XL Recordings

Romance is Fontaines D.C.’s first album with producer James Ford, and the first released by XL Recordings. The album’s 11 tracks see the band pushing their musical boundaries with experimental riffs, chord progressions, and far-flung lyrical references. Expounding on the album’s theme, Grian Chatten says “I’m fascinated by the idea of falling in love at the end of the world,” he says. “The album is about protecting that tiny flame. The bigger armageddon looms, the more precious it becomes,” while Carlos O’Connell adds “This record is about deciding what’s fantasy – the tangible world, or where you go in your mind. What represents reality more? That feels almost spiritual for us.”