BellX1 have announced a run round Ireland in support of their Blue Lights On The Runway album, which is due on February 20 and is preceded by the lead single, ‘The Great Defector’.
Catch them in the Black Box, Galway (March 25); Dolan’s, Limerick (27); Vicar St., Dublin (30 & 31); Nerve Centre, Derry (April 2); and Mandela Hall, Belfast (3).
“We started recording in Ballycumber House, County Offaly in October/November 2007,” says lead singer Paul Noonan of their new baby. “Built as a castle in 1627, it was home to the local Lord and Lady of the day, and features many portraits of same gazing down with their beady eyes – along with lots of stuffed pheasants, wonderfully awful patterned carpet and wallpaper, standard lamps, doilies and all that malarkey. It was freezing! There was a games room with a pool table and some old, treacherously rusting exercise machines. We then recorded in a disused factory in Inchicore, and in Dom's garage in Meath. We mixed in Sun Studios, Temple Bar. Phil Hayes was at the helm all the way through.”
Here’s Paul’s track by track guide to proceedings:
‘The Ribs of a Broken Umbrella: I met an old man in a bar in New York who had come to America many years before from Poland to seek a better life. He knew that a girl from his home town had also made the journey west, and they had planned to meet in New York City. He had hoped to make her his wife, but he couldn't get in touch with her, and still carried a photograph of her in his wallet. He had lived most of his life in New York, and never married, always holding a candle.
How Your Heart is Wired: was written on a piano in a music school in Rathmines, Dublin. We dressed the song in beats and sounds from little black boxes. The end section was an extended wig out we did during one of the takes, and liked. Makes it sound more purple!
The Great Defector: Touring can do funny things to a fella…There is sometimes an unhinged exhilaration to the transience of it all - the constant newness of everything, the people you meet, the sociable hours, bad food and boozing. The song is, I suppose a celebration of the madness.
Blow Ins: If all time since the Big Bang was compressed into a single day, we humans would only be around for the last few seconds. I find this staggering. Our limitations as humans mean that we can't imagine what forms of life are undoubtedly to come, or how the very idea of life and existence will evolve. In short, we ain't all that
Ameila: Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, and an inspiration to many. She disappeared over the Pacific in 1937. There is much speculation about what happened. Her copilot was Fred Noonan….!
A Better Band: I'm often overwhelmed by the great music that is and has been. This song is like a self help tape we can listen to in our sleep - "I am a strong, confident woman...". It has 3 movements (one, two, and bowel)...so maybe dips a toe into the Sea of Prog Rock? This was the hardest tune to make work but we love playing it live
Breastfed: Low Fat! Skimmed! Semi Skimmed! Super! 2%! 3%! I remember as a young boy on the farm going to the fridge for a glass of frothy, unpasteurised milk that had shortly before come from the cows udder... ah them were the days!
Light Catches Your Face: The simplest, everything-played-and-sung-live song on the record. One of those very satisfying recording moments. A Hamlet cigar moment, if those yokes weren't so manky
One Stringed Harp: We wanted this to be theatrical, in a lush, timpani-and-fanfare Bacharach kind of way. Check out the "ba be ba" backing vocals in the middle 8 - still not sure about them. A 4-man (gentle) rant against being bombarded with how-to-live-your-life-and-hold-the-correct-opinions.
The Curtains are Twitchin’: I’m very excited about the brass on this one. I heard a New Orleans funeral march over the latter part of the song (in me head) so we found a brass section in New Orleans, sent them the tune and they sent us back the brass part...very satisfying.
There's also an album, pop-up shop & free gig to look forward to next week!
Read More
Dark clouds may have threatened – but in the end Friday night in the Iveagh Gardens was a triumph for Irish music.
Read More The video was uploaded to the band's Facebook page this morning.
Read More If you missed out on tickets for Vicar St, today's your lucky day.
Read More
Bell X1 return with new track 'The Upswing' with an LP to follow later in the year
Read More
The crowd isn't the only thing that'll be Irish in Croke Park!
Read More Like the Village People and Pet Shop Boys before them, Bell X1 go west on October 24 for a Sligo Live show in the Knocknarea Arena. Tickets are €35.
Read More
They’re one of Ireland’s most beloved bands – and critics’ darlings to boot. Now Bell X1 are counting down to their biggest show of the year at Forbidden Fruit. Paul Noonan talks about the group’s ambitions and his appetite for collaboration.
Read More Bell X1's Paul Noonan sits down with Hot Press and discusses the untapped potential of 2013's Chop Chop, when the group will start working on their next album, and the solo album and Forbideen Fruit performance that will happen in between. All in the latest issue of Hot Press, out today
Read More Dublin City Council has unveiled details of a new genre-straddling festival which will make its bow in April 2015.
Read More Bell X1 have premiered a clip shot at their Christmas show in Vicar St., which revolves around a killer version of ‘The End Is Nigh’.
Read More
photos by Anna Kerslake from Bell X1's festive extravaganza, which took place in Vicar Street on Saturday 21st December and saw a packed house.
Read More
One of Chop Chop's stand-out tracks is getting the single treatment.
Read More
The Saturday headliners called into the Hot Press tent to talk about their new album.
Read More The acclaimed trio set for gigs in The Big Top in Limerick City in September and Vicar Street in December
Read More The trio sat down with Hot Press ahead of their headline performance in Indiependence this Saturday
Read More
Indiependence headliners Bell X1 talk about their recent album, the 10th anniversary of their debut Music In Mouth, the Anglo tapes and much more...
Read More
They join We Are Scientists, De La Soul, Bastille and Kodaline...
Read More "There's an element of the pantomime villain about them now," singer Paul Noonan says of Irish bankers.
Read More
The Dublin lads will be dropping in for a signing session and acoustic set….
Read More “It’s far from The National Concert Hall we were raised, I hope you all pre-ordered your interval drinks... I’m sure there’s a few sly naggins in here tonight”.
Read More Bell X1’s Chop Chop isn’t out until Friday but you can listen to it here courtesy of this handy dandy player.
Read More
Irish art rocker's back to basics approach yields powerful results...
Read More The Dublin rock group have released the video for their latest single 'The End Is Nigh'...
Read More
The new album will come in handy in the kitchen...
Read More 'Careful What You Wish For' is taken from their Chop Chop album due out this summer...
Read More
The band also have dates in Cork and Dublin this summer in support of their new album out this June...
Read More
The Irish rockers this morning uploaded a new song to their Soundcloud page...
Read More
The lads are currently Stateside recording their sixth studio album...
Read More
Ahead of Bell X1's Music Show slot, their singer talks side projects.
Read More
Easing you into the weekend with The National, Bell X1, Pet Shop Boys, Weezer, Ellie Goulding, Tinchy Stryder and many more...
Read More
Watch now the fan-made video for '4 Minute Mile' that pleasantly surprised Bell X1.
Read More Bell X1 paid a house call to superfan Sinéad Loughman in order to find out what the hell that cryptic cabbage business was all about. Read on...
Read More Villagers, Bell X1 and Ziggy Marley headline each respective night!
Read More Gig will be broadcast around the world on the band's official Facebook page
Read More The Bellies made their way to Maynooth to play for the lucky winner in the Live In Your Living Room competition
Read More Sinead Loughman from Maynooth was the lucky lady in question...
Read More What do Q-Tip, UNKLE, U2, PJ Harvey and Depeche Mode have in common? They’ve all at some point been an influence on Paul Noonan and Dave Geraghty who sit down with Peter Murphy to talk about musical heroes, the evolution of their own chart-conquering career and how they learned to embrace the Gary Numan within on their new album, Bloodless Coup. Plus, find out courtesy of our exclusive Hot Press competition how you can lure the Bellies to your living-room for a private gig.
Read More You can listen to the entire album ahead of its April 1 release
Read More
Check out the boys at HMV on Bloodless Coup release day
Read More Tell us which of the band's songs is your favourite, and they could be serenading you in your own home!
Read More Ireland's Bell X1 have scored an international first with the most influential radio network in the US
Read More Bell X1 has released a new video for their single 'Velcro' and you're bound to get stuck on it. 'Velcro' will be on Bell X1's new album Bloodless Coup soon to be released on April 1.
Read More Bloodless Coup could be the first record to include a paen to Cypriot cheese!
Read More It's made up of studio footage from the Grouse Lodge recording of 'Hey Anna Lena'
Read More
Bloodless Coup will be with us on April 1.
Read More Stripped back to their bare bones for this acoustic show at Vicar St., Bell X1’s songs wear their raw emotional quality with pride.
Read More
He's also been rubbing shoulders with heavy metal royalty in LA!
Read More
You can also find some new Electric Picnic '09 footage on their YouTube channel.
Read More Here's a full list of all nominees and categories for the 2010 Meteor Ireland Music Awards
Read More The bands, who are featured in the 2fm DJ's new book In Bloom - Irish Bands Now, will be joining her to celebrate the book's launch at Tower Records.
Read More Possibly referring to a certain Hot Press cover, Noonan assures us that he’s a strong confident woman before singing the slow-release ‘A Better Band’
Read More Paul Noonan & Co. tell Vicar Street of their festival plans.
Read More It was inflight double entendres all round as Bell X1 donned cabin crew attire for a special Hot Press photoshoot. When not showing an unhealthy interest in women’s clothes and fancy Raybans, they talked about their chart-topping new album Blue Lights On The Runway, their imminent breakthrough in the US and freezing their arses off on The Late Show with Dave Letterman
Read More See Bell X1 as you've never seen them before in this special HP cover shoot... Buy the issue in all newsagents NOW!
Read More Things are really hotting up for Bell X1. The Great Defector went to number 1 in the airplay charts last week, while their number 1 album Blue Lights On The Runway is still flying high.
Read More And then there were three. Slimmed down Bell X-ers stretch on fourth album
Read More Thirty lucky fans were treated to a special acoustic Bell X1 show in the intimate surroundings of Bewley's Cafe Theatre in Dublin on Sunday. **NOW UPDATED with photos!
Read More Thirty lucky fans were treated to a special acoustic Bell X1 show in the intimate surroundings of Bewley's Cafe Theatre in Dublin last weekend. And HP's Ruth Medjber was there to catch all the action on camera...
Read More
Hot Press are offering fans a chance to be at a top secret acoustic show ahead of the band's upcoming tour. But get moving, the closing date's tomorrow!
Read More Get your hands on tickets to an exclusive Bell X1 gig, plus, your chance to tell the boys which song you'd like to hear!
Read More Hotpress.com is delighted to bring you this pre-release goo at the artwork for Bell X1’s Blue Lights On The Runway album, which makes it into the shops here on February 20.
Read More The Bell X1 lads plan to release their 4th record in late February, with a new track available now on their MySpace.
Read More Bell X1 have announced that Brian Crosby will be leaving the band following their October 19 Flock tour finale at the Panorama Festival in the Lebanon.
Read More Following an extensive US tour, Bell X1 have announced their Irish live return at Vicar St. this November, with a new date just added.
Read More Hot Press joins the lads of Bell X1 on the road in America - land of David Letterman and flaming tour buses.
Read More Bell X1, fresh from their US success, have revealed that they’ve already written a dozen tracks for their much-anticipated fourth album.
Read More Bell X1 had a narrow escape on Saturday March 15 when their tour bus caught fire outside the Medford, Massachusetts hotel they were staying in.
Read More Today marks the Stateside release of Bell X1's Flock album, which has received a rake of positive reviews.
Read More Bell X1 are about to embark on a North American tour, but first they plan on stopping by London's King's College for their first UK date of the year.
Read More
Bell X1's Paul Noonan is to present tomorrow night's Pet Sounds on Today FM.
Read More From their opening song, Bell X1 are all gloriously triumphant. Their demeanour is relaxed, entertaining, and above all, slick.
Read More On the eve of the release of Tour De Flock, BellX1’s live album and DVD from Dublin’s Point Theatre, Paul Noonan, Brian Crosby and Dominic Phillips answer the weird and wonderful questions of hotpress readers, from the swimming habits of monkeys to ripping the gusset of your pants on stage.
Read More What’s most striking about Tour De Flock is how unpopulist Bell X1 are. This is not a live album filled with huge, chest-beating anthems, but it works instead on a more intimate scale.
Read More Here's your chance to quiz Dublin's finest, Bell X1, and win a fine prize while you're at it.
Read More The HP Newsdesk is delighted to bring you this exclusive first peek at the Bell X1 2-disc live album and DVD package.
Read More There’s been more reaction from BellX1 to their departure from Island Records and its parent company, Universal Music.
Read More After much industry speculation, it’s been confirmed that BellX1 have parted company with Island and its parent company, Universal Records.
Read More Their transition from traditional ‘indie’ beginnings to a more lavish, gothic sound suggests a development that, for my money, has never been backed up by a commensurate break-through in terms of songwriting. Or maybe I’ve been missing something...
Read More While the majority recover over the excesses of the festive period, Dublin foursome are already planning their summer exploits.
Read More All roads lead to Belfast this month as the city hosts belFEST 2006, a veritable orgy of live music that runs from November 16 to December 3.
Read More BellX1’s cross-channel profile is set to receive a major boost with their version of The Only Ones’ ‘Another Girl Another Planet’ soundtracking Vodafone’s Christmas TV advertising campaign.
Read More In order to further understand the African AIDS crisis, Bell X1, ardent supporters of Oxfam’s Make Trade Fair campaign, travelled to Tanzania for eight days this month.
Read More A radio favourite since January, the delay in releasing ‘Rocky’ can be attributed to a desire to similarly see it take off across the pond. A story of lush melodies, chiming instrumentation and Paul Noonan’s bittersweet lyrics, ‘Rocky’ will probably be most of interest to Irish fans for its b-sides. Amongst them lies a sparse acoustic reworking of Depeche Mode’s ‘Enjoy The Silence’ that should prove a live favourite on their forthcoming November tour.
Read More The line-up has been confirmed for Live Revolution ’06, a week-long musical blowout that takes place next month in Lisburn’s Island Arts Centre.
Read More John Walshe catches up with the highest ranking Irish band at Oxegen, BellX1.
Read More Timed perfectly for their newly acquired fans from Oxegen, BellX1 have announced a winter tour.
Read More The Dubliners have announced a new single from their number one album Flock.
Read More BellX1 have given one of the tracks from their Flock album to Oxfam as a free download to publicise the charity’s ‘Generation Why’ arms control initiative.
Read More You wouldn't have thought that Paul Noonan and Brian Crosby would have time for extra-cirricular activities, but they've been dabbling in theatre.
Read More This is one of the finer moments from Bell X1’s patchy and somewhat overrated Flock LP. Anyone with even half an ear cocked to radio will be well aware of this infectious sing-a-long from the X1 boys. A proven favourite on the airwaves, the group’s collective ears will be firmly tuned to see if UK disc jocks show a similar penchant for ‘Flame’s shouty chorus and chiming guitar lines. Irish fans however will be more interested in a live version of the track, due to be made available on the group’s website in the coming weeks.
Read More Bell X1 at the RDS? It would have seemed unthinkable a few years back, but 2005 was a good year for the group – one in which they took steps to ensure that they will be remembered as more than just Damien Rice’s old playmates.
Read More With the release of their acclaimed third album Flock, which went straight to No.1 in Ireland, Bell X1 have staked their claim not just to greatness, but also to potential world domination – a possibility which is reinforced considerably by their powerful showing in the Hot Press Readers’ Poll. Here, in an emotional and revealing interview, the band’s photogenic frontman Paul Noonan discusses life, art, love, death... and music.
Read More The Choice Music Prize - Irish Album of the Year 2005 shortlist was announced today, with BellX1, Turn and The Chalets all in the running.
Read More The audience know they mean business. ‘Reacharound’, a born opener, kicks off the set and after that there’s no fag breaks for an hour and a half.
Read More BellX1 fans unable to lay their hands on tickets for their current dates will be mighty pleased to learn that they'll soon be returning to the live scene for a one-off date at the RDS Arena in Dublin.
Read More Its real beauty comes when the effort is made to tunnel further down. The songs you were tempted to skip first become familiar, then recognisable, then at a point only hindsight will reveal, become shining examples of subtle magnificence, however much you’re loath to admit a change of heart.
Read More Those of us who always suspected Bell X1 of the denatured blandness that typified the genre they skirt will find in ‘Bigger Than Me’ a large, layered soft pop track that is cheerfully mordant, with more than a hint of Liam O’Maonlai. In ‘Still Selling Shoes’ we get neatly itemised observations of the mundane roles enjoyed by now legendary or indeed notorious Irish performers. Not many would shoehorn (ahem) Rory Gallagher and Ronan Keating into a song, and fewer still could make it work.
Read More Resourceful as ever, the Hot Press Covert Operations Team has managed to, er, obtain a pre-release copy of the new BellX1 album, Flock.
Read More The long-awaited follow-up to the phenomenal Music In Mouth is nearly upon us, and just to build up the tension a little more, you can get a sneaky peek at the cover right here...
Read More The hotly-anticipated return of OC faves BellX1 draws nearer as they announce an extensive tour of Ireland and and shelf date for their new album.
Read More Currently on tour in the US, BellX1 have made a considerable impression on LA radio listeners
Read More Expectations for new material are, understandably, quite high, both from long term fans of the band and the ever-broadening circle of new admirers, Indeed, the days of Bell X1 filling medium size stages could well be numbered – as it is, tonight’s stage can barely hold the band’s enthusiasm and confidence.
Read More Paul Noonan takes a night off Bell X1 duties with a special guest appearance at Dublin's Sugar Club next month
Read More What's in a name? Bell X1 have revealed the title of their work-in-progress...
Read More Hot Press visited BellX1 in their city-centre studio, where the group are working on the follow-up to Music In Mouth. “There’s been a lot less fuck-acting this time around,” they tell John Walshe. Photo: Liam Sweeney
Read More With their new album set for summer release, BellX1 have scheduled in an April tour of Ireland
Read More With a successful debut album- Music in Mouth- behind them, Bell X 1 are embarking on an Irish tour for September & October.
Read More Noonan and co. have penned in a hometown show at Vicar St. this October
Read More Bell X1’s transformation into one of the big bands is already in process, with only an all-conquering run of festival appearances left to complete the picture..
Read More BellX1 have scored something of a coup by landing the "special guest" slot on Keane's upcoming UK tour.
Read More It’s all back to the BellX1 frontman’s place for a root through his back pages.
Read More BellX1 and The Frames will do what they do best at January's Eurosonic Festival in Holland
Read More It's non-stop gigging for the BellX1 crew, who have announced eight dates around the country
Read More Quite probably the next of the ‘should have made it big’ brigade to make it big.
Read More
Music In Mouth is a more unified, distinctive and cohesive record that showcases the band’s multiple directions, adding further conviction to the depths of epic balladeering on ‘Eve, The Apple Of My Eye’, the quirky pop of ‘Next To You’ or the manic rock of ‘White Water Song
Read More Here's the lowdown on new Bell X-1 album Music In Mouth - and the cover art as well. Taste for yourself
Read More
Bell X1’s debut album displays a touching uncertainty. Apart from the robust vanguard of ‘Pinball Machine’ and the confident swish of ‘Man On Mir,’ Neither Am I has a preponderance of translucent ballads. Most of these, while genuinely lovely, are not as striking as they might be, due to the distant, dreamy production style.
Read MoreFor information including benefits, key facts, figures and rates for advertising with Hot Press, click below
Advertise 
