Fun. did not spend South by Southwest the way you’d expect a band in their position to. No all-night benders. No hotel room destruction. Not even a casual 4 a.m. taco run. “We got back at like 10:30 last night, played rock-paper-scissors for the shower, and went to bed,” says Nate Ruess. “Real rock and roll.”
Jack Antonoff shakes his head. “We would’ve been in bed by 8.”
A year ago, Fun. were just another indie band with solid credentials—Ruess from The Format, Antonoff from Steel Train, and Andrew Dost from Anathallo—but no real mainstream clout. Then Some Nights happened. The title track, an anthemic, genre-bending opus, shot them to a level they hadn’t exactly planned for.
“This wasn’t part of our goals,” Ruess admits. “We just wanted anyone to care about us. And after Aim and Ignite, we were lucky enough to see that happen when we started touring. Then we signed with a bigger label, hoping they could nudge us up a little more. And then suddenly, we made the right album. I guess. Because people really cared.”
They’re still figuring out how to process it. “It’s weird,” Dost says. “Amazing, but weird.”
At a Fun. show, the old fans still belt out every word, but now they’re joined by people who just learned about the band yesterday. “Our first album is half the setlist, so if you don’t know it, you’re missing out,” Antonoff says. “Our longtime fans feel like teachers, telling new people, ‘No, no, no—start from the beginning.’”
And they’re proud of that. “They’re not bitter that more people are into the band,” Ruess adds. “They’re proud. I see fans online, like, ‘Hell yeah, I knew about Fun. first!’ And that’s cool. No one’s mad at us for getting big. At least, not yet.”
That kind of reaction wasn’t always a given. A decade ago, indie bands getting too big would be labeled as sellouts, shunned by the same audience that lifted them up. Fun. comes from that culture, but they never shared the indie guilt. “Everything that’s happening to us feels very ‘90s,” Antonoff says. “Back then, bands blew up because they were great. People heard something on the radio, connected with it, and suddenly it was everywhere.”
Ruess nods. “That’s kind of what radio should be. We didn’t force this song on anyone. We didn’t have some major label machine jamming it down people’s throats. Radio found Some Nights. That’s the best part.”
Of course, Fun. doesn’t just write big radio singles. Their songs are elaborate, intricate, and layered—equal parts Queen, hip-hop, and Broadway. “We think about songs in movements, not just verses and choruses,” Dost explains. “It’s not just writing a song, it’s building a song.”
The band’s ambitious approach paid off. Some Nights debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Fun. the first rock band to do that since… Nickelback.
Cue immediate groans. “Don’t say that!” Ruess pleads.
Antonoff is shaking his head, laughing. “The first time we heard that, we were like, ‘Oh. Great.’”
Ruess isn’t letting them off the hook. “Hold on—these two clowns love Nickelback. I’ve heard them talk about How You Remind Me like it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Antonoff sighs. “I was not prepared for this to come out today.”
Ruess grins. “Hey, we all learn new things about each other.”
In all seriousness, Ruess sees it as a win for rock. “Look, Nickelback is a rock band. And I’d like to think we are too. It’s pretty cool to be the first rock band since them to debut at No. 1. And if this means more rock bands start getting that kind of success? Even better.”
The industry is shifting in ways that hint at a rock resurgence. “It’s not just us,” Ruess points out. “You’ve got Adele going Diamond, something that hasn’t happened in years. You’ve got rock bands creeping back into big spaces. I hope it’s a sign of what’s coming.”
He gets reflective. “Rock kind of imploded at the end of the ‘90s. Rap-rock ruined everything, so people overcorrected. We spent the last decade in indie purgatory, where it was like, ‘No, no, don’t get too successful, or you’re a sellout.’ That’s ridiculous.”
He leans in, suddenly passionate. “We have to stop apologizing for wanting to be big. We’re not going to change our music to appease anyone, but hell yeah, we want to reach as many people as possible. Isn’t that the point?”
Fun. is having a moment, and they know it. “It’s been the craziest year of our lives,” Antonoff says. “We have no idea what happens next. But whatever it is, we’re ready.”
And here's a 2009 interview with Andrew and Kyle where they discuss the band's roots, first album, and year-end memories.
