"It has that outlaw quality, that dangerous quality…they’re incredible songs." Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy on the modern indie greats he loves so much that he's basically "just a groupie" for them at this point

Cillian Murphy smiling with a microphone in his hand — (Image credit: Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Focus Features)

Cillian Murphy, Oscar-winning actor, star of critically acclaimed classics like Oppenheimer, 28 Days Later and Sunshine and leading man in gritty Birmingham gangster drama Peaky Blinders, has heaped praise on one of the modern indie rock scene's most celebrated bands.

Speaking to Jack Saunders on BBC Radio 1 while promoting upcoming Peaky Blinders full-length feature The Immortal Man, Murphy explains why Irish group Fontaines D.C. were a perfect pick for the film's soundtrack.

"There’s certain music that just lends itself to Peaky Blinders," he says, as reported by NME. "The Fontaines music seems to work, it has that outlaw quality, that dangerous quality."

Murphy adds that Fontaines produce "incredible songs", noting that having them on the new Peaky Blinders soundtrack "just clicked for us."

The actor - who made a return to the 28 Days Later franchise in the final scene of this year's third sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple - is accompanied in the interview by Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten, and had more kind words for the singer/songwriter.

“We’re just thrilled that somebody like Grian is now part of the Peaky sonic landscape," Murphy says. "We’ve had such a storied and amazing line-up of artists over the years contributing to the show, and this was a massive step up for us to make a film.”

When Chatten reveals that Murphy has actually attended a couple of Fontaines D.C. shows, Murphy jokingly suggests that he's "just a groupie" of the band at this point.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man arrives on March 6 for a limited theatrical run before hitting Netflix, with the film's soundtrack will land on the same day.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man | Official Teaser | Netflix - YouTube

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Cillian Murphy is no stranger to expressing his love of music: in 2022 he gushed about his "favourite band" Radiohead, describing them as "very special" to him, while he later revealed that PJ Harvey was his most listened to artist of 2023, stating: “I adore her music, but also her spirit as an artist. She is fearless and polymathic and political and no album ever sounds the same, but you always know it’s a PJ Harvey record.”

Fontaines D.C.'s latest album Romance was released to rave reviews in 2024. They are set to play a number of European festivals over the summer, culminating in headline sets at Reading and Leeds in August.

Merlin was promoted to Executive Editor of Louder in early 2022, following over ten years working at Metal Hammer. While there, he served as Online Editor and Deputy Editor, before being promoted to Editor in 2016. Before joining Metal Hammer, Merlin worked as Associate Editor at Terrorizer Magazine and has written for Classic Rock, Rock Sound, eFestivals and others. Across his career he has interviewed legends including Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy, Metallica, Iron Maiden (including getting a trip on Ed Force One courtesy of Bruce Dickinson), Guns N' Roses, KISS, Slipknot, System Of A Down and Meat Loaf. He has also presented and produced the Metal Hammer Podcast, presented the Metal Hammer Radio Show and is probably responsible for 90% of all nu metal-related content making it onto the site.

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