Fontaines D.C. announce new album ‘Romance’
Inventive Irish five-piece Fontaines D.C. have unveiled details of their fourth album, Romance, set for release on August 23rd.
The band’s upcoming record is the first in their canon to be produced by James Ford, with Dan Carey previously at the helm for their previous three albums, as well as singer Grian Chatten’s debut solo offering, Chaos For The Fly. In addition to having a new producer, Fontaines D.C. also have a new label, with Romance set to be released through XL Recordings.
To preview the forthcoming record, Fontaines have shared lead single, ‘Starburster’, which sees the band take influence from hip-hop with Chatten delivering a rap over a pulsating beat. If this track is a sign of what’s to come on Romance, then August 23rd can’t come quick enough.
Since their last record in 2022, Skinty Fia, the group have all gone through a significant amount of change in their personal lives. Most notably, guitarist Carlos O’Connell became a father, while, Chatten spent time in Los Angeles and bassist Conor Deegan soaked up the Parisian way of life. However, London is the base where they brought Romance to fruition, fuelled by these experiences.
Deegan said of the album title, “We’ve always had this sense of idealism and romance. Each album gets further away from observing that through the lens of Ireland, as directly as Dogrel. The second album A Hero’s Death is about that detachment, and the third Skinty Fia is about Irishness dislocated in the diaspora. Now we look to where and what else there is to be romantic about.”
Meanwhile, Chatten explained how Katsuhiro Ôtomo’s anime, Akira, was a reference point for the upcoming record. “I’m fascinated by that – falling in love at the end of the world. The album is about protecting that tiny flame. The bigger armageddon looms, the more precious it becomes.”
O’Connell added: “This record is about deciding what’s fantasy – the tangible world, or where you go in your mind. What represents reality more? That feels almost spiritual for us.”
Chatten also noted how they wanted to sound fresh on Romance, and depart from the “retro aesthetic” of their previous work. Furthermore, on a personal level, he claims, “We say things on this record we’ve wanted to say for a long time. I never feel like it’s over, but it’s nice to feel lighter.”
While a full tour in support of Romance is yet to be announced, Fontaines D.C. will preview the album during their headline slot on The Park Stage at Glastonbury this summer.
Watch the official video for ‘Starburster’ below, directed by Aube Perrie.
Fontaines D.C. – Romance track list:
- ‘Romance’
- ‘Starburster’
- ‘Here’s The Thing’
- ‘Desire’
- ‘In The Modern World’
- ‘Bug’
- ‘Motorcycle Boy’
- ‘Sundowner’
- ‘Horseness is the Whatness’
- ‘Death Kink’
- ‘Favourite’
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