Grian Chatten says working with Rosalía on the new Fontaines D.C. album Dopamine Chamber ranks as one of the biggest moments of his career.
The Spanish superstar, 34, appears on the track Where Is Gone?, landing Friday (16.10.26), and the 31-year-old frontman admitted it was “humbling” that she agreed to contribute to their record.
Speaking to NPR, Grian said: “I’ve always had a sneaking suspicion that there is almost like – personally, I can’t speak for the rest of the band – almost like one kind of grand thing that I’m trying to say that I’m trying to impart on the world before I, before I get old and die, you know what I mean? There’s like one thing that I’ll always be chasing. I’ve got a suspicion that her heart is similar to mine. … I mean, she’s such an incredible arranger and composer and lyricist. It’s just so humbling that she was into singing on something that we had arranged. It’s a career high for me, for sure.”
Grian also reflected on teaming up with Damon Albarn for a charity project, saying: “It’s difficult to not get drunk on the passion that someone like Damon has for music. There’s a kind of like a, there’s a, there’s a borderline martyrdom, you know? He’s kind of decided long ago that he’s checking out and he’ll catch up with everyone when we’re all in our 80s. But that’s a life well lived, you know?”
Grian, Blur and Gorillaz legend Damon, 58, and spoken word artist Kae Tempest, teamed up on Flags for the War Child fundraiser Help(2).
Rosalía’s Irish rock connections don’t stop there. The singer also inspired and helped shape the Spanish lyrics on U2’s The Mirror Maker (Rosalía) from their upcoming album Carnaval de Luz.
Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week, she said of frontman Bono: “I don’t know him personally, but he texted me and told me that he had this new project and this song, The Mirror Maker.”
Rosalía laughed that he had made up some words.
She told him: “I don’t know, but feel free to invent your own language.”
It was a huge honour getting to work with the 66-year-old music veteran.
She said: “Bono is a legend.
“It’s incredible.”
Bono recently admitted he didn’t want to “look like a stalker” calling Rosalía to ask for her permission to name the song after her.