Skiddle's Future Headliners: Fontaines D.C.

This week on Skiddle's Future Headliners we're looking at a band who have been dominating the last few festival seasons and have just released their best album to date. We are of course talking about Ireland's Fontaines D.C. whose album Skinty Fia was a resounding success this year.

For those who don't know, Fontaines D.C. are a post-punk band that quickly came to the fore in 2018. It wasn't long before their debut album 'Dogrel' was released in 2019 and catapulted them into the public eye. It was so well received critically that it went on to be nominated for the Mercury Prize.

What Dogrel did so well was paint a portrait of Ireland, particularly situated in Dublin that the member of Fontaines D.C. grew up in. Songs such as Too Real feel like a hailstorm of fury. You get the feeling that there's a cloud hanging over Dublin, yet there's also an underlying sense that although it may be plagued with problems, they still have a real sense of pride and can appreciate the beauty of their home.

Dogrel was quickly followed up the year after by A Hero's Death, which tackled the difficulties and vices that the band had encountered whilst out on tour. When you have a flurry of success, it's all too common for bands to go on gruelling tours and that takes a deep mental toll. The album captures a band that was almost torn at the threads yet endured through it all.

Their latest chapter saw them release Skinty Fia, a title that translates to 'the damnation of the deer'. The band members have all relocated over to London since the start of their meteoric success. Leaving Ireland behind has been some cause for internal conflict, it saw them confronting their sense of Irishness in the process.

There are metaphors aplenty throughout the album, take I Love You which serves as a love letter both to another and to the land from where they began. There's so much beauty and intensity channelled into the album. Fontaines D.C's music emphasises that you can't go through life without having moments of chaos, calm and conflict.

Whilst they may have been part of the post-punk explosion that happened towards the end of the 2010's which also saw the likes of Black Midi, Squid and Shame, they have far surpassed their contemporaries. No other band seems to capture the imagination like Fontaines D.C do, their lyrics are hauntingly poetic and their dark sonic vision keeps getting better and better.

They can seriously claim to be taking Irishness across the world, even if the band themselves would probably disagree. They are building a genuine legacy and taking their heritage along for the ride. Singer Grian Chatten is known to be an intense performer, often having to fixate on one spot of the crowd to stay concentrated.

He has described entering some pretty dark thoughts that he channels during his performances. Their live shows are always full of fervent fans and limbs flailing everywhere. It's just one of the many reasons why they'll be headlining festivals in the future. If you haven't heard them already, we implore you to check out their catalogue you won't be disappointed.

You can catch Fontaines D.C. live this year, they'll be playing festivals such as Lytham Festival and TRNSMT on their packed summer schedule. 

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.