Fontaines D.C. Remind Us That “It’s Amazing To Be Young”

“…We wanted to declare which side we were on - it really is amazing to be young. We are still free, and want to make that feeling spread. We want to protect it for the others around us, and maybe in doing that, can also help protect it for ourselves.” — Conor Deegan III

Fontaines D.C. have managed to shift the way I see the world. They’ve consistently shown things in a different light and brought beauty to situations that feel so dire sometimes. Their new single “It’s Amazing To Be Young” is no different. It not only feels like an extension of 2024’s Romance, but to me, an extension of the closing track of that album, “Favourite” as well.

This band has always had a way of putting things that sits with me far beyond the length of the song. They have something to say— which is a stark contrast to much of today’s music. They see the value in a word, they put meaning behind each one. Nothing is superfluous.

One of my favorite parts of this song is that it completed a story told in a series of music videos. It all began with “Here’s The Thing,” track three on Romance. The video for this one tells the story of Spider, a young woman navigating stepping into the person she really is. The video for “In The Modern World,” track five, tells the next piece of the story. Martin is introduced, and his video consists of him getting into fights inside of cars and being at home with a pet lizard. Seems like a strange character, but it all comes together in the final installation: “It’s Amazing To Be Young.”

The third and final video, released today, shows Spider and Martin meeting and falling in love. We see them experience bliss, pain, and eventual peace in their relationship. This song and video are what pull Romance together— it pushes the message home that felt so strong even from my first listen of the album: experience everything, and embrace it.

It has that same nostalgic feeling that “Favourite” does. Grian Chatten’s voice already brings such a unique sense of depth to each of their songs, and that in combination with the wistful guitar truly make me feel young. Mission accomplished, you could say! I truly believe Fontaines D.C. are the band of the future. They’re doing things right now that no other band is doing. They’re putting meaning back in music, they’re writing songs that haven’t been written before. How lucky we are to be alive in a world of music that Fontaines D.C. is active in!