In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE published Monday, Maddie Marlow Font and Tae Dye Kerr announced they are ending their professional partnership as country duo Maddie & Tae after fifteen years, four albums, two #1 singles, and a long list of industry accolades.
The decision, described by both women as “heartbreaking” yet mutually supportive, stems from diverging priorities following motherhood. Tae Dye Kerr, 30, intends to step away from touring and recording to become a full-time stay-at-home mother to daughter Leighton (turning 4 in January) and 13-month-old son Chapel with husband Josh Kerr. Maddie Marlowe Font, also 30, will launch a solo career while continuing to raise her two-year-old son Forrest with husband Jonah Font, who remains the family’s primary caregiver.
“We’re leaving this so open-ended,” Font told PEOPLE. “We might make another record one day, we might go do some tour dates one day.” Kerr quickly agreed: “Absolutely.”
The pair stressed that their personal friendship—forged at age 15 in a Dallas vocal studio—remains unchanged. “We’re still walking and doing life together outside of it,” Font said. “None of that changes.”
The split follows months of private discussion, culminating in a tearful September phone call in which Kerr admitted her heart was “at home.” Management was informed the next day; the duo has carried the news quietly while fulfilling remaining 2025–2026 commitments, including roughly a dozen shows through mid-June.
Maddie & Tae broke through in 2014 with the satirical “Girl in a Country Song,” a platinum-selling debut single that reached No. 1 and earned them early CMA and ACM honors. Their 2019 ballad “Die from a Broken Heart” became their second chart-topper.
Per PEOPLE, Font has already begun writing for her solo debut, expected in 2026, and says new music will retain the duo’s pop-country foundation while exploring gospel and R&B influences. Kerr plans to focus on family, but left the door open for occasional songwriting or guest appearances.
The two emphasized that their story is not one of conflict but of two mothers choosing different, equally valid paths. “There’s no one right way to do motherhood,” Font said. “No shame.”
