Irish rock group Fontaines D.C. has recently concluded the year-long world tour of their fourth studio album, Romance. Releasing on August 23, 2024, Romance opened new doors into a modern, punk rock scene. With hit singles “Starburster,” “In The Modern World,” and “Here’s The Thing” hailing from their album Romance, Fontaines D.C. began to take the world by storm.
Throughout their Romance tour, the group’s popularity has quickly grown, with this album being the first to reach the U.S. Billboard top 200 and being placed alongside global industry icons. The group has been releasing music since 2019 with Dogrel, but they are most commonly associated with Skinty Fia (2022). That year, Fontaines D.C. won the NME Award for Best Band In The World, followed by the Brit Award for International Group. However, with all this praise, they didn’t have a large U.S following until 2024.
Once they obtained world-wide fame, they began their 2024-25 tour, and I am one of the lucky people to see them live. After seeing them perform in Chicago in October 2024, I was excited to have the opportunity to photograph them in my home state of Michigan.
Frontman Grain Chatten shows his passion for music and poetry in every song. He acts out each song’s emotion, being highly expressive and often taking up most of the stage. He makes sure to interact with the crowd, crossing the stage, standing on monitors, and reaching out to a sea of fans. Their setlist was vibrant and diverse, including hits from their whole discography, and making sure old and new fans could hear their favorite songs. Along with Chatten, the entire band is engrossed in their music, interacting with each other while still remaining in their bubble of sound. Their energy is captivating and unlike anything I’ve seen before. Together, the group has created a community founded on staying in touch with themselves, and creating a unique sound for millions to enjoy.
Through Romance, Fontaines D.C. has brought punk back into the daily rotation of over 5 million listeners. They are able to write about what they are passionate about, bringing subjects of romance, lust, loss, and corruption into a new light – giving the world an innovative, complex album to latch onto.
Follow FONTAINES D.C. | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC
Leave a Reply