Introducing Irish GRAMMY nominees: Fontaines D.C.
Fontaines D.C. have had an unbelievable 2024. Touring their way through the USA, Canada and Europe, stopping off at a line-up of summer festivals along the way, they released their fourth studio album, Romance, to great acclaim in August.
Capping off the year, the Dublin rockers have secured two GRAMMYs nominations, for Romance in the Best Rock Album category and for their standout single, Starburster, in the Best Alternative Music category. Ahead of their appearance at the GRAMMYs, we spoke to bassist Conor Deegan III aka Deego about the nominations, their creative process and the other Irish artists that inspire them right now.
Fontaines D.C. have toured the US many times over, and while there must be such a rich memory bank of these tours, what stands out for you most when you recall your time spent touring in America?
"Touring America is a dream for many bands, and we are not excluded from that. I think the open road there is very dreamlike and dream stirring.
Seeing the length and breadth of a country like that is in itself a very special thing to have done, to have travelled through the deserts, mountains, and long open plains, to arrive at somehow even more submersive cities like New York or LA. Although I think I’ll always have a soft spot for the smaller places like Eugene, Oregon or Lawrence, Kansas."
What musicians, bands or artists have made the greatest impact on you, and your craft?
"I would say that personally that the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Elliot Smith have had the biggest influence on me.
There’s something about that idea of going so far with the insular that it becomes universal that appeals to me in any song-writing, and anyone who displays it. I would say that Daniel Johnston had that in spades as well. But in terms of the band concept, I think The Cure and the Velvet Underground have had the biggest influence there."
Hypothetically, right now, you’re at a record store. You have enough cash in the pocket to buy only 3 records – which Irish artist’s / band’s records will be going in your shopping bag?
"I would get Kneecap's 'Fine Art', Gilla Band's 'Holding Hands With Jamie' and Mic Christopher's 'Skylarkin’."
Where were you when you heard the news of your GRAMMY nominations?
"I was in Berlin, we were about to play a show there. We were in the backstage chatting with friends and family and our manager Trev came in and told us- as usual we had a delayed reaction, kind of a disbelief.
Probably the Irish Catholic bent to us as people that we couldn’t think it was true. But it was, and eventually we’ve come around to accepting that it is."
And thinking back to your previous nomination in 2021 – what was your first GRAMMY awards experience like?
"Well unfortunately due to the pandemic we weren’t able to able to attend the awards that year. So we were shacked up together in a hotel room that night with a laptop watching the GRAMMYs roll out.
We had our friends there with us, and when we lost it, we closed the laptop, and continued being friends."
Could you tell us a little bit about the creative process in the early stages of conceiving of your GRAMMY nominated record Romance?
"I suppose this record came in faster than the others. We began writing it in October or November last year, and went in to record it after about a month of writing. Usually we’d take three or so months to write a record.
I think it gave us a more spontaneous energy that benefitted the music a lot this time around. We were more emotional as people while writing this album than we were for the others. So I think the album was necessary for us to expel some of that."
Who are you most excited to see at the GRAMMYs in February?
"I really liked Chappell Roan’s album. I’d really like to meet Adrianne Lenker, I think she’s the best songwriter of our generation."
Do Fontaines have a ‘pre-awards-ritual’?
"I suppose we’ll say a few prayers for it to rain in LA, a good omen for the Irish."