How did the title, “Chop Chop” come into play when naming the
new record?
It was something I threw out there before we made any music - we
wanted it to be shorter, with fewer songs than usual. With less going on, drawn
from a simpler palette.
We spent a while working on a lot of songs and ideas before
recording for real, whittling them down to the better ones, and being pretty
brutal about what was good enough and not.
You worked with longtime National producer Peter Katis, and
National collaborator Thomas Bartlett for the new album. Were you influenced by
The National to work with their constituents?
I think they're a great band, they're one of those that mine a
deeper seam.
What was it like working with Bartlett and Katis?
We have loved a lot of the records that Peter has made, the
colour of them, how things sit in the mix, his use of compression... it was
amazing to watch him work at this. We'd be playing a song in the live room and
would see him whirling about in the control room between the racks of gear and
the computer, nipping and tucking, making it just so. We'd come in and
listen...the skill with which he places elements in the mix is truly a marvel.
We were in his home too, and he'd oversee the making of hearty
soups and killer chilli. He really made us feel like he was as invested in this
as we were, that we weren't just one of the many bands passing through.
He was also a master of diplomacy - we had only two weeks to
make the record, so all the ideas and directions flying around could not be
entertained, but he managed to never say no.
We've known Thomas for a while through mutual friends, and have
seen him play a few times with The Gloaming. I was really struck by what he
brought to what I suppose is an Irish traditional music supergroup, the piano
taking it someplace very different. Less yellowing pints of stout in harsh
light, more velvet furnishings and fine wine.
He was effectively a band member for a lot of the recording.
There's something very distinctive about his playing, his choice of chord
inversions at points in a song...Peter would say that he "brings the
sad."
What did you learn about yourself making this record that you
never knew before?
Nothing that I didn't know I think, but it did reaffirm my faith
in our intuition for where each of us is going, musically, when playing
together.
I'm actually wary of thinking about it too much, the songs just
came into being so organically and without a lot of talk or thought... the
enemy, thought!
Six albums later, where do you find inspiration?
Humans are weird.
How would you define the sound of the band now as opposed to
when you first started?
I don't know, we've been making it up as we go along... for us,
the records are wildly different from each other in terms of who was playing,
where and how they were recorded, our collective headspace... but I suppose the
writing has always followed a familiar path, from Dave and I on our own to the
rehearsal room. I do think we've become more honest about whether something is
good enough to put out there, and less precious about dumping stuff that isn't.
How does “Chop Chop” stack up to your other records?
Well, I'd say it's quite a bit shorter in running time so while
they may tower above it, it will punch them in the balls.
Hailing from Ireland, you recorded this record in Connecticut,
did the change of atmosphere have an influence on your sound?
Not a whole lot of distraction in the part of Bridgeport where
we were - a good thing.
There was the diner. I'm a sucker for the romance of the
American diner - pancakes at 4am.
There was a Stop&Shop, the liquor store, Pepe's pizza. I'm sure they're all in there somewhere...
Hailing from Ireland, how much has your native country had an
influence on your music?
I'm sure it has, in the writing... our version of the English
language has a lot of phrases that are direct translations of the Irish
language, which despite it's harshness was a more beautiful and lyrical
language.
For example, "I miss you" in Irish is "Bhraithim
thu uaim," I feel you from me. The oral tradition is still very strong and
is absorbed by osmosis, living in this place.
With so many great bands from Ireland – U2, The Pogues, The
Frames, and so many more, do you ever think about the legacy Bell X1 will have
on modern Irish music?
Ha! I don't really. I don't think we sound particularly Irish,
beyond some of the words. In the wake of U2 there was a lot of poor imitation
going on, overwrought anthemic pub/celtic rock. I think we have moved from that
stereotype of what an Irish band is, and there really is a lot of great and
diverse music coming from here now
Where does Bell X1 go from here?
The band has become a kind of hub from which various side
projects have sprung, so I'd imagine we might visit some of those after touring
this record. The hamster wheel never stops...