As the main men in one of the most successful Irish bands ever, The Stunning, Steve and Joe Wall know all about going from multi-platform success to re-inventing themselves and starting all over again. Lisa Regan talks to Joe Wall about the process, supporting Bob Dylan and fatherhood.

The last time you played in Galway you were supporting Bob Dylan in Pearse Stadium. Is your return to the city a bit of an anti-climax?

Not at all. If you take that attitude as a musician sitting in your bedroom playing the guitar would feel like an anti-climax, and you'd probably stop writing songs.

What was it like playing with such a legend?

We actually supported Bob Dylan a couple of times before, though we never met him. I think he generally tends to avoid contact with people he doesn't know. I admire him for his amazing talent, but a lot of the time he doesn't deliver at live shows. Fortunately for him most of his fans would set themselves on fire if he asked them to, and it doesn't seem to have affected his tours.

Is there anyone supporting you on the night?

I've no idea!

You have also supported U2 and the Red Hot Chill Peppers. Is there anyone else you would like to support?

I've been asking The Stunning and The Walls for a support gig for ages but they're not returning my calls.

What did these gigs mean to the band?

Well these shows are actually just Steve and myself. We've been playing quite a few gigs solo (or duo, or whatever you want to call it) over the last year or so, and they've been really enjoyable. There seems to be quite a special atmosphere at these gigs, maybe because without drums and bass it's easier to hear the music, and the audience get a chance to hear the songs close to the way they were originally written.

We're trying to experiment a bit this time with the way we put the music across, and make it more colourful. I'm really looking forward to it.

Also at the end of the night, when I get my hands on the filthy cash, I don't have to split it five ways. Ha ha!

What have been up to in the interim?

Well I'm a father of two now, and Steve is a father of one. We're not like the previous generations of dads who spent all their time in the pubs while their wives slaved away at home. We spend all our time in trendy café bars, and text our partners to tell them to have the dinner ready. But all kidding aside, time is precious these days.

What can people expect from the Clifden show?

We're actually playing Clifden Arts Centre on Saturday 23 February and The Róisín Dubh in Galway city on Monday 25 February. They can expect a great night, songs from our five albums with The Stunning and The Walls and some of the new songs.

What are some of your favourite songs to play live?

I hate to name favourite songs. I usually start to go off a song as soon as I say it's a favourite.

You were both members of 'The Stunning'. Do people still associate you with this band and their musical style?

Yes I think they do. I suppose fortunately for us now, The Stunning's music was pretty diverse, so we can get away with playing a lot of different styles and people aren't shocked. If we'd been a hardcore death metal band it might be a different story.

Has your style changed much since The Stunning?

Our style has never stopped changing, even when we were in the Stunning. I suppose you're influenced by whatever you're listening to and whatever you like. I suppose we've grown out of writing pop songs. I think that's partly because there's so much pop music around, we want to make music that's an alternative to that.