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Glen Hansard: A History of Irish Folk Rock

Glen Hansard is an Irish singer-songwriter and actor who first gained international attention for his performances as the lead singer in alternative rock group The Frames. Along with Frames colleague and longtime collaborator, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Marketa Irglova, Hansard has also championed the Celtic folk-rock genre as the frontman for the popular Irish act The Swell Season.

Birth & Musical Beginnings

Hansard was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1970. At a young age, he began to play music, starting with classical violin at age four, hopping onto the guitar at twelve, and soon found his place in Dublin's Rock & Roll underground. Hansard began busking on Dublin's streets, a la Bob Dylan and Van Morrison, quickly earning him a reputation as a local pioneer of Irish Folk Rock.

Rise to Fame With The Frames

In 1990, "The Frames" were launched. As the lead singer, multi-instrumentalist, primary songwriter, and frontman, Hansard was responsible for the classic alternative rock sound that soon distinguished The Frames from the rest of the Irish music scene. The group was an immediate success with fans and critics, earning comparisons to R.E.M. and U2.

The Frames’ albums For The Birds (2001) and Burn The Maps (2004) would prove to be seminal works of Irish Folk Rock, and their success launched Hansard's career even further. The band is still actively performing and recording with Hansard now on board as an occasional collaborator

The Swell Season

Having firmly established himself on the alternative Irish music scene, Hansard began a more acoustic-based collaboration with singer-songwriter Marketa Irglova in 2006. This duo, known as The Swell Season, caught the eyes and ears of film director John Carney, who subsequently wrote 2008's Once around the pair's music.

The success of the movie, and its hit single "Falling Slowly", launched The Swell Season to international attention and even earned them the Academy Award for Best Song that year.

Solo Career

Hansard continued to enjoy international success as a solo artist. His 2001 solo debut The Beat of My Own Drum earned critical and commercial success and proved that he had the necessary star power to support a solo career. His subsequent solo releases Rhythm and Repose (2012) and Didn't He Ramble (2015) both received Grammy nominations – a testament to his wide-reaching influence.

Glen Hansard's influence has reached internationally, impacting Irish Folk Rock and Alternative Rock acts such as Divine Comedy, The Waterboys, and The Frames contemporary, Damien Rice. With a career spanning over thirty years, Hansard's skillful songwriting and soulful performance makes him one of the most iconic folk-rock musicians of the 21st century.