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 The Frames are an Irish rock band based in Dublin. Founded in 1990 by Glen Hansard, 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 incl ...

, with whom he has released six studio albums, four of which have charted in the top ten of the

Irish Album Charts The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA). The charts were previously compiled on behalf of IRMA by Chart-Track, and have been compiled by the ...

. In the 2000s, he was one half of

folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers suc ...

duo

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. ...

before releasing his debut solo album, '' Rhythm and Repose'', in 2012. His 2015 second album ''

Didn't He Ramble ''Didn't He Ramble'' is the second studio album from Glen Hansard. Epitaph Records alongside ANTI- Records released the album on 18 September 2015. He worked with Thomas Bartlett and David Odlum, in the production of this album. The album was nom ...

'' was nominated for the

Grammy Award for Best Folk Album The Grammy Award for Best Folk Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for releasing albums in the folk genre. Honors in several c ...

. Primarily a musician, he has also acted and written music for film; he appeared in the BAFTA-winning film '' The Commitments'' (1991) and, notably, starred in the Irish music drama ''

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 ...

'' (2007) which earned him a number of major awards, including the

Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who have composed th ...

for "

Falling Slowly "Falling Slowly" is a song in the indie folk and indie rock genres that was written, composed and performed by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. The song was featured on the soundtrack of the 2007 Irish musical romance film ''Once'', which starre ...

" with co-writer and co-star

Markéta Irglová Markéta Irglová () (born 28 February 1988) is a Czech-Icelandic singer-songwriter, musician and actress, who starred in the film ''Once'', which earned her a number of major awards, including the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Falli ...

. The film was later adapted into an award-winning- musical theatre production.

Career

Hansard quit school at age 13 to begin

busking Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is pr ...

on local Dublin streets. He formed his own band

in 1990, and the group have been gigging regularly in Ireland since. Hansard came to international attention as guitar player Outspan Foster in the 1991

Alan Parker Sir Alan William Parker (14 February 1944 – 31 July 2020) was an English filmmaker. His early career, beginning in his late teens, was spent as a copywriter and director of television advertisements. After about ten years of filming adverts ...

film '' The Commitments''. He has often stated that he regretted taking the role because he felt it distracted him from his music career. In 2003, he presented the television programme '' Other Voices: Songs from a Room'', which showcased Irish music talent on

RTÉ (RTÉ) (; Irish language, Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the Public broadcaster, national broadcaster of Republic of Ireland, Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, telev ...

. On 22 April 2006, he released his first album without The Frames, ''

'', on

Overcoat Recordings Overcoat Recordings is an American record label specializing in alt country and indie rock music. It is based in Chicago, Illinois, and its owner is Howard Greynolds, who was formerly an employee of Thrill Jockey. Kingsbury Manxat Allmusic.com Arti ...

in collaboration with Czech singer and multi-instrumentalist

Marja Tuhkanen Marja may refer to: * Marja (name), a Finnish and Dutch female given name * Marjah, Afghanistan, an unincorporated agricultural district in Nad Ali District, Helmand Province * Marja', a Shia authority See also * Maarja Maarja is an Estonian ...

from

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

on violin and viola, and Bertrand Galen from France on cello. Hansard also spent part of 2006 in front of the cameras for the music-infused Irish film ''

'', in which Hansard plays a Dublin busker, and Irglová an immigrant street vendor. The film had its United States premiere at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...

in 2007 and received the Festival's World Cinema Audience Award. During the promotional tour, he and Irglová began dating. Said Hansard about his relationship with Irglova: "I had been falling in love with her for a long time, but I kept telling myself she's just a kid". Hansard had recorded a version of

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 ...

's "

You Ain't Goin' Nowhere "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" is a song written by American musician Bob Dylan in 1967 in Woodstock, New York, during the self-imposed exile from public appearances that followed his July 29, 1966 motorcycle accident. A recording of Dylan performin ...

" for the film ''

I'm Not There ''I'm Not There'' is a 2007 musical drama film directed by Todd Haynes, and co-written by Haynes and Oren Moverman. It is an unconventional biographical film inspired by the life and music of American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Six actors de ...

'' in 2007. In 2009, Hansard said that he and Irglova were no longer romantically linked, and that they are now "good friends". Aside from his projects with The Frames and Irglová, Hansard also took part as a member of the band on the 2006

Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. History Founded at 17 Broad Street, Oxford, as the Oxford Co ...

charity album, ''

The Cake Sale The Cake Sale are a collective of mostly Republic of Ireland, Irish musical artists including Swedish singer/songwriter Nina Persson of The Cardigans and Australian musician Nick Seymour of Crowded House. The collective was formed by Brian Cros ...

''. Hansard has recorded several

cover songs In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or Sound recording and reproduction, recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referr ...

, both alone and with band 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 ...

, for the

Today FM Today FM is an Irish national commercial FM radio station, owned and operated by Bauer Audio Ireland Limited. Broadcasting since 17 March 1997, it broadcasts mostly music, with a daily news and current affairs programme. Today FM holds a lic ...

discs ''Even Better than the Real Thing''. Songs that he has recorded include

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...

's " Cry Me a River" on ''

Even Better than the Real Thing Vol. 1 ''Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 1'' is an Irish charity album featuring a variety of artists performing acoustic cover versions of popular songs. It was released in 2003 by RMG Chart Entertainment Ltd. The songs on the album were record ...

'' and

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

' "

Everytime "Everytime" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her fourth studio album, ''In the Zone'' (2003). It was released as the third single from ''In the Zone'' on May 10, 2004, by Jive Records. After her relationship with Justin Timberl ...

" on '' Vol. 2''. He voiced a role on an episode ("

In the Name of the Grandfather "In the Name of the Grandfather" is the fourteenth episode of the twentieth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on Sky1 on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2009 and aired on the Fox network in the Unit ...

") on ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...

'' as an Irish busker. A new album of original songs recorded as

with

and entitled ''

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 ...

'' was released on 27 October 2009 on the

ANTI- Anti- is an American record label founded in 1999 as a sister label to Epitaph Records. While Epitaph's focus has mostly been on punk rock, Anti-'s roster includes gospel (Mavis Staples), country (Merle Haggard), hip hop (Sage Francis, The Cou ...

record label. Glen-hansard-vicar-st

In the summer of 2011, he joined

Eddie Vedder Eddie Jerome Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III; December 23, 1964) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and one of four guitarists of the rock band Pearl Jam. He also appeared as a guest vocalist i ...

on his American solo tour in support of Vedder's solo album, ''Ukulele Songs''. He played a solo concert at the opening of the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

's Guitar Heroes exhibit in New York City in May 2011. and on

Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...

at the Cape Cinema on 17 June. In September 2011, he played at

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guita ...

's 20th Anniversary Festival PJ20 at the Alpine Valley Theatre outside of

East Troy, Wisconsin East Troy is a village in Walworth County, Wisconsin, Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,687 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The village is located southwest of the East Troy (town), Wisconsin, Town of ...

. Hansard plays several guitars, including a very recognisable battered Takamine NP15 acoustic guitar (even sporting a large hole), which he calls "The Horse". In a November 2011 interview in

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

with Irglova, it was revealed that Hansard was preparing a solo album and that there was a very possible third release from The Swell Season. This solo album was later revealed to be titled '' Rhythm and Repose''. ''

American Songwriter ''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee. History The ''American Songwri ...

'' included Hansard's "Love Don't Leave Me Waiting" on its The Muse July Sampler. Another song of his featured in a film soundtrack is ''This Gift'', which appears in ''

The Odd Life of Timothy Green ''The Odd Life of Timothy Green'' is a 2012 American fantasy comedy-drama film written and directed by Peter Hedges from a story by Ahmet Zappa. Starring Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, Dianne Wiest, CJ Adams, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ron Livingston, ...

''. Hansard sang the song "Take the Heartland" on the

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

for the 2012 film ''

The Hunger Games ''The Hunger Games'' is a series of young adult dystopian novels written by American author Suzanne Collins. The first three novels are part of a trilogy following teenage protagonist Katniss Everdeen, and the fourth book is a prequel set ...

''. Another song he wrote, "Come Away to the Water", is featured on the soundtrack, but is covered by

Maroon 5 Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It currently consists of lead vocalist Adam Levine, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, drummer Matt ...

and

Rozzi Crane Rosalind Elizabeth "Rozzi" Crane (born May 2, 1991) is an American singer-songwriter from San Francisco. At 19 years old, Crane made her name known by being discovered by Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine. Soon after she was touring the country ...

. Hansard can be found singing "Come Away to the Water" on the deluxe edition of his first solo album ''Rhythm and Repose''. He guest-starred in an episode of the TV series, '' Parenthood'', playing himself. In the episode, "Trouble in Candyland", he performed "High Hope", a single from his solo debut album ''Rhythm and Repose''. In 2015, Hansard and

Lisa Hannigan Lisa Margaret Hannigan (born 12 February 1981) is an Irish musician, singer, composer, and voice actress. She began her musical career as a member of Damien Rice's band. Since beginning her solo career in 2007 she has released three albums: ''Se ...

recorded a song, "On Love", for the soundtrack for the 2014 film '' Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet''. Hansard sang Coyote at the

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...

75th birthday concert Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration in Los Angeles in December 2018.

Influences

Hansard has remarked about his musical influences: "In my house, when I was a kid, there was the holy trinity, which was

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

, and

with Bob sitting centre." Hansard and

toured as the support act for Bob Dylan in Australia and New Zealand in August 2007 and Hansard often performs Van Morrison's songs in concert. Two such songs include "

Into the Mystic "Into the Mystic" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and featured on his 1970 album ''Moondance''. It was also included on Morrison's 1974 live album, ''It's Too Late to Stop Now''. Recording and composition "Int ...

", and "

And the Healing Has Begun "And the Healing Has Begun" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and recorded on his 1979 album, ''Into the Music''. Recording and composition "And the Healing Has Begun" was recorded at the Record Plant Studios in S ...

" which were included on the collector's edition of the soundtrack for the film ''Once''. Hansard is a devotee of

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

and performed for the 80th birthday of Swami Prabhupada in London, staying at a manor donated to the Hare Krishna movement by

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

, who was a Hare Krishna devotee. In July 2013, he sang with Bruce Springsteen at Nowlan Park,

Kilkenny Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512. Kilken ...

, Ireland. In July 2015, he performed "Raglan Road" with

Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran (; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...

Croke Park Croke Park ( ga, Páirc an Chrócaigh, ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, it is referred to as Croker by GAA fans and locals. It serves as both the principal national stadium of Ireland and he ...

, Dublin.

Other

In 2008, Hansard took a four-week filmmaking workshop at the

New York Film Academy New York Film Academy – School of Film and Acting (NYFA) is a private for-profit film school and acting school based in New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami. The New York Film Academy was founded in 1992 by Jerry Sherlock, a former film, t ...

. In 2016, Hansard was a prominent member of the Home Sweet Home Group, a coalition of activists and homeless. The group broke into Apollo House in Dublin and illegally occupied it. They eventually had to vacate the premises due to trespassing.

Awards and nominations

Discography

Solo

Albums

Singles and EPs

* ''This Gift'' (2012) (promo) * ''High Hope'' (2012) (promo) * ''Bird of Sorrow'' (2012) (promo) * ''Love Don't Leave Me Waiting'' (2012) (promo) * '' Drive All Night EP'' (November 2013) * ''It Was Triumph We Once Proposed...Songs of Jason Molina EP'' (17 March 2015) * ''Winning Streak'' (30 June 2015) * ''Lowly Deserter'' (November 2015) – (Sky Stone & Records) * ''A Season on the Line EP'' (February 2016) *''Cold Comfort'' (June 2020)

The Frames

* '' Another Love Song'' (1991) * ''

Fitzcarraldo ''Fitzcarraldo'' () is a 1982 West German epic adventure-drama film written, produced and directed by Werner Herzog, and starring Klaus Kinski as would-be rubber baron, Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald, an Irishman known in Peru as Fitzcarraldo, who i ...

'' (1995) * ''

Dance the Devil ''Dance the Devil...'' is the third studio album by Dublin based band The Frames. The album was first released in Ireland on 25 June 1999 on ZTT Records and subsequently in the UK and USA later in the year. On this album the band returned to us ...

'' (1999) * '' For the Birds'' (2001) * ''Breadcrumb Trail'' (2002) * ''

Burn the Maps ''Burn The Maps'' is the fifth studio album by The Frames, released in Ireland on Plateau Records on 17 September 2004 and worldwide on ANTI- Records on 8 February 2005. This was their first studio album to go to #1 in the Irish Album Charts. Th ...

'' (2004) * '' The Cost'' (2006) * ''Longitude'' (2015)

The Swell Season

* ''

'' (2006) * '' Once: Music from the Motion Picture'' (2007) * ''

'' (2009)

Films and television

* '' The Commitments'' (1991) * ''

'' (2007) * ''

Austin City Limits ''Austin City Limits'' is an American live music television program recorded and produced by Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", and is the only television show t ...

'' (2008) * ''

'' (2009 episode: "In the Name of the Grandfather") * '' Ballymun Lullaby'' (2011; documentary) * ''

'' (2011) * ''

Play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * Pla ...

'' (2011) * ''

Parenthood (2010 TV series) ''Parenthood'' is an American family comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Katims and produced by Imagine Television and Universal Television for NBC. The show tells of the Braverman clan, consisting of an older couple, their four ch ...

'' (2012 episode: "Trouble in Candyland") * '' In the Deep Shade'' (2013 documentary, with the Irish band The Frames) * ''

The Last Man on Earth (TV series) ''The Last Man on Earth'' is an American post-apocalyptic comedy television series created by and starring Will Forte. It premiered on Fox on March 1, 2015. The pilot episode was written by Forte, and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller ...

'' (2016 episode "Falling Slowly") * ''

Cyrano Cyrano may refer to: Astronomy * 3582 Cyrano, a small main belt asteroid * Cyrano (crater), a lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon Stage and film * ''Cyrano'' (Damrosch), a 1913 opera by Walter Damrosch * ''Cyrano'', a 195 ...

'' (2021, Guard #1)

References

External links

Official Website
*
Profile
theswellseason.com

IrishMusicCentral.com

It's Just A Band
(2005). {{DEFAULTSORT:Hansard, Glen 1970 births Ballymun 20th-century Irish male singers 21st-century Irish male singers Living people Irish buskers Irish male guitarists Irish male singer-songwriters Irish baritones Laurence Olivier Award winners Musicians from Dublin (city) New York Film Academy alumni Other Voices presenters Rhythm guitarists Best Original Song Academy Award-winning songwriters Drama Desk Award winners The Swell Season members The Frames members Anti- (record label) artists