Dublin’s Bell X1 have a new single & video out today, “The Lobster,” from their album Merciful Hour. The video directed by Allyn Quigley features Irish Actors Liz Fitzgibbon and Kieran Roche and, like the track, takes its cues from Jean Paul Sartre’s infamously bad mescaline trip in the 1930’s. The video was filmed on Dublin’s Waterloo Road.

Frontman and co-founder Paul Noonan explains, “The song is I suppose a plea for comeuppance for the assholic behavior of our current crop of political “strongmen”, and their appeal to the worst in us humans – that they may be tormented by their dick-swinging deeds. The reference to Sartre and his bad flashbacks is maybe unfair – I don’t think he was a dick, the poor unfortunate. But it did give us the chance to make a Lobster suit…”

Allyn Quigley explains further: “We spoke about Jean-Paul Sarte, lobsters, populist strongmen and reaping what you sow. What resulted was this – a bizarre, post-date marshmallow test scenario that allowed us to play with the surreal nature of the lyrics in a really fun and farcical way.

“Sometimes we’ve maybe been a little unsubtle about going for the emotional jugular,” says Paul Noonan “Where it becomes a little obvious and you’re telegraphing the emotions through the music. But eight records deep, we’re older men, and I think it’s more powerful when done with a bit more subtlety and grace.”

Stream Merciful Hour HERE.