Photo Credit: Pooneh Ghana
Fontaines D.C. have released a video for their new single I Don’t Belong, the opening track from their forthcoming album A Hero’s Death. The video was directed remotely by bassist Conor Deegan III.
“This song is a dismissal of the expectations of other people who consider themselves loyal to you,” explains vocalist Grian Chattan. “We wanted it to be a statement, almost like the anti-“Big” [opening song on ‘Dogrel’], which is why we put it as the first song on the new album. This sentiment of not belonging can be liberating in a way, but it’s also lonely and sad. We wanted to show both sides of that type of loneliness.
“One verse is about a soldier who has his bravery commended by his country, but throws his medal down and refuses to accept the commendation. He sees it as a hijacking and commodification of his principles. The other verse is about someone causing a ruckus in a bar, refusing to be enticed by any sort of friendliness and kindness, wanting to remain in the wrong corner. I had a few cans before I recorded the vocals, I wanted it to sound like I was playing the role of embittered barfly and feel like the soundtrack of someone swaying themselves home after a cold night out – full of principles but surrounded by nobody.”
“We had a whole different video shoot planned in London, then all the restrictions hit so we had to figure out how to do something remotely from back home in Ireland,” Duggan adds. “The idea was to use the limitations to our benefit. To try to match the emotional feel of the song but without being heavy-handed. Telling a visual story parallel to the lyrics.
“I remotely directed the video from Co.Mayo, on the west coast of Ireland, where I am from. It was shot on location on the east coast of Ireland, in Skerries, where Grian is from.
“Grian’s character goes on a walk, passing by all these places. He’s telling us this dramatic story that slowly grows as the verses go on. At the start you do and you don’t really get a sense of the anxiety or negativity to come. It’s buried under the surface. At the end he submerges himself, completely consumed by his inner thoughts finally coming out into the world.”
Like what you hear? You can stream or purchase I Don’t Belong HERE.
A Hero’s Death is due for release on 31st July 2020 via Partisan Records, available to pre-order HERE.
