Fontaines D.C. Announce Fourth Album, Romance, Share Lead Single, ‘Starburster’

Home > News > Fontaines D.C. Announce Fourth Album, Romance, Share Lead Single, ‘Starburster’
© Theo Cottle

Returning today with their first release since the success of 2022’s Skinty Fia, which reached Number 1 in the UK and Irish charts, Fontaines D.C. have announced details of their fourth studio album, Romance, set for release on August 23rd via the band’s new record label, XL Recordings, produced by James Ford. 

Alongside the album announcement, the band have shared Romance’s lead single, ‘Starburster’. Inspired by a panic attack that lead singer Grian Chatten suffered outside of St. Pancras station, the track is Fontaines D.C.’s most expansive. The single arrives accompanied by its visual, a fever dream directed by Aube Perrie. 

Of the album’s title, bassist Conor Deegan states

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 (Mercury Prize-nominated debut) Dogrel. The second album (the GRAMMY-nominated 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.

Vocalist Grian Chatten adds:

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.

ROMANCE will be brought to life on a world tour beginning in the summer, with stopovers at Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds Festivals and across Europe. UK and U.S. headline dates will be announced in due course.

Romance is available to pre-order on limited edition vinyl*.

Katie Macbeth

katie macbeth

Katie Macbeth is a freelance music journalist for Indie Is Not A Genre based out of Manchester, presenter of @drunktankthink, and post punk enthusiast.



This page may contain affiliate links to providers from whom Indie Is Not A Genre receives a commission. These links are marked with an asterisk (*).

Scroll to Top