Fontaines D.C. have released a new music video for their single ‘Japan’, starring Charlie Heaton, the actor best known for playing Jonathan Byers in Stranger Things. The video arrived on October 16th, the same day as the band’s fifth studio album, ‘Dopamine Chamber’, which is out now through XL Recordings.
The video was directed by Luna Carmoon, the BAFTA winning filmmaker who has worked with the band before. She directed the three part series of videos for ‘Here’s The Thing’, ‘In The Modern World’ and ‘It’s Amazing To Be Young’, which accompanied the band’s last era. Heaton appears alongside Angèle Metzger and Sean Black in the feature.
View this post on Instagram
The video opens with a brief spoken exchange before the sound drops away and the song begins, soft and dreamy. The story follows a woman who notices a younger man while she is with an older partner. The two cross paths on an escalator, and a mark on her collar suggests the harm she is suffering in her relationship. The song’s lyrics tell a similar story in the third person, about a woman and her boyfriend in Japan, and reviewers read both as a portrait of an unhealthy and controlling relationship.
‘Japan’ is the tenth track on ‘Dopamine Chamber’, placing it second from the end of the album. Rolling Stone UK has praised it as one of the “most beautiful songs the band has recorded”, and other reviewers have called it one of the most memorable moments on the album.
‘Dopamine Chamber’ was produced by James Ford, who has worked with the band before. The album is the follow up to ‘Romance’, which came out in 2024 and brought the band a bigger audience and a broader sound.
The release comes as the Dublin band prepares for some of its largest shows yet.
Dates listed for next July include two nights at Heaton Park in Manchester, with the first sold out, plus Glasgow Green and London Stadium. The band has also launched a scholarship at the Dublin music college where its members met. It covers the fees of one student on a four year course.
Fans can watch the ‘Japan’ video on the band’s official YouTube channel here! And fans can stream ‘Dopamine Chamber’ on all major platforms!
