Glen Hansard is an Academy Award-winning songwriter and chief vocalist for the Irish indie rock band The Frames as well as one-half of the folk rock duo Swell Season. Hansard has also appeared in films, most notably in The Commitments and the highly regarded musical Once. After quitting school at the age of 13, Hansard busked on the streets of Dublin for years, learning the hard way how to play to crowds, before forming The Frames in 1990. The group's first album Another Love Song, was released on Island Records in 1991 and helped make Hansard an easily identifiable figure of the Irish music scene. With a doleful voice, a tasteful ear for instrumental accompaniment and an inherent knack for acting, Hansard has maintained a high level of artistic credibility over the years and managed to remain a integral figure of the Dublin music world.
