Grian Chatten tells MOJO Fontaines D.C. chose to pursue Romance's path on Dopamine Chamber

Grian Chatten has told MOJO that Fontaines D.C. considered leaving their Romance approach behind before concluding they still had more to say in that area musically. The frontman spoke to Tom Doyle in an interview published on 13 October 2026, ahead of the release of the band's fifth album, Dopamine Chamber, on XL Recordings on 16 October.

Chatten said the question before writing began was whether to forget Romance and reinvent themselves, perhaps with a rootsy record or another left turn, or to keep pursuing the same territory. He added that the band increasingly let the music speak for itself, that it was becoming more cinematic, and that the lyrics were written after all the music was finished.

Recording in Suffolk and Palermo

The album was made with producer James Ford at Decoy Studios in rural Suffolk. According to Chatten, the plan had been to use La Frette Studios, outside Paris, but this changed at the last minute because of Ford's health. Chatten said the isolation let the band go deep without distraction: over roughly three weeks they visited the local village only about twice, and the sessions were "really, really intense".

Vocals were recorded separately, at a house in Palermo, Sicily. Chatten said he and Ford improvised a booth from mattresses and cushions, likening the process to two young lads building a fort at a sleepover. He described Palermo as a lively place with an age that commands a certain reverence.

The lyrics, he said, were written on a short, compressed trip taking in Vienna and Venice. He tries to respond emotionally to events in the world and only hint at them, preferring to be more explicit on stage.

Rosalía on Where Is Gone

Rosalía sings on the track Where Is Gone. Chatten said he heard something classical in her voice, but also something eerily dystopian. She was touring in America when the band sent the track, and within 48 hours she had returned a vocal. He compared her to Bowie and Björk and spoke of her "terrifying level of talent".

Asked whether she might perform the song live with the band, he said: "Nothing's set in stone as of yet", though he thought she was up for it.

The album and what comes next

MOJO describes Dopamine Chamber as continuing the shift of Romance, away from the punk and post-punk sound of the band's first three albums towards a more electronic-influenced palette. It cites opener Six Shot Morning, the New Order-like Mimesis and Happy For You among the songs. Doyle's four-star review in the magazine calls the record a bleak vision elegantly rendered.

On playing arenas and stadiums, Chatten said it had not yet sunk in and could leave him overwhelmed. He said he looks to The Cure and Robert Smith as proof that it is possible to do so and stay true to yourself.

He suggested the band's next step would be time away to take stock. He is still writing, however, and said he is considering a second solo album: he has a few tunes and an idea of the sound, which he expects to be livelier and more suited to festivals.