Fontaines D.C. on course for their first UK No.1 album with Skinty Fia

Fontaines D.C. look set to score their first No.1 album in the UK, following the release of Skinty Fia on Friday, April 22.

According to OfficialCharts.com, the recent Hot Press cover stars are currently outselling their closest competition four-to-one – with physical sales making up over 90% of their new album's midweek sales.

Their previous album, 2020's A Hero's Death reached No.2 in the UK, while their debut, 2019's Dogrel peaked at No.9.

In 2020, A Hero's Death was in a fierce head-to-head race on the Official Irish Albums Chart with The Coronas' True Love Waits – with The Coronas ultimately taking the top spot. It's widely expected that Fontaines D.C. will score the No.1 in Ireland this time around with Skinty Fia, though they face tough competition from Ed Sheeran's 2021 album =, which was last week's chart-topper in the run-up to his Irish tour.

"A large part of what Skinty Fia is about is the way Irishness becomes exaggerated and embellished when we’re abroad," Fontaines D.C.'s Grian Chatten recently told Hot Press. "And how whether it’s in parts of London, Boston or Vancouver, we still cling together for various reasons including the discomfort of being ‘othered’, which I’ve been feeling. It’s fertile soil for creativity.”

Yesterday, Fontaines D.C. released a statement, noting that they were forced to postpone their show at Paradise Rock Club in Boston – revealing that Grian has been "diagnosed with laryngitis and has been advised to rest his voice for a few days."

Spiritualized are behind Fontaines D.C. at No.2 midweek, with Everything Was Beautiful.

Revisit our recent cover story interview with Fontaines D.C. here.

Fontaines D.C. play the Iveagh Gardens, Dublin (July 2 & 3); Electric Picnic (September 2); Vicar Street, Dublin (November 30 and December 1 & 2); Leisureland, Galway (3); Live At The Big Top, Limerick (5); Millennium Forum, Derry (6); and Ulster Hall, Belfast (7 & 8). See their full list of live dates here.