Fontaines D.C. have released a mysterious teaser that seems to confirm their fifth album will be titled ‘Dopamine Chamber’.
The Dublin group has gradually revealed clues about its next record over recent weeks. Its latest update offers the clearest indication yet that the successor to 2024’s ‘Romance’ will arrive before the end of this year.
Earlier today, August 16, the band uploaded a video lasting 26 seconds to its X account. The footage begins with a blue planet rotating before it changes into a pulsing blue iris. The words “Dopamine Chamber” then appear, followed by “2026”.
The unreleased song ‘Six Shot Morning’ plays throughout the clip. It was one of two new tracks introduced during the band’s first headline concert of 2026 in Spain last week. The caption reads “D.c.”, seemingly referring to both Fontaines D.C. and the suspected album title.
Check out the post here:
Fontaines D.C. also performed ‘Marianne’ at Baluarte de la Candelaria in Cádiz on August 8. On Friday, August 14, the group released a preview of the track lasting 30 seconds. The song is expected to become the lead single from ‘Dopamine Chamber’.
Alongside the preview, the musicians introduced a new blue logo through a separate post captioned simply “5”, apparently pointing to their fifth studio record.
‘Dopamine Chamber’ will succeed ‘Romance’, which was produced by James Ford and peaked at Number Two on the UK Albums Chart. The record also received a Best Rock Album nomination at the Grammys and placed second on NME’s list of the finest albums of 2024.
The band has discussed creating its fifth album for some time. During an interview with NME in February last year, bassist Conor Deegan III said: “It’s one of those things where we can’t stop writing – it’s something that we just do when we’re with each other.”
Guitarist Carlos O’Connell shared another update with NME in January, saying: “We’ve been writing, it’s been fun. We’re at Reading & Leeds and there are a couple of shows before that. I think if the music is there, it could get busy.”
When questioned about performing fresh material at the festivals, he replied: “I’d say so. If there is stuff written, then I would say so, yeah. That’s what we used to do all the time, play the new stuff life – songs that weren’t even finished. It’s a good way to test the songs.”
Fontaines D.C. will perform in France, Switzerland and Austria over the coming days before headlining Reading & Leeds at the end of August. They will then return home to lead Electric Picnic in Ireland on August 30.
Their return to live performance came after the death of manager Trevor Dietz, whom they called “the sixth member of the band”. Their first appearance following his passing took place during the BBC’s final live session at Maida Vale earlier this month.
Earlier this year, Fontaines D.C. issued the independent single ‘It’s Amazing To Be Young’, recorded Sinéad O’Connor’s ‘Black Boys On Mopeds’ for War Child’s ‘Help(2)’ album and contributed to the soundtrack for Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. On August 15, Kurt Vile joined them to perform ‘Roman Holiday’.
