding early identity through obsessive music discovery. Jack and Dax talk about grinding through DIY touring as a teenager, the evolution from punk purist to global pop collaborator, and how environment and movement shape his creative process. Jack explains why grief clarifies what truly matters, how the anxiety of the well running dry fuels his restlessness, and why starting over is the key to staying alive creatively. Watch the fact check: https://youtu.be/_0A5a1cq-IU Sign up now in the app or at grubhub.com/plus/golddays to unlock exclusive Gold Days deals. Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/ Watch Armchair Expert episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzPEuwClyOzDdlrAmU-IwKncG87qrF7Vw Follow Armchair Expert on social: https://www.instagram.com/armchairexppod https://www.facebook.com/ArmchairExpPod/ https://twitter.com/armchairexppod Connect with Wondery https://wondery.com/shows/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ https://www.facebook.com/WonderyMedia https://twitter.com/WonderyMedia https://www.instagram.com/WonderyMedia https://www.tiktok.com/@wonderymedia About the Show: Hi, I’m Dax Shepard, and I love talking to people. I am endlessly fascinated by the messiness of being human, and I find people who are vulnerable and honest about their struggles and shortcomings to be incredibly sexy. I invite you to join me as I explore other people’s stories. We will celebrate, above all, the challenges and setbacks that ultimately lead to growth and betterment. What qualifies me for such an endeavor? More than a decade of sobriety, a degree in Anthropology and four years of improv training. I will attempt to discover human “truths” without any laboratory work, clinical trials or data collection. I will be, in the great tradition of 16th-century scientists, an Armchair Expert. Watch Armchair Expert every MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, and FRIDAY here on YouTube! Listen to episodes ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting https://wondery.com/shows/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ Chapters: 0:00 - Almond Butter Shortage 4:52 - Feeling Good About The Work 7:22 - Jack’s Sister 13:00 - Armchair Origins 19:32 - Nomadic Writing 23:00 - Creating Through Loss 30:40 - Do You Know Jersey? 35:55 - This is Weird, Right? 38:43 - Feeling Seen By Music 45:44 - Ambition is Very Required 51:20 - Forming fun. 1:02:24 - Meeting Taylor Swift 1:11:37 - You Can’t be Cynical 1:16:54 - The Stress of Staying Successful 1:22:24 - Meeting Kendrick Lamar 1:26:54 - Bleachers 1:34:17 - He Met Margaret on the Roof 1:40:35 - Fans 1:42:44 - Dax’s Performance #armchairexpert #daxshepard #jackantonoff #bleachers #fun