The Frames are an Irish
rock band based in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
. Founded in 1990 by
Glen Hansard
Glen Hansard (born 21 April 1970) is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and actor. Since 1990, he has been the frontman of the Irish rock band The Frames, with whom he has released six studio albums, four of which have charted in the top te ...
, the band has been influential in the Dublin rock music scene. The group has released six studio albums. In addition to Hansard, the band's current line-up includes original member
Colm Mac Con Iomaire
Colm Mac Con Iomaire () is an Irish composer and musician from Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland, who plays violin and sings with The Frames.
He is the son of Liam Mac Con Iomaire, a writer, journalist and broadcaster.
He attended school at ...
,
Dave Hingerty,
Joe Doyle, and
Rob Bochnik
Rob Bochnik (born 1973) is an American musician, audio engineer, singer and songwriter. He is guitarist with The Frames, has worked with The Swell Season, The Butcher Shop Quartet and records as a solo artist. He has worked on several projects ...
.
History
The band was established in 1990 and consists of survivors of Dublin's prolific early 1990s
rock-and-roll scene. Through support slots, the band was central to the development of many emerging Irish rock bands of the time, including
Turn and
Bell X1, and a host of singer-songwriters such as Mundy, Paddy Casey, David Kitt and Damien Dempsey. In December 2004, Hansard appeared on stage to collaborate with
Paddy Casey and The
Dublin Gospel Choir. In 2007 The Frames toured Australia and New Zealand as the support act for
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
.
The name ''The Frames'' arose from Hansard's habit of fixing bicycles of his friends. The large number of bicycle frames lying around his house led neighbours to dub it the "house with the frames". In a 2001 interview, Hansard said, "I worked in a bicycle shop for a little while, but the name came from ... my back garden was so full of frames, my house became known as The Frames house, much to my mother's distaste, she hated it. But my garden was full of frames, old bikes, I would make up bikes for my friends out of all the old bikes. So it sort of became known if anybody found a bike up on the hill on the way home they would throw it into my garden, a graveyard for old bikes."
The band has had many members over the years, some of whom have also been, or later became, members of other Dublin rock bands. Colm Mac Con Iomaire and Dave Odlum both were founding members of folk group
Kíla. Graham Downey, son of
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Their music reflects a wide range of influences, including blues, soul music, psychedelic rock and traditional Irish folk music, but is generally classified as hard rock or som ...
drummer
Brian Downey, played bass for the band between 1993 and 1996.
The Frames have always collaborated closely with other groups that emerged from the
buskers on
Grafton Street
Grafton Street () is one of the two principal shopping streets in Dublin city centre (the other being Henry Street). It runs from St Stephen's Green in the south (at the highest point of the street) to College Green in the north (the lowes ...
, Dublin, where Hansard started his music career. Among these groups were the aforementioned Kíla, and
Mic Christopher. When Christopher died in 2001, Hansard and his band were heavily involved in organising the
Skylarkin' concert to commemorate his life and release the album. The Frames still occasionally perform Mic's songs—chiefly "
Heyday"—as a tribute.
The band is also known for interspersing snippets of songs by other artists into their own as a form of homage; notable examples are "
Redemption Song" by Bob Marley, "
Ring of Fire
The Ring of Fire (also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Rim of Fire, the Girdle of Fire or the Circum-Pacific belt) is a region around much of the rim of the Pacific Ocean where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. The Ring ...
" by
Johnny Cash
John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his c ...
, "
Lilac Wine
"Lilac Wine" is a song written by James Shelton (lyrics and music) in 1950. It was introduced by Hope Foye in the short-lived theater musical revue, ''Dance Me a Song''. The song has since been recorded by many artists.
Lyrics
The lyrics form a ...
" by James Shelton (as made popular by
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott Buckley (November 17, 1966 – May 29, 1997), raised as Scott Moorhead, was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. After a decade as a session guitarist in Los Angeles, Buckley amassed a following in the early 1990s by ...
/
Elkie Brooks) and "
Pure Imagination
"Pure Imagination" is a song from the 1971 film ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory''. It was written by British composers Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley specifically for the movie. It was sung by Gene Wilder who played the character of ...
" from ''
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1971 American musical fantasy film directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. It is an adaptation of the 1964 novel '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' by Roald Dahl. The fi ...
''.
In 1991, Hansard came to public attention after taking the part of "Outspan" Foster in the film ''
The Commitments''. However, Hansard regretted this role as he felt it distracted from his music career. Mac Con Iomaire also had a cameo in the movie as a violinist auditioning for the band.
Bronagh Gallagher
Bronagh Gallagher (born 26 April 1972) is an Irish singer and actress from Northern Ireland. Gallagher had her first acting role in the 1989 television movie '' Dear Sarah''. In 2020, she was listed at number 33 on ''The Irish Times'' list of ...
, one of Hansard's colleagues, can be seen wearing a Frames T-shirt in her appearance in the film ''
Pulp Fiction
''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Vin ...
''. Hansard appeared on screen as the principal character parodied by Irish music comedy Web site Eyebrowy.com and in 2007 as the lead in the movie ''
Once
Once means a one-time occurrence.
Once may refer to:
Music
* ''Once'' (Pearl Jam song), a 1991 song from the album ''Ten''
* ''Once'' (Roy Harper album), a 1990 album by Roy Harper
* ''Once'' (The Tyde album), a 2001 debut album by The Tyd ...
'' which featured his songs.
As of 2007, the band consisted of
Glen Hansard
Glen Hansard (born 21 April 1970) is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and actor. Since 1990, he has been the frontman of the Irish rock band The Frames, with whom he has released six studio albums, four of which have charted in the top te ...
,
Joe Doyle,
Colm Mac Con Iomaire
Colm Mac Con Iomaire () is an Irish composer and musician from Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland, who plays violin and sings with The Frames.
He is the son of Liam Mac Con Iomaire, a writer, journalist and broadcaster.
He attended school at ...
, Rob Bochnik and
Johnny Boyle. Various people played drums during 2003 and 2004, including
Graham Hopkins who drummed ''Dance the Devil'', ''Burn the Maps'', and the band's latest album ''The Cost''. On one version of the album ''Fitzcarraldo'', the band used the name The Frames DC, to avoid confusion with an American band.
The band released its sixth studio album, ''
The Cost'', on 22 September 2006. They appeared on the setlist at Lollapalooza 2006 just 12 days afterward.
The band's song "Dream Awake" was used in the pilot episode of NBC's ''
Life
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy ...
''. Also, "Finally" was prominently featured in the 11th episode of the show, when the title character reaped the rewards of the detective work which he had been doing all season. However, a different song is used in the version of the episode on nbc.com. The band's song "Seven Day Mile" was used in the season six premiere of
House
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air cond ...
on Fox.
The band's ex-bassist,
John Carney, is now a film director, best known for writing and directing the film ''
Once
Once means a one-time occurrence.
Once may refer to:
Music
* ''Once'' (Pearl Jam song), a 1991 song from the album ''Ten''
* ''Once'' (Roy Harper album), a 1990 album by Roy Harper
* ''Once'' (The Tyde album), a 2001 debut album by The Tyd ...
'', which stars Hansard, who wrote much of the music for the film. Hansard and
Marketa Irglova won an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for Best Original Song for "Falling Slowly" from ''Once''.
On 13 May 2008 the US iTunes store released a Deluxe Edition of ''
The Cost''. This edition included three extra songs—"The Blood", "No More I Love Yous", and "This Low". It also included the music videos for "Falling Slowly", "Sad Songs", and "The Side You Never Get to See".
In late 2009 the band appeared on
The Swell Season
The Swell Season is a folk rock duo formed by Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer and pianist Markéta Irglová. "The Swell Season" name is derived from Hansard's favourite novel by Josef Škvorecký from 1975 bearing the same title ...
's album,
Strict Joy
''Strict Joy'' is the second and final album by The Swell Season (Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová). It was released in Ireland on October 23, 2009, the rest of Europe on October 26, and on October 27 in North America on the Anti- record label ...
. On 24 March 2010 the band announced their first concert in three years at
Electric Picnic to celebrate their 20th anniversary.
The Song "Rise" from the Album ''
The Cost'' was featured at the end of season 3, episode 13 of the
ABC series "
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
".
On 1 December 2012 the band announced that the documentary ''In The Deep Shade'' would be released in 2013. The film, which captured their 2010 20th Anniversary Tour, was shot by Conor Masterson.
Since shooting to stardom in the wake of 'Once' and his Oscar win, Hansard has played primarily solo concerts (often with several members of the Frames) in recent years. The Frames have continued to play a handful of gigs; in June 2014 they played Whelan's in honor of its 25th anniversary, surprising the audience by buying all of their drinks. The venue's owners had lent money to the band in the 1990s to enable them to record Fitzcarraldo.
In 2015, the band played a pair of shows at Iveagh Gardens in Dublin. On 4–5 July they treated an enthusiastic and loyal fan base to such rarities as 15 Seafort Parade. On 11 July they played the Marquee Festival in Cork.
In April 2020, the band were forced to postpone a sold out show marking their 30th anniversary in Kilmainham, Dublin on 20 June 2020 due to the Covid-19 restrictions in force in Ireland. However they later surprised fans by playing a live set on
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
from a secluded location in Ireland on the same date. The band subsequently rescheduled their three September 2020 shows in the USA for dates in 2021 which were then cancelled due to complications with international travel restrictions and visas making it impossible for the band to enter the country to perform.
The Frames 30th Anniversary show finally went ahead in the grounds of the
Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin on the evening of 28 May 2022 to an audience of approximately 10,000 fans. Opening acts Cormac Begley and
Wallis Bird
Wallis Bird (born 29 January 1982) is an Irish musician, living in Berlin since 2012. As of 2021, she has released six studio albums, including ''Architect (album), Architect'' in 2014 and ''Home (Wallis Bird album), Home'' in 2016.
Career
Bir ...
entertained the audience before the headliners took to the stage at 8pm to deliver a 25 song setlist to the enthusiastic crowd on what was described as a 'perfect summer's evening'.
Members
*
Glen Hansard
Glen Hansard (born 21 April 1970) is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and actor. Since 1990, he has been the frontman of the Irish rock band The Frames, with whom he has released six studio albums, four of which have charted in the top te ...
: vocals, guitar (1990–present)
*
Colm Mac Con Iomaire
Colm Mac Con Iomaire () is an Irish composer and musician from Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland, who plays violin and sings with The Frames.
He is the son of Liam Mac Con Iomaire, a writer, journalist and broadcaster.
He attended school at ...
: keyboards, vocals, violin (1990–present)
*
Joe Doyle: bass guitar, vocals (1996–present)
*
Rob Bochnik
Rob Bochnik (born 1973) is an American musician, audio engineer, singer and songwriter. He is guitarist with The Frames, has worked with The Swell Season, The Butcher Shop Quartet and records as a solo artist. He has worked on several projects ...
: guitar, vocals (2002–present)
*
Johnny Boyle (2003–2008, 2021-present) (drums)
*
Ruth O'Mahony Brady: keyboard (2020–present)
Former
* Noreen O'Donnell: (1990–1996) (vocals)
*
Dave Odlum
David Odlum is an Irish music producer, engineer, guitarist, and drummer who has worked and played with Academy Award winners and Mercury Prize nominees. Originally a member of Kíla, a band which was founded during his schooldays at Coláiste ...
: (1990–2002) (guitar; Odlum later co-produced album ''Burn the Maps'' with Bochnik)
* Paul Brennan (Binzer): (1990–1998) (drums, percussion)
*
John Carney: (1990–1993) (bass guitar, vocals)
* Graham Downey: (1993–1996) (bass guitar)
*
Johnny Boyle (2003–2008) (drums)
*
Graham Hopkins (2008–2019) (drums)
*
Dave Hingerty: (1998-2003, 2019–2020) (drums, percussion)
Timeline
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bar:GD text:"Graham Downey"
bar:JD text:"Joe Doyle"
bar:PB text:"Paul Brennan"
bar:DH text:"Dave Hingerty"
bar:JB text:"Johnny Boyle"
bar:GHop text:"Graham Hopkins"
bar:NO text:"Noreen O'Donnell"
bar:Romy text:"Ruth O'Mahony-Brady aka Romy"
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bar:JD from:01/01/1996 till:end color:bass
bar:JD from:01/01/1996 till:end color:vocals width:3
bar:PB from:01/01/1990 till:01/01/1998 color:drums
bar:DH from:01/01/1998 till:01/01/2003 color:drums
bar:DH from:01/01/2019 till:01/01/2021 color:drums
bar:JB from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2008 color:drums
bar:JB from:01/01/2021 till:end color:drums
bar:GHop from:01/01/2008 till:01/01/2019 color:drums
bar:NO from:01/01/1990 till:01/01/1996 color:vocals
bar:Romy from:01/01/2020 till:end color:keyboards
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at:11/01/1995 color:studio layer:back
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at:06/01/2002 color:live layer:back
at:05/06/2003 color:live layer:back
at:08/19/2003 color:ep layer:back
at:09/17/2004 color:studio layer:back
at:09/20/2006 color:studio layer:back
Discography
Albums
Live albums
Singles and EPs
* "The Dancer" (1991)
* "Masquerade" (1992)
* ''Turn on Your Record Player EP'' (1992)
* ''Picture of Love'' (1993)
* ''Angel at My Table'' (1994)
* "Revelate" (1995)
* "Monument" (1996)
* ''I am the Magic Hand'' (15 February 1999)
* ''Pavement Tune'' (1999)
* ''Rent Day Blues EP'' (1999)
* ''Come on Up to the House'' (1999—Compilation featuring "Star Star" by The Frames)
* ''Lay Me Down'' (2001)
* ''Headlong'' (2002)
* ''
The Roads Outgrown
''The Roads Outgrown'' is an EP released by the band The Frames. It is a collection of B-sides, covers, live songs, and reworked versions of earlier songs. The EP was released solely in the United States on August 19, 2003.
"Lay Me Down" and " ...
EP'' (2003)
* "Fake" (12 September 2003)
* "Finally" (20 August 2004)
* "Sideways Down" (28 January 2005)
* "Happy" (Radio Single Only – 2005)
* "
Falling Slowly/No More I Love Yous" (1 September 2006)
See also
*''
The Stars Are Underground''
*
The Swell Season
The Swell Season is a folk rock duo formed by Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer and pianist Markéta Irglová. "The Swell Season" name is derived from Hansard's favourite novel by Josef Škvorecký from 1975 bearing the same title ...
References
External links
*
The Frames at Anti-Order In The Sound(a fan site & archive for The Frames, Glen Hansard & other related projects)
The Frames collectionat the
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
's live music archive
Glen performs at The Current*
Ian Peel
Ian R Peel (born 18 January 1958 in Skipton-on-Swale, North Yorkshire, England is a sport shooter who has represented Great Britain in the Summer Olympic Games on three occasions.
Sport shooting career
Peel first appeared at the Olympics in ...
:
Warriors of pop, 21 years of ZTT'
Record Collector
''Record Collector'' is a British monthly music magazine. It was founded in 1980 and distributes worldwide.
History The early years
The first standalone issue of ''Record Collector'' was published in March 1980, though its history stretches ba ...
, September 2004 (copy at ''Zang Tuum Tumb and all that'') Article on the history of
ZTT Records
ZTT Records is a British record label founded in 1983 by record producer Trevor Horn, Horn's wife and businesswoman Jill Sinclair, and ''New Musical Express'' (NME) journalist Paul Morley. The label's name was also stylised as ZANG TUMB TUUM and ...
, contains a paragraph about The Frames
The Frames live in Sydney 2007
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frames, The
Irish alternative rock groups
Musical groups from Dublin (city)
Musical groups established in 1990
Musical quintets
ZTT Records artists
Irish indie pop groups
Irish folk rock groups
Anti- (record label) artists