It’s a rainy Wednesday morning when Paul Noonan appears on my screen.
BY CARAGH BELL
Calm, thoughtful and exactly the kind of presence that you would expect from a man who has spent years on the forefront of Ireland’s music scene.
Best known as frontman of Bell X1, Noonan has never shied away from musical reinvention.
HousePlants, his collaborative project with electronic artist Daithí, blends beat-driven energy with lyrical honesty.
This exciting, pulsing act is coming to Skibbereen Town Hall on Saturday 26th July as part of Skibbereen Arts Festival.
I started the interview with an icebreaker, asking about what inspired him to pursue music.
His father was a teacher who taught U2 and Thin Lizzy songs to international students as a means of learning English, and their house was filled with all sorts of records. Paul joined the concert band at primary school where he played the flute, but admits that he didn’t feel hugely enthusiastic about it.
In fact, it was drumming that became his first real passion and, in the early 1990s, he formed the band Juniper with his mates, one of whom was Damien Rice.
He described music as ‘pure’ back in those days. The band was disciplined and worked hard, practising every day and gigging wherever they could. When Rice left the band, the remaining members formed Bell X1 (named after a rocket-powered aircraft that broke the sound barrier for the first time in 1947) and Noonan became the lead singer.
Despite fronting the band ever since, he still describes drumming as instinctual for him, a place where he can lose himself: a grounding force.
HousePlants emerged after Noonan collaborated with musician and producer, Daithí Ó Drónaí, on a song called ‘Take the Wheel’ which appeared on Daithí’s album L.O.S.S. During lockdown in 2020, a remote exchange of ideas led to a compelling collaboration blending Noonan’s poetic lyrics with Daithí’s electronic sound.
The debut album, Dry Goods, was the end result, featuring songs like ‘What’s With All the Pine?’ and ‘Companero”. The isolation of lockdown offered space to explore themes like connection and loneliness and Noonan admits to ‘learning a lot’ from Daithí.
He describes him as a very proactive artist who constantly reaches out to singers to work with on new projects, and the ‘most capable person’ that he’s ever met.
Their second album, Half Known Things, came out in 2024 and showcases their evolving sound which continues to develop and grow.
HousePlants is now a full live act, performing as a five-piece band.
When asked about the current music scene in Ireland, Noonan describes the young bands of today as ‘taking the baton’ and channelling the tradition of Irish music.
He admires these performers as they are often juggling jobs and making music happen without the support and backing of a record label.
Despite graduating as an engineer from Trinity College Dublin, Noonan never had to work in that profession due to his successful career in music.
I asked him what bands he liked when he was a teenager. REM. Radiohead. U2. I mentioned his involvement in music therapy and his eyes lit up.
He is clearly passionate about the aesthetic of music: how it can be used as a tool for communication and self-expression.
Visiting inner city Dublin schools gives him a dose of perspective. Music gives these kids a voice, building confidence and emotional resilience.
Providing a safe space for children to express themselves is something he finds deeply rewarding.
Future plans?
A new Bell X1 album. More HousePlants gigs. Lots of ideas floating around. He is constantly scribbling, writing songs inspired by the world around him. He admits that his music is ‘less about [him]self now’ as he enters his fifties. His younger self thrived on drama, giving him plenty of emotional fodder for songs, but, nowadays, he favours serenity and peace.
As we end the call, it is clear that Paul Noonan will remain one of Ireland’s most prolific songwriters for years to come.
There is an energy, an enthusiasm, in the way that he speaks, reminding us that music is what connects us all.
Tickets on www.skibbereenartsfestival.com
