Diverse projects keep life fresh for Bell X1

Bell X1 play this year’s Westport Festival which takes place on Saturday and Sunday, June 28 and 29. They will be performing alongside Sinéad O’Connor, Bryan Adams, David Gray and many more.

This year has seen two solo projects emerge from the Bell X1 camp. Guitarist Dave Geraghty released his Join Me In The Pines project and singer Paul Noon released an album of duets under the name Printer Clips. Bell X1 have been together for 14 years.

At what point in the relationship did they decide that they wanted to engage with outside people?

“It’s not you, it’s me!” laughs Paul Noonan. “I suppose the band has become this hub where side projects have sprung from. Dave is on his third solo record, and we were all involved in that Cake Sale record a few years ago and I’ve been moonlighting as a drummer for various other people for a long time now. I think it’s definitely been a very positive thing in term of keeping us vibrant and giving us ideas.”

But given that being in Bell X1 is the ‘day job’, is there ever pressure to keep songs back for the band?

“Songs seem to naturally find their place, I find,” Paul says. “Some would definitely lend themselves more to the band working on them. Some of the songs for the duet record were written specifically with boy and girl and mind and wouldn’t necessarily sit with the band.