Fontaines D.C. is a Dublin-born, London-based, band with a gritty, post-punk sound, characterized by haunting melodies and introspective lyrics. Their new album Romance explores themes of reality, fantasy, and human frailty, reflecting the band’s evolving artistic vision, led by the new single “Starburster,” a track that blends post-punk with 90s Britpop influences. The album is inspired by personal experiences, including lead singer Grian Chattan’s panic attack in a London tube station.

They spoke with PAPER Magazine about how the creation of the new album was different than their previous ones. “It was hard but it ended up becoming actually easy in the process — we had always gone into the studio with albums 100% written. Barely any sort of creation happens in the studio. And with this album, we weren’t there at all,” Carlos of the band says. “It was quite nerve-wracking. There were a lot of songs with no lyrics. There was a lot of songs with no structures. So the process was very different. There was a lot more writing still there so you have to get used to making decisions and sticking by them.”

Read the full story at PAPER Magazine

Photography: Theo Cottle