That quiet 2023 album, built from acoustic guitar, piano and strings, is getting a total about-face. Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten told *MOJO* he's working on his second solo album, and this time the direction will be completely different from his debut solo effort, *Chaos For The Fly*.
"I have a few tunes, and I have a little bit of an idea of how I want to do this one," Chatten said. "I'd say it'll be more upbeat, kind of leaning into that festival feeling."
What makes this shift interesting is the contrast. *Chaos For The Fly*, released in 2023 and featuring tracks like "Bob's Casino," was written during the long touring cycle for Fontaines D.C.'s third album *Skinty Fia*. It's a restrained, poetry-influenced record, a noticeable departure from the ferocious post-punk delivery he's known for with the band. At the time, he told NME the album was his way of "drawing a line between myself and the band," a product of digging deep into his own loneliness and depression. NME gave it a four-star review back then, calling his lyrics "honest and distinctive," set against "shimmering synths, breezy acoustic guitars and layers of ethereal strings."
A year later, in an NME "In Conversation" interview, Chatten mentioned that the solo album also shaped Fontaines D.C.'s subsequent fourth album *Romance*: "I was in a much better place after making that record, and I think that had a lot to do with it." He also revealed that, beyond music, he hopes to publish a book of poetry.
Fontaines D.C.'s fifth album, *Dopamine Chamber*, is set for release on Friday, October 16, following up on 2024's Mercury Prize-nominated *Romance*. NME has already given the new record five stars, calling it "a dark yet uplifting reflection of the apocalypse." Chatten also described collaborating with Rosalía as one of the highlights of his career. The band is slated to tour in 2027, but before that, Fontaines D.C. will play an intimate show tonight (Thursday) at London's Roundhouse to celebrate the new album, with proceeds going to the mental health charity CALM.
Chatten said the band plans to "take a bit of a break" once the touring and promo cycle wraps up, but he won't be putting down his pen: "I'm still writing a ton of stuff. I write loads, and if you don't put it out there, it just keeps piling up — you want to give it somewhere to go." No release date or tracklist details have been announced yet for the second solo album.
