Pilgrims – Paul Noonan & Brian Crosby + Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe

Paul Noonan and Brian Crosby (currently and formerly of Bell X1) – two musicians whose creative paths first intertwined in their school days – have reunited under a new name: Pilgrims. Their debut single Bright & Bold is available now, with a full album set for release on 30 January 2026.

Noonan and Crosby first formed Juniper (with Damien Rice) before becoming founding members of Irish indie band Bell X1. In the years since, both have developed singular careers: Noonan through Bell X1 and other projects Printer Clips and HousePlants (with electronic producer Daithí), and Crosby via acclaimed film and television scores and his solo piano and ambient work. Pilgrims marks their first creative collaboration in 16 years.

Bright & Bold introduces the sonic world of Pilgrims: intimate yet expansive, anchored in piano and voice.

Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe

is a distinguished poet, pacifist and fabulist whose work bridges lyrical craft and deep human inquiry. Her debut collection Auguries of a Minor God was published by Faber & Faber in 2021 to wide acclaim, earning finalist placements for the Dylan Thomas Prize, the John Pollard Foundation International Poetry Prize, the Michael Murphy Memorial Prize and the Butler Literary Award, and recognition as a Book of the Year by The Irish Times and The Irish Independent. Her second collection is forthcoming in 2026. A Next Generation Artist with the Arts Council of Ireland, she serves on the Expert Advisory Committee to Culture Ireland and the board of the Dublin Book Festival, and she has held prestigious appointments including Rooney Writer Fellow at Trinity College Dublin, Commissioned Writer at Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, and Artist-in-Residence with Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris. In 2025 she was selected for the Heaney-Miłosz Residency in Kraków.