Fontaines D.C.

Biography

Fontaines D.C. are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 2014. The band consists of Grian Chatten (vocals), Conor Curley (guitar), Conor "Deego" Deegan III (bass), Tom Coll (drums), and Carlos O'Connell (guitar).
Formed at BIMM Dublin, the band signed to Partisan Records in 2018 and released the debut album Dogrel×Dogrel12 April 2019 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Big1:462Sha Sha Sha2:323Too Real4:084Television Screens4:005Hurricane Laughter4:516Roy’s Tune3:007The Lotts4:578Chequeless Reckless2:169Liberty Belle2:3210Boys in the Better Land5:0011Dublin City Sky4:53 in 2019 to widespread critical acclaim; it was listed as Album of the Year on record store Rough Trade's website, voted Album of the Year by presenters on BBC Radio 6 Music, and nominated for the Mercury Prize and the Choice Music Prize. The band's second album, A Hero's Death (2020), was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 2021 Grammy Awards. Their third album Skinty Fia×Skinty Fia22 April 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1In ár gCroíthe go deo5:592Big Shot4:143How Cold Love Is3:244Jackie Down the Line4:015Bloomsday4:306Roman Holiday4:297The Couple Across the Way3:578Skinty Fia3:569I Love You5:0610Nabokov5:22 (2022) became their first number one on the Irish and UK Albums Chart and contributed to them winning the Brit Award for International Group. During their rise, Fontaines D.C. were grouped into the contemporary wave of ascending British/Irish post-punk bands.
The band's first-week sales numbers more than doubled with their fourth album, Romance×Romance23 August 2024 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Romance2:352Starburster3:413Here’s the Thing2:434Desire3:395In the Modern World4:276Bug3:027Motorcycle Boy3:428Sundowner3:259Horseness Is the Whatness3:0810Death Kink2:2311Favourite4:18 (2024), which received two Grammy nominations and a Mercury Prize nomination. Its lead single, "Starburster×Starburster17 April 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Starburster3:41", became their first to chart in the UK.

2014: Formation

Carlos O'Connell, Conor Curley, Conor Deegan, Grian Chatten and Tom Coll met while attending music college at BIMM in The Liberties, Dublin. They bonded over a common love of poetry and released two collections of poetry called Vroom, inspired by the Beat poets (Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg) and Winding, inspired by Irish poets Patrick Kavanagh, James Joyce, W. B. Yeats. None of the published poems were translated into songs, but the track "Television Screens" on their debut Dogrel began as a poem and was turned into a song.
Lead singer Chatten is half-English (his mother is English and his father is Irish). He was born in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, but grew up in the coastal town of Skerries, north of Dublin City. Before starting Fontaines D.C., Chatten played in local indie rock bands Gun Runner and Thumbprint as drummer and guitarist/singer respectively. Coll and Deegan are from Castlebar in County Mayo, Curley is from Emyvale in County Monaghan, and O'Connell grew up in Madrid, Spain. Deegan is regularly seen wearing Mayo GAA clothing during live performances.
The band took their name from Johnny Fontane, a character in the movie The Godfather portrayed by Al Martino, who was a singer and movie star and godson of Vito Corleone. The band was first called The Fontaines, but the initials "D.C." were added when they found that a band in Los Angeles had the same name. The initials stand for "Dublin City", to reflect the city of their formation.

2015–2018: Early career

Fontaines D.C. started out self-releasing singles. In 2015, they were going to release their debut with music journalist John Robb's Louder Than War label. In May 2017, the band released the single "Liberty Belle×Liberty Belle20 August 2018 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Liberty Belle (Darklands version)2:392Rocket to Russia (Darklands version)2:47", followed by "Hurricane Laughter"/"Winter In the Sun". "Liberty Belle" was written in homage to the Liberties, a neighbourhood in Dublin where some of the band members lived.
In 2018, Fontaines released the single "Chequeless Reckless"/"Boys In The Better Land×Boys in the Better Land29 August 2019 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Boys in the Better Land5:002Boys in the Better Land (radio edit)3:15" and "Too Real×Too Real12 November 2018 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Too Real4:082The Cuckoo Is a-Callin'2:12". Stereogum, who premiered "Chequeless Reckless" in early 2018, described their sound as "a synthesis between post-punk, garage rock, and a kind of gritty, urbane sense of rhythm and narrative" and named them a 'Band To Watch'. In May 2018, Fontaines played an in-studio gig at KEXP in Seattle. In September 2018, Fontaines played on the Body & Soul stage at Electric Picnic, to positive reviews "Brilliant and Bracing". In November 2018, the band signed with Partisan Records. The band toured the UK and Ireland as support act for fellow post-punk band Shame.
They released music videos directed by frequent collaborator Hugh Mulhern. The video for 2018's "Too Real" was inspired by The Pogues's 1985 song, "A Pair of Brown Eyes" and the band Gilla Band. The 2019 video for "Roy's Tune", co-written by Conor Curley, was directed by Liam Papadachi. It was inspired by Curley's late night walks home from a job at a burrito shop.
Fontaines received tour support from Irish Arts Council which allowed them to tour internationally. They also received grant funding from RTÉ 2fm.

2019–2020: Dogrel

On 12 April 2019, the band released their debut album Dogrel×Dogrel12 April 2019 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Big1:462Sha Sha Sha2:323Too Real4:084Television Screens4:005Hurricane Laughter4:516Roy’s Tune3:007The Lotts4:578Chequeless Reckless2:169Liberty Belle2:3210Boys in the Better Land5:0011Dublin City Sky4:53 on Partisan Records. The title was a homage to Doggerel, working class Irish poetry – 'poetry of the people' – that dates back to 1630 and was popularised by William McGonagall and later Ogden Nash. The record was recorded live on tape.
The NME said that "Dogrel proves that early-days pinning as punk’s next great hope was perhaps premature – there's far more to Fontaines D.C. than your typical thrashed-out, pissed-off young rebellion." The Guardian gave the album a five-star review, hailing it as a "perfect debut", and commending Chatten for embracing the Dublin accent. The Times said that "Shouty post-punk bands are making a surprise comeback in 2019, with this brutal but articulate Irish bunch emerging as one of the most captivating. Capturing the feeling of living in Dublin as it balances historical weight with financial upheaval, the singer Grian Chattan makes his statement of intent by announcing in a monotone rant on the opener, Big: “Dublin in the rain is mine, a pregnant city with a Catholic mind.""
In 2019, the band toured 50 cities throughout Ireland, Europe, and North America. They have toured with Shame and Idles. FDC played main stage on the Friday night, of All Together Now 2019. They played nine sets at SXSW 2019 over the course of five days, selling out venues, and count Gilla Band as a major influence. They were the musical guests on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on 1 May 2019, performing "Boys in the Better Land×Boys in the Better Land29 August 2019 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Boys in the Better Land5:002Boys in the Better Land (radio edit)3:15".
In January 2020, the band headlined the Rockaway Beach Festival - notable as being one of the only live events to happen in the UK that year. The band was also expecting to perform at the Glastonbury Festival in 2020, which was to have been the festival's 50th anniversary, but the event had to be cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On 14 July 2020, Fontaines D.C. performed a live set from Dublin's Kilmainham Gaol as part of the live television series, Other Voices. A recording of the performance was released on vinyl as a limited edition release for Record Store Day on 12 June 2021 and later as a surprise digital release on 26 November 2021.

2020–2021: A Hero's Death

The band released their second album, A Hero's Death, on 31 July 2020. The title track was released on 5 May 2020 with a video featuring actor Aidan Gillen. Chatten described the single as "a list of rules for the self". It was a tribute to one of their fans who died of COVID early in the pandemic. Three further singles were released from the album: "I Don't Belong", "Televised Mind×Televised Mind30 June 2020 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Televised Mind4:10" and "A Lucid Dream". A Hero's Death debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart after Taylor Swift advanced the release date for Folklore when the midweek charts had Fontaines D.C. on top by over 10,000 copies. Swift's manoeuvre resulted in Folklore remaining at number one by 3,500 copies.
The band returned to The Tonight Show as musical guests on 28 January 2021, performing "A Hero's Death". The album was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 2021 Grammy Awards.

2022–2023: Skinty Fia

In January 2022, the band announced their third studio album, Skinty Fia×Skinty Fia22 April 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1In ár gCroíthe go deo5:592Big Shot4:143How Cold Love Is3:244Jackie Down the Line4:015Bloomsday4:306Roman Holiday4:297The Couple Across the Way3:578Skinty Fia3:569I Love You5:0610Nabokov5:22, which was released on 22 April 2022. To coincide with the announcement the band shared the lead single, "Jackie Down the Line×Jackie Down the Line11 January 2022 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Jackie Down the Line4:01" with accompanying video. They also advance-released the singles "I Love You×I Love You17 February 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1I Love You5:052Jackie Down the Line4:01", "Skinty Fia" and "Roman Holiday×Roman Holiday19 April 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Roman Holiday4:292Skinty Fia3:563I Love You5:064Jackie Down the Line4:01" from the album, with one described by Chatten as "the first overtly political song we’ve written." Skinty Fia debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and the Irish Albums Chart. In the summer of 2022 the band played European music festivals, including Primavera Sound and Glastonbury.
In June 2023, Chatten released a debut solo album, Chaos for the Fly. In December 2023, the band announced a collaborative EP with Massive Attack and Young Fathers titled Ceasefire to raise money for Doctors Without Borders in Gaza.

2024–2025: Romance

On 17 April 2024, the band announced their fourth album, Romance×Romance23 August 2024 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Romance2:352Starburster3:413Here’s the Thing2:434Desire3:395In the Modern World4:276Bug3:027Motorcycle Boy3:428Sundowner3:259Horseness Is the Whatness3:0810Death Kink2:2311Favourite4:18, to be released on XL Recordings. The band released the single "Starburster×Starburster17 April 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Starburster3:41" at the same time and made the album available for pre-order. For Romance, the band worked with producer James Ford. Romance was released on 23 August 2024. It debuted at No. 2 in the UK, where it doubled the first-week sales of Skinty Fia, as well as in Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands, while reaching the top 10 in a total of 12 European countries. It was also the band's first album to chart in the United States, where it reached No. 97 on the Billboard 200. The singles "Starburster", "Favourite×Favourite18 June 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Favourite4:162Starburster3:41" and "In the Modern World×In the Modern World20 August 2024 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1In the Modern World4:262Here’s the Thing2:433Favourite4:164Starburster3:41" reached No. 57, No. 69 and No. 52 on the UK Singles Chart, respectively, the band's first.
The band's music was featured throughout the 2024 feature film, Bird, directed by Andrea Arnold. The music video for "Bug", starring Barry Keoghan, was composed of footage from the film, with the band stating, "Andrea Arnold was kind enough to cut up a sequence to our tune "Bug" featuring Barry Keoghan playing the character Bug in her latest movie Bird. Big thanks to Andrea Arnold for letting us in so close to her visionary universe. She'll be remembered how we remember Bacon or Goya." Multi-instrumentalist Carlos O'Connell made his acting debut in the film, with the Institute of Contemporary Arts describing his performance as "playing a pivotal role in perhaps the film’s most memorable musical moment."
The band received two nominations at the 2025 Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album for Romance and Best Alternative Music Performance for "Starburster". On 21 February 2025, the band released a stand-alone single, "It's Amazing to Be Young", which was recorded during the same sessions as Romance, but left off the album to keep it "concise". It was included on the deluxe version of Romance along with a second new track, "Before You I Just Forget", written by guitarist Conor Curley.
Fontaines D.C.'s 7 June 2025 performance at the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona attracted media attention when the band displayed a Palestinian flag on the screen, as well as the phrases "free Palestine" and "Israel is committing genocide – use your voice", during their performance of the song "I Love You×I Love You17 February 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1I Love You5:052Jackie Down the Line4:01". In September 2025, the band joined the "No Music for Genocide" boycott to geo-block their music from music streaming platforms in Israel in protest of the Gaza genocide.
"Starburster" was used as the theme music for the Paramount+ TV series MobLand which premiered on 30 March 2025. In August 2025, the band headlined at All Together Now.

2026–present: Dopamine Chamber

In March 2026, the band appeared on the Help(2) charity compilation album in support of War Child. They recorded a cover of Sinead O'Connor's "Black Boys on Mopeds" for the compilation, an experience they described as "unique and life affirming". In April 2026, the band were announced as part of that year's Electric Picnic lineup. A series of headlining shows in Spain were announced in May. In June, the band announced the death of their longtime manager Trevor Dietz at the age of 47.
On 16 August, the band announced on their social media platforms that their fifth studio album would be titled Dopamine Chamber×Dopamine Chamber16 October 2026 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Six Shot Morning4:572Marianne3:463Mimesis3:524Happy For You3:495Demolition3:206Tongue3:147One Man4:588Where Is Gone?5:169You Miss Me3:3610Japan3:1411Intimate3:57, along with a song snippet from "Six Shot Morning", an unreleased track being played at their shows. The album was slated for release in 2026, although a specific release date was not announced at the time. The following day, the band released the album's lead single "Marianne×Marianne18 August 2026 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Marianne3:46". Its release date of 16 October 2026 was confirmed, as was the return of James Ford as producer following his work on Romance. On 28 August 2026, the band headlined Reading Festival.
On 30 August 2026, they headlined the final day of Electric Picnic, and a day later were announced as the headliners for back to back concerts for Slane in June 2027. They released the album's second single "Tongue×Tongue30 September 2026 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Tongue3:142Marianne3:46" on 30 September 2026.

Band members

Grian Chatten – lead vocals, percussion, acoustic guitar, accordion (2014–present)
Conor Curley – guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, piano, bass guitar, backing vocals (2014–present)
Conor "Deego" Deegan III – bass guitar, guitar, backing vocals (2014–present)
Tom Coll – drums, percussion, guitar (2014–present)
Carlos O'Connell – guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, piano, backing vocals (2016–present)
Current touring musicians

Alexander "Chilli" Jesson – keyboards, synthesizer, piano, guitar, bass guitar, percussion, backing vocals (2023–present)
Former members

Josh O'Connor – guitar (2014–2015)
Former touring musicians

Cathal Mac Gabhann – guitar (2023; substitute for Carlos O'Connell)

Works and publications

Vroom (self-published) – poetry chapbook
Winding (self-published) – poetry chapbook