Biography
Formed by Glen Hansard, frontman of the Frames, alongside Czech songstress Markéta Irglová, the Swell Season took its name from a novel by the humanist Czech writer Josef Skvorecky. The pop/rock duo built its sound around vocal harmonies and acoustic-based songcraft, issuing a self-titled debut in 2006 several months before the Frames delivered their sixth album, The Cost. Hansard and Irglová also portrayed working-class immigrants in the Irish film Once, which screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007. The following year the pair earned an Academy Award for Best Original Song for the movie’s hit single “Falling Slowly,” an achievement that sharply increased the Swell Season’s visibility.
Once: Music from the Motion Picture was certified gold in February 2008, and the ensuing tour drew sold-out audiences across several countries. Much of the duo’s draw stemmed from the real-life relationship between its two principals, which added romantic chemistry to their live performances. Although Hansard and Irglová parted ways in January 2009, the group pressed on and released its more mature second album, Strict Joy, later that same year. Since then the two have occasionally collaborated, yet each has focused primarily on individual projects.
Once: Music from the Motion Picture was certified gold in February 2008, and the ensuing tour drew sold-out audiences across several countries. Much of the duo’s draw stemmed from the real-life relationship between its two principals, which added romantic chemistry to their live performances. Although Hansard and Irglová parted ways in January 2009, the group pressed on and released its more mature second album, Strict Joy, later that same year. Since then the two have occasionally collaborated, yet each has focused primarily on individual projects.
Albums
Singles
