Rough Trade reveal Fontaines D.C.'s Romance is the retailer's best-selling record – and Dopamine Chamber is expected to be even bigger

As Fontaines D.C.'s eagerly awaited fifth album, Dopamine Chamber, is officially unveiled, the international demand for the record is already proving phenomenal.

Speaking to Music Week, Lawrence Montgomery, managing director at UK-headquartered music retailer Rough Trade, revealed that the first week's pre-orders for Dopamine Chamber were four times higher than those of Fontaines' previous album, 2024's Romance. That's despite Romance, he stated, being "the best-selling record of all time at Rough Trade."

Originally founded in London in 1976, Rough Trade now operates a chain of shops in the UK, New York and Berlin.

Romance saw Fontaines D.C. take a major leap forward on the international stage – with the album doubling the first-week sales of its predecessor, Skinty Fia, in the UK.

"As a retailer, we loved that Romance continued to sell beyond week one which is rare these days," Montgomery said. "We are still selling around 50 units a week of that album two years after its release.”

The even higher demand for Dopamine Chamber, he argues, proves that there is "a much larger addressable audience for the new album."

'Marianne', the lead single from Dopamine Chamber, became Fontaines D.C.'s first track to break into the Top 20 in the UK, peaking at No.19 following its release in August.

How Dopamine Chamber will perform on the charts – at home and overseas – will be revealed next Friday, October 23.

Read our Album of the Month Review of the album here.