Maddie Marlow Font and Tae Dye Kerr, who make up the country duo Maddie & Tae, have announced they have split up.
“Thank you for all the love as we step into this new bittersweet chapter,” the “Girl in a Country Song” hitmakers wrote in an Instagram post on Dec. 8.
“We both feel overwhelmed with gratitude for what we’ve built with y’all the last 12 years," they added. "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.”
The duo is set to perform 11 more shows as Maddie & Tae before the split. But while they are calling it quits for now, the pair say they are leaving the door open to one day reunite.
“We’re leaving this so open-ended because, you know, we might make another record one day,” Font, 30, said in a joint interview with People. “We might go do some tour dates one day.”
“Absolutely,” Kerr, 30, added.
“But just in this season, it doesn’t feel aligned for us to do it together,” Font said.
Kerr said she plans to put her career on the backburner and focus on her family. She’s married to Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Josh Kerr, with whom she shares daughter Leighton, 3, and son Chapel, 1. Font is looking at a solo career.
While Maddie & Tae are heading down different paths, there is still a mutual respect.
“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,” Font, who shares 2-year-old son Forrest with her husband, Jonah Font, told People. “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.”
Kerr also said getting to this point was gut-wrenching.
“It’s been such a hard, hard — honestly, heartbreaking — decision,” she said. “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 burst on the scene with their debut album, 2015’s “Start Here.” Earlier this year, they dropped “Love & Light.” In addition to “Girl in a Country Song,” their other popular songs include “Fly” and “Die from a Broken Heart.”
The duo is currently on tour, with their last show set for June 19, 2026, in Winsted, Minnesota.
As for what led to this break, Font says she could sense Kerr was missing her family last year. Eventually, they had a phone call in September.
“Maddie was just like, ‘Tell me where your heart is,’” Kerr said. “And I was like, ‘My heart is at home.’ And she said, ‘OK. Then that’s what we need to do.’”
Font also noted how vital it is for each of them to be involved in their respective family.
“I couldn’t imagine not having my family,” she said. “Both of us couldn’t imagine not choosing that. Babies in your family — there’s nothing that tops it. … Our goal was never to be the biggest stars in the world. Our goal was to make music that mattered and impacted people, and we accomplished that …”
Kerr also feels fortunate that she can now shift her attention to her personal life.
“Life changes, and there’re seasons where your family needs you more,” she says. “I feel very, very grateful that I am in the position that I get to now choose to stay home and be with my family.”
