“There’s a poignant sense of us being on the brink of some other kind of form of humanity, or non-humanity": Fontaines D.C. detail new album, Dopamine Chamber

Dopamine Chamber, which is set for an October release, is the follow-up to the Dublin band's 2024 album, Romance. It's described as "a colder, stranger, and more synthetic" work compared to their previous albums, and is introduced by their new song, "Marianne" — a track about escapism and hedonism inspired by the thriller series, Ripley.

Produced by songwriter, and Last Shadow Puppets member James Ford — who also produced Romance, and is credited for his work with Arctic Monkeys, Blur, Gorillaz, and more — Dopamine Chamber sees Fontaines D.C. delve into the overwhelm of a world weighed down by artificial intelligence, environmental collapse and political violence, and how these things coexist alongside memes, jokes, and celebrity culture.

“The album itself is a dopamine chamber,” explains singer Grian Chatten. “You step inside and we test these different mind- or mood-altering pieces of music on you. I think Romance was maybe 60 per cent human and 40 per cent corrupted by automation, and a loss of feeling. This one feels more like 60 per cent corrupted — the mask is wearing the face a little more.”

“I felt it would be more powerful to leave the hope out and reflect the ugliness honestly. This one needed to feel more like a catastrophic warning," he continues. “There’s a poignant sense of us being on the brink of some other kind of form of humanity, or non-humanity."

Dopamine Chamber artwork