The Swell Season, the Oscar-winning folk duo consisting of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, is reunited! They’ve just announced their new album to come out this spring, Forward. This new music comes as the duo’s first release since their 2009 album, Strict Joy. It comes 16 years after their first album together, The Swell Season—their 2006 debut. Get ready, because Forward will be here on June 13! The record will feature eight all-new bangers, including album opener “Stuck in Reverse” and title track “People We Used to Be.”
The duo achieved worldwide success with their unlikely 2007 Academy Award-winning movie-musical collaboration One. In that movie, the two not only acted, but charmed audiences while performing all of the biggest hits from their first album. Their song “Falling Slowly” from the movie Once gave them a separate Academy Award for Best Original Song. This accomplishment cemented them as a rising force in the contemporary folk music arena.
In the months after their Oscar win, Hansard and Irglová learned how to navigate the sudden fame they had never wanted. That storm of recognition quickly turned into hectic schedules and potential pressures neither artist truly wanted. Though they were never again collaborators in writing, they stayed best friends, encouraging each other’s musical careers and raising families on parallel paths.
In that newish statement, Hansard recalls their time apart, describing how he too was filled with a desire to create again together.
“After our whirlwind that led up to the Oscars and after, we were so busy and with that came a pressure that neither of us particularly wanted, and ultimately we kind of drifted in the middle of all of that hard work and celebration. We remained good friends, helping on each other’s records, keeping up with each other’s families. While touring my last record, I realized I just missed her. I remember calling Markéta and saying, ‘Do you feel like doing some gigs?’” – Glen Hansard
Her words reflected both the joy of their reunion and the importance to them of that new album’s title.
“It felt right to title the record Forward because it’s a reunion of sorts, but we’re not going backwards,” – Markéta Irglová
Their new album “Forward”, engineered by Sturla Mio Thorisson. While honoring their long, storied history, it gets the meaning of their artistic journey that brought them here, looking forward. And fans have been chomping at the bit for more. It vows to master the seamless sound that first won hearts more than 10 years ago, while introducing new influences and experiences gained during their separation.