Fontaines D.C. share new single ‘Televised Mind’
As we eagerly await the release of A Hero’s Death, the highly anticipated new album from rock music’s rising stars, Fontaines D.C., the band has shared their latest single, ‘Televised Mind’.
Seemingly every track from the band’s upcoming record seems poised to shake the room, and ‘Televised Mind’ is no exception. With its heavy bass and a sense of raw intensity, Grian Chatten and the band charge forward with unstoppable momentum.
From the opening bars, ‘Televised Mind’ thrusts the listener into a world where individual thought is increasingly subsumed by the relentless tide of media messaging. Grian Chatten’s vocal delivery is insistent and unyielding, embodying both frustration and resignation as he repeatedly intones the chorus, “That’s a televised mind”. It’s a refrain that echoes the song’s central theme: the numbing effect of passive consumption, where minds are dulled and homogenised by the constant stream of information and imagery. The lyrics are both direct and evocative, offering a critique of how media shapes and distorts reality, leaving little room for authentic self-expression.
The latest release is a powerful post-punk drone, perfectly captured in the accompanying video directed by Hugh Mulhern. In a press release, Grian Chatten explained the meaning behind the new track: “This song is about the echo chamber and how personality gets stripped away by surrounding approval. People’s opinions are constantly reinforced by agreement, robbing us of the ability to recognise our own fallibility. We’re rarely taught to acknowledge when we’re wrong. Instead, people often adopt trendy beliefs to fit in, rather than forming their own independent thoughts.”
Adding: “We were listening to a lot of the Prodigy and the Brian Jonestown Massacre, specifically their song ‘Open Heart Surgery.’ I was interested in extrapolating those types of chord progressions and capturing this droning, hypnotic feel. That last line repeated over and over [‘What ya call it’] is a buffer expression that people used here in Dublin. It’s sort of like ‘umm’ or ‘well…’—it’s what people say when they’re distracted.”
Critically, ‘Televised Mind’ should be praised for its potent blend of lyrical depth and musical ferocity. It’s a track that speaks directly to the anxieties of a generation inundated with information yet often feeling disconnected and disempowered. The song’s success lies in its ability to articulate a collective unease, one that resonates deeply in an era where the line between reality and media-constructed narratives grows ever more blurred.
The new record arrives on July 31st via Partisan and judging by this latest release; it’s going to be another barnstormer.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.