Band of the Day Revisited: Element X

Aren’t Mondays great? Well, they are when you get to chat to a band like Element X again, and play catch up on what they’ve done since last year

Simple things first – where are you guys from?

We’re based in Dublin, Ireland where both Dave (vocals) and Ian (rhythm guitar) are from. Rodrigo (drums) and Hugo (bass) are originally from Spain, while Franco (lead guitar) is originally from Italy.

How did you meet? How long have you been playing as a band?

At the beginning of 2014, Ian called his long time friend Cormac Murray (our original lead guitarist) and suggested starting a band. The very first drummer they met was Rodrigo Alonso and it was an instant fit. The regular practise sessions started at Troubadour Rehearsal Studios in North Dublin.

Dave and Sean O’Rourke (our original bass guitarist) soon joined the band to complete our original lineup. We started gigging from August 2014 to the present day.

As time went on, Cormac and Sean both left the band. Sean was replaced by long time friend Hugo in late 2016 who we met during our first years gigging around the Dublin scene. Our current lead guitarist Franco joined us in 2018 under the recommendation of a previous guitar player and we’ve been this way ever since.

If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!

Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?

When we all started, we all came in with different influences and musical backgrounds. Or to quote it differently, elements. So we thought of Element X as the name of an experiment where all these different components combine to make the ultimate element aka Element X.

What are your influences?

A lot of hard rock and heavy metal influence our sound from the likes of Metallica, Def Leppard, Megadeth, Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden and Dio. We also have influences from more alternative rock bands such as Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bad Religion.

Describe your music. What makes you unique?

Lots and lots of riffs for the start. But we believe that swinging between different speeds and grooves as well as using more elaborate songwriting techniques as we’re matured as a band has made us more unique. Also the mixture of all the different influences of each of us gives the music a unique edge we think.

Do you have any particular lyrical themes?

A lot of our songs especially in the earlier years can relate to anyone overcoming hard times whether it’s accepting who you are (“You’ll Always Be”) or fighting against your demons (“Temptations”). But we enjoy including more fictional themes to our music such as the rush of gambling (“Snake Eyes”) and the life of a pirate (“Crossbones”).

What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?

We play with a lot of energy and engagement to our audiences. We must have played at least 60 shows since we started with the vast majority of them in Fibber Magees, Dublin.

What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?

Once after a gig, a girl came to one of the guys in the band and after mentioning that she really enjoyed the show. She then asked him to make love to her in front of her boyfriend.

What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?

Rodrigo : The drum set up is one rack tom, two floor toms, single kick. Meinl cymbals, and the snare is a Ludwig Supraphonic.

Ian : ESP LTD James Hetfield signature Iron Cross, ESP LTD EC-401, Electro Harmonix Metal Muff pedal, Line 6 G10 wireless system, Blackstar amplifier.

Dave: ANT Start 16 HDM UHF receiver and wireless microphone.

Franco : Jackson, Ibanez & Charvel guitars, Line 6 Helix pedal board, Kemper.

Hugo : Epiphone Tobias Bass, Zoom multi effect pedal.

What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?

We recently just released our latest single Crossbones on June 19th. It is now available on all good streaming sites including Spotify.

Don’t fancy Patreon? Buy us a one-off beverage!

What are your plans for the next 6 months or so?

Obviously with the current Covid19 situation, it’s difficult to predict when we’ll be back on stage. But we hope it will be very soon. Other than that, we’re now writing some new material and improving our techniques.

If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!

If we’re dreaming big, Volbeat, followed by us, then Metallica!

Element X: official | facebook | instagram | spotify | bandcamp | youtube

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