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John Robb looks back on the earliest days and unreleased music of Fontaines D.C.: “They made the world a better place”
John Robb recalls discovering Fontaines D.C. while mentoring students at Dublin’s BIMM college, describing frontman Grian Chatten as determined and musically focused from the outset. The account, excerpted from Robb’s new memoir, highlights the band’s early promise and his belief that their success has had a positive cultural impact.
Robb says he nearly released an early, rawer demo version of ‘Liberty Belle’, backed by the unreleased track ‘Rubies’, which he calls a fast, punk-influenced fan favourite. He has kept both recordings private after promising not to release them once Fontaines D.C. signed to Partisan, and says he was pleased the band found what he considers the right label.
In short
- Robb recalls spotting Fontaines D.C.’s potential at college.
- He holds two early unreleased Fontaines recordings.
- He will not release them without the band’s approval.
Explained simply
Fontaines D.C. are a Dublin rock band whose early songs drew on punk and other guitar music. Grian Chatten is the band’s lead singer. John Robb is a musician and writer who says he first encountered the group while mentoring students at BIMM, a music college in Dublin.
Partisan Records is the independent record label Fontaines D.C. signed to. Robb says he kept two early recordings private after promising not to release them when the band joined the label. The recordings offer a glimpse of the group’s sound before its later releases, while Robb’s account reflects his view of the band’s wider cultural influence.
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