Paul Noonan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paul Noonan
Paul Noonan performing with Bell X1 at Scala, London
Background information
Birth name	Paul Anthony Noonan
Born	1974 Lucan, County Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Genres	Rock, folk, acoustic, pop, alternative, electro, new wave
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Guitar, vocals, drums, piano
Years active	1991–present
Labels	BellyUp Records, Bone China Records
Associated acts	Bell X1, Printer Clips, Juniper, Gemma Hayes, Cathy Davey, Thomas Bartlett, The Frames, Damien Rice, David Geraghty, HousePlants

Paul Anthony Noonan is a talented songwriter, singer, and musician from Lucan, Dublin, Ireland. He is most famous as the lead singer of the Irish band Bell X1. Paul also works on his own music and collaborates with many other artists.

Paul Noonan's Early Life and Music

Paul Noonan was born in 1974. He grew up in Lucan, a town close to Dublin. When he was nine, Paul played the flute in the Lucan Concert Band. One day, a drummer visited their rehearsal, and Paul was fascinated by the drums. He sold his flute and, with help from his parents, bought a drum kit.

Paul grew up in a very musical home. His dad, who was a school principal, often played music for his students. Paul's parents had a big collection of vinyl records that he used to decorate his room. As a teenager, he started writing songs and recording them on cassette tapes. He was greatly inspired by albums from bands like Supertramp and Talking Heads. He also enjoyed going to early concerts by groups such as Hothouse Flowers and U2.

While attending Salesian College, Paul met Damien Rice, Dominic Phillips, and Brian Crosby. They first formed a folk group where Paul even used school lockers as drums! In 1991, they officially formed a band called Juniper. Paul played drums, Damien Rice sang, and Brian Crosby and Dominic Phillips played guitar and bass. Their friend David Geraghty later joined the band. In 1995, Paul graduated from Trinity College with a degree in computer engineering.

Paul Noonan's Musical Journey

Starting with Juniper

Paul Noonan was one of the main songwriters in Juniper, along with Damien Rice and David Geraghty. He also sang backing vocals. In 1997, the band signed a big six-album deal with PolyGram. They released two singles, "Weatherman" and "World Is Dead", which became popular in Ireland in 1998. That same year, Damien Rice left the band just as they were about to record their first album.

After Damien left, Paul, David, Dominic, and Brian decided to keep making music. They changed their name to Bell X1. Paul became the lead singer, and Paul "Binzer" Brennan joined as the new drummer. Damien Rice moved to Italy to work on his own successful solo music.

Success with Bell X1

Bell X1 has released seven studio albums and two live albums over twenty years. Three of their albums reached number one in Ireland. They are known as one of Ireland's most successful rock bands. Bell X1 has also created many popular songs played on Irish radio, including "The Great Defector", "Rocky Took a Lover", "Flame", "Eve, the Apple of My Eye", and "Alphabet Soup".

Paul is the main songwriter for Bell X1. People often talk about his unique way of writing lyrics, which sometimes includes clever sayings, puns, and everyday phrases.

Paul has mentioned that while he is a good drummer, he feels less skilled at other instruments like guitar and piano, even though he plays them a lot in Bell X1. In recent years, he has sometimes played drums for the band in the studio and during live shows. Paul "Binzer" Brennan, a famous Irish rock drummer, once said that Paul Noonan is one of his favorite drummers because he approaches songs differently.

Collaborations and Printer Clips

Bell X1 has always encouraged its members to work on other music projects. The idea is that musicians can bring new ideas back to the band. Over the years, Paul Noonan has worked on many side projects and appeared as a guest musician for other artists. He has played percussion and sung backing vocals for artists like Cathy Davey and Gemma Hayes. In 2006, he was part of a popular charity album called The Cake Sale, where he performed and wrote songs.

Since 2011, Paul has had his own project called Printer Clips. For this project, he collaborates with different female artists to create new songs. In May 2014, the self-titled debut album Printer Clips was released. It featured collaborations with artists such as Joan As Policewoman, Martha Wainwright, Gemma Hayes, Amy Millan, Julia Stone, Lisa Hannigan, Cathy Davey, and Maria Doyle Kennedy. The album's release was delayed because Paul was busy touring and recording Bell X1's sixth album, Chop Chop.

In May 2014, Paul Noonan performed a special live show of the Printer Clips project at the National Concert Hall, Dublin. Many of the female singers from the album joined him on stage. In August 2014, Paul announced a new Printer Clips tour of Ireland for December 2014, where he toured with Gemma Hayes.

Paul has also organized various cultural events in Ireland. In 2016, he was asked to create Starboard Home as part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme. This was a series of live concerts at Dublin's National Concert Hall and an album. The project featured new music from artists like James Vincent McMorrow, Cathy Davey, Duke Special, and Gemma Hayes. In March 2018, Paul helped organize a series called Imagining Ireland: 21st Century Song. These shows in Dublin and London showcased new Irish music. Artists like Lisa Hannigan and Saint Sister performed.

In July 2018, electronic artist Daithí released a new song called "Take The Wheel" which featured Paul Noonan singing lead vocals.

Paul Noonan's Solo Work

In July 2017, Paul Noonan announced that he would be performing solo concerts around Ireland. He promised to play new songs, as well as music from his Bell X1 and Printer Clips projects.

In spring 2018, Paul released Push Puppet, his first solo EP under his own name. It was produced by Thomas Bartlett and included songs like "Microfiche" and "Moth To Your Flame". Paul has said that he created the music for these songs using a phone app called Funk Box, focusing more on the sound and rhythm of the words than their exact meaning. He released his first full solo album in 2019.

Paul Noonan's Personal Life

Paul Noonan lives in Dublin with his wife, Amy Van Den Broek, and their two children. In 2014, the couple released a charity song called "Hole in Her Heart." This song was inspired by their daughter, Aislinn, who had a heart condition called an atrial septal defect. All the money from the song's sales went to Crumlin Children's Hospital. Paul and Amy performed the song together on The Late Late Show in November 2014.

A picture of Paul, his wife, their children, and their dog, taken during the 2020 lockdown, was featured in the book Twilight Together: Portraits of Ireland at Home by photographer Ruth Medjber.

In 2000, a song called "In Every Sunflower" from Bell X1's second album, Music in Mouth, was written in memory of Paul's friend, Uaneen Fitzsimons.

Album Discography

Bell X1 Albums

• Neither Am I (2000)
• Music in Mouth (2003)
• Flock (2005)
• Blue Lights on the Runway (2009)
• Chop Chop (2013)
• Arms (2016)

Printer Clips Album

• Printer Clips (2014)

Collaborations and Guest Appearances

• Night on My Side (2002) by Gemma Hayes
• Burn the Maps (2004) by The Frames
• The Cake Sale (2006) by various artists
• The Hollow of Morning (2008) by Gemma Hayes
• Let It Break (2011) by Gemma Hayes
• Starboard Home (2016) by various artists