Bell X1

Bell X1 biography

Bell X1 are an Irish rock band from Dublin and County Kildare in Ireland, known for their wide range of styles, powerful live performances, intelligent and witty lyrics and a dedication to touring. The band is named after the Bell X-1, the first supersonic aircraft in history.

The band released their debut album Neither Am I in 2000. A second and third studio album, Music in Mouth (2003) and Flock (2005) followed respectively before Tour De Flock, a live CD and DVD set recorded in the Point Theatre, was released in 2007.

In recent years Bell X1 have gained success in the United States after the song "Eve, the Apple of My Eye", taken from the Music in Mouth album, featured during an infamous lesbian kiss scene on an episode of The O.C.. Shortly afterwards they began frequent tours of the United States, culminating in live performances on the Late Show with David Letterman (twice), The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Flock, previously released exclusively in Ireland and later in the United Kingdom, received a North American release in February 2008. Blue Lights on the Runway-the band's fourth studio album was released in Ireland on 20 February 2009 and in the United States on 3 March 2009. It gave the band their second Choice Music Prize nomination. A fifth album, Bloodless Coup, released in 2011, gave the band their third Choice Music Prize nomination.

Bell X1 are festival and arena headliners in their native Ireland and play to ever growing numbers on their regular US and European tours. The band recently had two songs in the Top 20 Irish Songs of All Time poll conducted by Dublin's Phantom 105.2 FM. Aside from U2, they are the Irish band with the most airplay in their native country and, according to Billboard, also the second biggest live performers.

Most of the band were originally members of Juniper who formed in 1991. That band met while they were schoolboys in Celbridge, County Kildare. Paul Noonan was Juniper's drummer and Damien Rice was the lead vocalist; guitarists Dominic Philips and Brian Crosby and multi-instrumentalist David Geraghty completed the original line-up. They based themselves themselves in the small village of Ardclough on the Kildare-Dublin border, close to where all members come from. From 1995-1998 Juniper built up a strong live following in Ireland and enjoyed chart success with EP Manna and singles Weatherman and World is Dead (the latter two through Universal Records) but never released a full album. The band became a quartet with the departure of Rice over creative differences and arguments over the choice of song to release as a single.

The departure of Rice led to a crisis meeting during which the remaining members discussed their deepest desires. After a short break they reformed themselves as Bell X1, named after the Bell X-1 (with the hyphen), the first plane to break the sound barrier. Noonan became the new band's frontman. The live line-up, alongside original members Crosby and Philips, came to be completed by drummer Tim O'Donovan, who also fronts electropop group Neosupervital.

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