Fontaines D.C. topped our 100 Best Songs of the Year (So Far) list with their single “Starburster,” the first preview of their upcoming album Romance. Obviously, we think the track is fantastic — but romantic? Not in the traditional sense.
“[Vocalist] Grian [Chatten] threw out that [album] name before pretty much a lot of it was written. It was probably the first thing that happened,” guitarist Conor Curley tells Consequence while seated at Kensaltown East for our latest Crate Digging. “It was kind of a banner of inspiration for what we were going to do. I suppose the word is as meaningful or meaningless as you want it to be, you know what I mean? Romance is a dark, twisted thing, or it can be a beautiful kind of conversation with someone. [The record is] exploring that — taking something that in modern culture would probably seem like it almost belongs in mundanity, but trying to reprise what we think the word means.”
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To get to the core of what Romance means to Fontaines D.C., we asked Curley and drummer Tom Coll to name 10 essential romantic records, and they took free rein on how they defined the term. According to Curley, the goal with their selections was to “give the sense of the axis of romance.” He explains, “Some of the records that we chose are classically romantic, have beautiful strings or have duets. And then others are are a bit more darker and a bit more traumatic. And I think both of those things belong in a romance setting.”
Albums from Beach House, Billy Bragg, The Weeknd, Jessica Pratt, and more made Fontaines D.C.’s list, as did deeper cuts from The Amazing Snakeheads, Sultans of Ping F.C., and Headache. You can read what both Curley and Coll have to said about their picks below, or watch the video version (with special thanks to Rough Trade NYC) above or via YouTube.
Romance is set for release on August 23rd via XL Recordings, with Fontaines D.C. supporting the record on a North American tour beginning in September. Snag tickets here, or get tickets to their current run of EU and UK shows here.