Sir Elton John has hailed Fontaines D.C. as "the best band out there at the moment".

The 77-year-old music icon conducted an interview with Fontaines frontman Grian Chatten for the latest edition of his Apple Music 'Rocket Hour' show and had high praise for the Irish band and their latest album 'Romance'.

Elton said: "For me, you're the best band out there at the moment.

"Having watched you at Glastonbury, having heard the new album, you've just grown every album. You seem to have found your feet with this album in such a big way... it's a brilliant record."

The 'I'm Still Standing' singer continued: "I think this album takes you – and I've been around for a long time – to a different level, and it's going to stay around for a long, long time.

"But what's more important about it: the music is really, really, really special. Congratulations on everything, Grian. It's bloody wonderful."

Chatten previously revealed how the 'Starburster' band deliberately set out to surprise fans with their latest album – which was acclaimed by critics when it was released in August.

The 29-year-old musician told NME: "To be creatively understood by too many people feels like flies settling all over your clothes and all over your face. Every now and again you have to f****** shake them off, just to see who you are again. That's what we wanted to do.

"We spoke a lot about visual references, films and stuff like that. I'm not even messing, but we used to speak about: 'What kind of weather is it in this song?'

"We could meet on a plain that didn't have anything to do with music, arrangements or instruments. It's more about abstractly getting to the right place. I think it's more interesting to work in that way because you're at less danger of sounding contrived or unoriginal."