Bell X1 have announced their ninth studio album Good Bones and shared the first single ‘But First, Love’ today. Their summer tour begins tonight in Sligo.
The album was recorded at Dreamland Recording Studios in Upstate New York with producer Josh Kaufman and engineer D. James Goodwin.
‘But First, Love’ opens proceedings with a bright, propulsive rhythm and an undercurrent of longing that suggests the album has that same quality of emotional precision the band have been refining for 25 years.
The record carries particular weight. Paul Noonan on the making of it:
“The record was made shortly after losing our friend and collaborator, Glenn Keating, and was a very heightened, emotional, but beautiful time. Truly immersing ourselves in the making, without distraction and with open hearts, felt profound and cathartic. Glenn was talked about a lot, felt very present. Josh and Dan were very sensitive to this and brought such brilliance and care to the process.”
Paul, David Geraghty and Dominic Phillips have been a constant and quietly evolving presence in Irish music since forming in 1999. Four of their eight studio albums were nominated for the Choice Music Prize. They remain one of the country’s most compelling live bands – the kind of act whose audience doesn’t drift, it deepens. Cormac Curran joins them on keys and guitar for this run, with Tim O’Donovan on drums.
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The summer dates are already underway – the Dublin Iveagh Gardens show on July 11th is sold out. Tickets for remaining shows at bellx1.com/tour.
Tour dates:
- Friday June 5th – Knocknarea Arena, Sligo Live (with Dave Lofts) – tonight
- Saturday June 6th – King John’s Castle, Limerick (with Soda Blonde)
- Friday June 19th – Live at the Marquee, Cork (with Babyrat)
- Saturday July 11th – Iveagh Gardens, Dublin (SOLD OUT, with Bren Berry)
- Saturday July 25th – Galway International Arts Festival (with Soda Blonde)
Good Bones release date to be announced. ‘But First, Love’ is out now.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
