Fontaines D.C.’s song “Marianne” is an 8 out of 10.
It’s grand and atmospheric, evoking Depeche Mode circa 1990. A sleek, dark post-punk melodrama that incredibly even has an instrumental hook, which is something most artists are allergic to nowadays. It has a slightly underwhelming three-note chorus, but that is salvaged at the end of the track when the band layers the verse vocals and the chorus vocals on top of each other to great effect.
The best part of this song lies not in itself however, but the context of the band’s output so far.
This is Fontaines D.C. aiming for the top. They want to headline arenas and stadiums, they want to be a big band – maybe even the biggest band. And they certainly do not have much competition. As I’ve talked about at considerable length over the past few years, most modern alternative artists are lacking one key element: ambition. The lack of ambition is hampering so many bands’ success, leading to a massive dearth of household names this decade.
It’s been close to a decade’s journey for Fontaines. Beginning as a scrappy, raw garage punk band like IDLES and Viagra Boys, they’ve now eclipsed those peers as their sound has evolved with every record. Over the years they have broadened their scope a little wider with each release, streamlining it and adding a hint of gloss every time. It’s the kind of progression every band used to have and is now sorely missed as new artists either toil in obscurity for their entire career due to their obstinate refusal to write hooks, or are immediately installed at or near the top due to being industry plants or nepo babies.
That trajectory, that mythos, is a crucial element of any authentic band’s journey. Slowly finding a sound only you can make and then crafting it bit by bit to make it accessible to more people without losing that initial spark of authenticity. Some bands take longer than others, and in many cases the longer the breakthrough takes the better the payoff is. Some of the greatest bands in alternative rock history have worked for years before hitting gold.
R.E.M spent a lifetime being designated as “college rock” heroes before becoming one of the definitive bands of alternative rock. Modest Mouse were relegated to midwest success until their breakthrough brought them worldwide fame. Metric set their sights higher and ended up as one of Toronto’s biggest musical exports ever. Portugal. The Man spent the better part of two decades without mainstream recognition until “Feel it Still” launched them into the stratosphere. M83’s cinematic masterpieces were going by unnoticed by the masses until “Midnight City”, and now everyone has at least one video on their social media set to “Outro”. And most recently Tame Impala finally scored a major hit with “Dracula”, after years of slowing moving away from psychedelic prog to a more polished sound – though Kevin Parker likely benefited from the K-pop guest singer boost.
It remains to be seen whether the upcoming Dopamine Chamber will be that moment for Fontaines, but the takeaway here is the simple fact that they are trying. They are doing exactly what every band should be doing and evolving naturally instead of stunting their own growth. In 2026, that qualifies as the boldest move a band can make.
