THE SWELL SEASON / Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová

Everyone in the Czech Republic knows the story of the film Once – then-beginning musician Markéta Irglová met Irish musician Glen Hansard and won an Oscar in 2008 for the song Falling Slowly. They named their joint project – inspired by Škvorecký’s novel – The Swell Season. After the couple’s breakup, the band also ended – but last year they released a new song The Answer Is Yes and went on tour in the USA. The fairytale musical meeting continues and The Swell Season is returning to concert stages in Europe as well. Glen Hansard became famous as a member of the Irish band The Frames, but in recent years he has been devoting himself to solo work, as well as collaborating with Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), in whose band Earthlings he plays, and with whom he worked on the music for the film Flag Day, the title track for which they wrote together. After the end of Swell Season, Markéta Irglová embarked on a solo career – her most recent album Lila was produced by Sturla Mio Thorisson, a collaborator with names such as Damien Rice, Owen Pallet and Shazhad Ismaily, but also Irglová's life partner. Even in her solo work, which combines classical, folk and indie songwriting, guitarist, pianist and singer Irglová addresses personal themes.