The teacher was Mr Malone, he was a tough guy. Instead, Im talking to the disembodied voice of Grian Chatten, down the phone line from London. The tap is always half on. I Love You Interview by Izel Villarba, find more of his work here. So I think its very easy as an outsider to come in and point things out to people, but also I think if you take an element of one society or one culture and you put it in the pool with another one, both societies become nuanced against each other, like differences, and they become more intensely aware of what they are. 13th November 2020. [7][14] Deegan is regularly seen wearing Mayo GAA clothing during live performances. He said if I learnt a poem and recited it to him off by heart, hed buy me a pack. In New York when it rains and you see puddles, you see the gasoline and iridescent colors. In January 2022, the band announced their third studio album Skinty Fia. Terms and conditions apply. Grian started playing Minecraft after his best friend introduced him to the game. Just because its diaspora, its still pure. The award-winning Fontaines have gained international success with their music, with appearances on the Jimmy Fallon show in America, sold-out concerts across the US and the UK, and two hit albums, Dogrel and A Heros Death. Theres always the nitpicking, but were all so well versed in one anothers idiosyncrasies that it comes as no surprise when somebody annoys you. But theres nothing borrowed from traditional Irish music within those groups. I have a sort of soft spot for the accent as well because I was born up in Cumbria, a town called Barrow-in-Furness. I used to just sit in the lobby of the hotel, watch the sun come up with a beer from a vending machine and wait for everyone else to get out of bed.. Their second record, 2020s A Heros Death, written mostly on tour, won the band rave reviews including from Rolling Stone and a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album. Grian thinks a lot. Grian, when did you first hear Johns poetry?Grian: I was probably 16 or 17, Carlos [OConnell, guitarist] from the band showed me your appearance on a late-night chat show in the 80s. [24], On 12 April 2019, the band released their debut album Dogrel on Partisan Records. Baby's body found in massive search for missing child of Constance Marten, Constance Marten and her partner Mark Gordon were arrested in Brighton on Monday night, however, at the time their baby was still missing, Privacy expert urges iPhone users to update devices after Apple bug discovered that can access photos, Apple users are advised to exercise the usual precautions for these vulnerabilities, Warning for holiday goers as Spain and Portugal continue to crack down on tourists, Some European countries have introduced changes in the hopes of reducing tourists. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Its the sort of duality of things to both comfort you, provide you with warmth and encouragement and safety, and at the same time while doing that, rob all the change from your back pocket, you know what I mean? I think Ill be a changed man in a few ways. Or is it more like a spouse that youre looking forward to return home to? As frontman and chief lyricist of the Dublin post-punk quintet Fontaines D.C., Chatten has channelled life growing up in Ireland into his bands music, songs that take in themes of mental health, corrupt governments, religion and community. This interview should have happened backstage at a Swiss music festival last summer. You, the band, the music, this whole thing? Im now in a country responsible for a lot of the chaos in the country Im from. There used to be a guy called Moondog, a street singer with a long white beard, he did a book called 100 First Lines. One star sign hopes to regain harmony in the workplace, while another should start looking after their own interests. The idea of becoming a citizen poet acquired this kind of glamour that we didnt have an equivalent of in this country. Yeah, nine months out of the year its drizzling there, I could imagine Ireland is very similar. And various menus and random lists. RELATIONSHIP DETAILS BELOW He was previously part of another YouTube channel called CraftedMovie before deciding to go solo in 2014. Theres a kind of great sadness to that. Theres got to be tension in order for it to be an interesting thing to write about. Am I becoming desensitized toward it? That really excites me. Ireland is like that. Fontaines DC, Does it stem from personal experiences as well? Chart History: Heatseekers Albums", "Fontaines DC's label boss on the band's big chart result", "British certifications Fontaines D.C.", "Charts analysis: Fontaines DC debut at summit with Skinty Fia", "18 June 2021 24 June 2021 Scottish Singles Archive", "Record Store Day Special Release: Live at Kilmainham Gaol", "ARIA Top 20 Vinyl Albums Chart 21 June 2021", "Fontaines D.C. Live At Kilmainham Gaol dutchcharts.nl", "19 June 2020 25 June 2020 Scottish Singles Archive", "Fontaines D.C. Its still not part of the law, its only been written into the constitution so theres still a process, but I think that engaged everyone, all the youth in Ireland politically. To coincide with the album's announcement, the band shared its lead single "Jackie Down the Line" with an accompanying music video. That song is me saying I love Ireland and I always will. Amid all the seething political ire and raw emoting on the record, however, the overriding feeling is one of hope. Do you know your Kourtneys from your Khlos? Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. He was born on August 9, 1993, in England. Its a celebration of that flipping, from it being a bad thing into a positive thing. Bringing the pair together over a scratchy three-way phone line today, they trade . I think he must be really crying there. Grian's marriage to his wife typified the type of wedding ceremonies we see these days - small and intimate, with guests' smiles hidden under protective masks. I feel guilty for having left. He posted a photo of the couple and attached the caption: Its been 10 months since I proposed to my fiance, and the wedding is creeping up on us very fast. What do you think Ireland should be focusing on? Grian: I worked in this awful upmarket clothes shop where I had to sell sunglasses. Ive read Joyces poetry and it just doesnt stand up to Yeats at all for me. The more culture we see, the more books we read, and the more views that we get to see will help us. They received a Grammy Award nomination for the 2020 follow-up, A Heros Death. [16], In May 2018, Fontaines played an in-studio at KEXP in Seattle. I got hold of your stuff last night and I like your style, the overcoat, the look, the voice, these are all the ingredients to make great records. Follow Grian On: Twitter Instagram Quote Of The Day | Top 100 Quotes Grian Bio As PDF Also Listed In "Fontaines D.C. Live at Kilmainham Gaol" did not enter the ARIA Albums Chart, but peaked at number 19 on the ARIA Top 20 Vinyl Albums Chart. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. In June 2020, Grian updated his fans about the upcoming nuptials via Instagram. Its very reassuring when that happens, I find.Grian: When you say you hear echoes of different people in what I do, thats why that doesnt upset me. I have such a profound connection with him. All you have to do is tell yourself they look like clouds. It was kind of like a form of meditation and its a great way to share the hangover as well, because the most certain thing to me about having a hangover is the numbness that can come with it. It was a similar appeal; it was the guttural energy. I dont like to talk to people after gigs, so I dont really have a desire to remain on peoples tongues after this stuff happens but I would like to leave a mark in the sense of inspiring people to get into literature and poetry because I think its very good for you. Frontman Grian Chatten talks fame, politics and pressure with Alex Greene Fontaines DC - Grian Chatten, Conor Deegan III, Conor Curley, Carlos O'Connell and Tom Coll. His lyrics feel distinctly personal, but not conceited. Im sure I want to prove something to the people that inspire me who are often dead. Get the best of DIY to your inbox each week. Im not going to name the country, but I think thats interesting because I definitely fell in love with the whole concept of that country and the difference of culture. This amount will fund over 300,000 hot meals. [20], Fontaines received tour support from Irish Arts Council which allowed them to tour internationally. I was living in a flat with my girlfriend [and] there was a couple across the way. From The Magazine. We take a look at some of Damon and co.s most iconic pair-ups, Lynks waxes lyrical on their current faves ahead of our Now and Next tour. Ill tell you when a poems dead: when its in a book. See more at: https://www.rte.ie/culture/GRIAN CHATTEN - THURSDAY APRIL 23RD / RT ONEHailing from Skerries in North Dublin, Grian Chatten is the lead singer . Especially when youre in a group of young Irish people living in London, it can be a great social adhesive between youse. Instead, I'm talking to the disembodied voice of Grian Chatten, down the phone line from London. "Boys In The Better Land" did not enter the Flanders Ultratop Top 50, but charted as an extra tip on the Flanders Ultratop Bubbling Under chart. All rights reserved. It was the best day of my life. The band's debut album, Dogrel, was released on 12 April 2019 to widespread critical acclaim; it was listed as Album of the Year on the record store Rough Trade's website,[4] voted Album of the Year by presenters on BBC Radio 6 Music,[5] and was nominated for both the Mercury Prize and the Choice Music Prize.[6]. I think they should really all be the beginnings of different songs, and I think I just get lazy and compile them all into one song.John: What a great idea! Trying to find Ireland's best burger or best pizza? I went to the library and got everything Edgar Allan Poe had ever written, then I started reading about his life and I discovered that this poet, Charles Baudelaire had put his own work to one side to translate the entire canon of Edgar Allan Poe into French. Is there any American crossover in Ireland? This piece will look at Grians wife and his spectacular rise on Minecraft. I feel like the first time I fell in love was with a girl from a different country. Im not interested in writing a straight-up love song. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time Copyright 2017 ALT CITIZEN. Taking the air on a stroll around the bustling Temple Bar area, the singer of Fontaines D.C. caught sight of a gaggle . That is a huge amount of food desperately needed by these people., All you need to know about Danielle Panabaker, Inside Aimee Challenors life, her husband and parents, Aaron Rodgers and Danica Patricks relationship, explained, photo of the ceremony alongside the caption, He posted a photo of the couple and attached the caption, Grian posted a video on 12th June 2016 stating, Who is Kareem Abdul-Jabbars wife now? As of 2023, Grian is possibly single. It was all very hormonal, a my vocabularys bigger than his kind of thing. Like is there American-Irish food? A lot of it is revealing itself to me to be largely informed and influenced by Irishness existing in England, Chatten says of the LP, and mutating and becoming a new kind of culture in general.. I used to work on receipt paper. Underneath all the sunshine that it tends to have, when it rains its its true form. Youre about to go on a US tour and to SXSW, what are you going to tell America about itself? Picture by Ellius Grace/PA. interview, Are you optimistic about Dublins future? Technically speaking, Grian Chatten is in fact English. "Liberty Belle" is in homage to the Liberties, a neighbourhood in Dublin where many band members lived. Grian: Ive got about four songs which are essentially just lists of lines Ive written on a night out or something when Ive had a few pints. Because I happen to know fucking everything and then he looks at us as he says and I might not remember it in the morning. Thats exactly it. Am I really being influenced by that anymore? I just felt like I was looking down the barrel of the gun, of going to this country that doesnt really welcome people who are Irish. Steadfastly refusing to invest in a computer or mobile phone, their material was played to him the night before our interview by his daughter, and he beams with the exuberance of the newly-converted. Whoever hasnt written anything for it yet has to find something that suits that feeling or has to dig or sympathize with that feeling. Grian posts regularly, and his videos rarely get below three million views. Grian married his wife in a small, intimate ceremony attended by close friends and family The covid-19 pandemic has effectively ruled out the huge gatherings associated with weddings. I feel like I abandoned Ireland., On Roman Holiday, he is trying to embrace London as an Irish person, where youre sort of still mocked and told to go home. That still kind of looks down on that country. Despite the four decades between them, Fontaines DC frontman Grian Chatten and longstanding punk poet John Cooper Clarke have much in common. I wondered about these things going in and realized during our talk how much they all made sense. They formed at college in Dublin in 2017 and released their raucous debut album, Dogrel two years later. Thats a good question. Theyre both from Dublin and theyre both very talented musicians. I think everything gets lost in inauthenticity. I think if we all got caught up on what the future is without looking at the past, then were going down a very, very dark road. 'To consider Irishness as inherently sort of linked to the IRA or terrorism, or anything like that, its just deeply upsetting to hear', Want all the latest Showbiz news direct to your inbox? Fontaines became a fan favorite for overlaying barked poetry over tense, garage-y instrumentals, recalling the chaotic brilliance of the Fall and more modern acts like Sleaford Mods. Before he was a rock'n'roll frontman, Grian Chatten was a sporty lad in Ireland seeking a weirder, wilder identity. She was an old woman, she was called Margaret Keane. Skinty Fia One of the main reasons I dont think of poetry as an elitist pursuit anymore is because of people like John.. We read this when we went back to Ireland for the start of the pandemic. 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