The Swell Season / The Frames Essentials

Glen Hansard was a fixture on the Irish music scene, fronting the band The Frames and appearing in the film The Commitments years before melting hearts with Czech singer/pianist Marketa Irglova in the hit film Once. The Frames' tuneful, impassioned songs gained the band fame; they played Lollapalooza 2006 after the release of their sixth album, The Cost. But Hansard and Irglova's onscreen duets, which narrated the duo actually falling in love, drew international attention. As The Swell Season, they released the album Strict Joy, this time documenting their breakup.