Maddie & Tae are going their separate ways. The duo, made up of Maddie Font and Taylor Kerr, reveal that they are ending their time as a duo, at least for the time being. But both Font and Kerr insist that there are no hard feelings, and the decision really comes down to where they both are in life right now.
Kerr, a mother of two and wife of hit songwriter Josh Kerr, wants to stay home and focus on motherhood. Font, whose husband Jonah Font stays home with their two-year-old, is embarking on a solo career.
“Even though we’re not gonna go on this journey as Maddie & Tae together, we’re still walking and doing life together outside of it,” says Font. “And I think I’m really excited to just be best friends and nurture our friendship and not have to worry as much about the work and still get to raise our babies together. None of that changes.”
Although their paths might be going their separate ways, they both hint that a reunion is not out of the question.
“We’re leaving this so open-ended because, you know, we might make another record one day,” Font says. “We might go do some tour dates one day.”
“But just in this season, it doesn’t feel aligned for us to do it together,” she adds.
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What Led to Maddie & Tae Splitting Up
Both Font and Kerr reveal they have known for a while that they had reached the end of their professional partnership, at least for now. Although the two women remain close friends, the decision to split came over a phone call, making it even harder for both of them to accept.
“Maddie was just like, ‘Tell me where your heart is,’” Kerr recalls. “And I was like, ‘My heart is at home.’ And she said, ‘Okay. Then that’s what we need to do.’”
Kerr remembers that they both cried as they realized the gravity of what Kerr had just said.
“We both knew this conversation was coming eventually,” Kerr acknowledges. “I never imagined it would be on the phone. I always thought we’d get to be in person and hug each other.”
Since they are both mothers, Font fully understands why Kerr wants to focus on her two children at the moment.
“Motherhood is so hard and so beautiful, and there’s no one right way to do it,” Font says. “I think it’s incredible to decide to take a step back from your career and be a stay-at-home mom. I think it’s incredible to be a working mom and still nurture your family and find that balance. We have this opportunity to be an example of both sides, both beautiful and wonderful … No shame.”
Still, the understanding doesn’t make it any easier to consider not making music as a duo anymore.
“It’s been such a hard, hard — honestly, heartbreaking — decision,” Kerr concedes. “This was the only dream I’ve ever had since I exited the womb. I had a very specific vision of creating music and singing music. When we met at 15, that’s what we set out to do, and we’re both just so grateful that we’ve had the journey that we’ve had. This career has been everything we’ve ever wanted.”
Maddie & Tae Thank Their Fans
Font and Kerr also share their thoughts on social media, thanking their fans for being with them since the beginning of their career.
“Thank you for all the love as we step into this new bittersweet chapter,” Maddie & Tae say in a joint statement. “We both feel overwhelmed with gratitude for what we’ve built with y’all the last 12 years. Thank you for making our wildest dreams come true and we hope you stay close by to watch us chase some new dreams. We love you so much and hope you still come shake ya booty with us on tour next year.
Currently, Maddie & Tae’s last concert is scheduled for June 19. See remaining tour dates on their website.
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Photo Credit: CMA / Katie Kauss