Dublin post-punk band Fontaines D.C. have released a new single, “Starburster”, a vivid portrayal of a panic attack set to an energetic disco-rock beat.
“Starbusters” is the first taste from their upcoming fourth studio album, Romance, scheduled for release on August 23rd.
The track dives deep into the psyche of frontman Grian Chatten during a panic attack in a London tube station. The lyrics, “I wanna bite the phone, I wanna bleed the tone/I wanna see you alone, alone, alone,” encapsulate a stream-of-consciousness narrative, driven by urgent drum beats that mirror the escalating anxiety.
The accompanying music video heightens this sense of urgency, making the viewer almost feel the weight of Chatten’s anxiety (watch below).
Romance was crafted over a span of two months, with one month dedicated to writing and another to pre-production in a North London studio. The recording process took place in a Paris château, where the band collaborated with producer James Ford.
This location, coupled with the band’s creative process, adds a layer of romanticism to the album’s essence, which guitarist Conor Deegan reflects on.
“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,” Deegan says.
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Chatten, meanwhile, recalls Katsuhiro Ôtomo’s anime Akira, where the embers of love develop despite a maelstrom of technological degradation and political corruption around its characters. “I’m fascinated by that – falling in love at the end of the world,” he reveals. “The album is about protecting that tiny flame. The bigger armageddon looms, the more precious it becomes.”
Fontaines D.C.’s “Starbuster” is out now. Romance is out August 23rd (pre-save/pre-order here).
Romance Tracklist:
- “Romance”
- “Starburster”
- “Here’s the Thing”
- “Desire”
- “In the Modern World”
- “Bug”
- “Motorcycle Boy”
- “Sundowner”
- “Horseness Is the Whatness”
- “Death Kink”
- “Favourite”
