Aug 3, 2026 · 1 hr 14 min · 14 segments
Following the sudden passing of Glen Hansard, we are revisiting his appearance on Vinyl Emergency, with longtime Swell Season creative partner Markéta Irglová, to celebrate Glen's songwriting and…
Glenn HansardGuestJim HankeHost
Markéta IrglováGuestI'm recording this on Sunday, August 2nd, a couple days after the tragic news, obviously, of the loss of Glenn Hansard, an incredibly talented musician and human being from the frames, the swell season, in a plethora of solo work.
So following his sudden passing, I found it prudent that we rerun my conversation with him and his swell season creative partner and more, Marketa Erglova, to celebrate Glenn's songwriting and lasting musical impact.
If you are unfamiliar, I've actually met up with a And I can give you what I feel are some starting points or some highlights in a career that's full of them, obviously.
You know, this is a guy whose work impacted people who came before him in a very deep way.
And I think one of the Irish papers, I'm remiss to remember which one exactly, but, but they had in remembering him referred to him as a bard for modern times.
And I think that's like the first thing that came to my brain and trying to describe him.
And let's hope that they obviously carry on the tradition and carry on with that thought, because it could very well be one of the most watched cultural events of a lifetime if they choose to continue to to move forward with those plans.
Um, obviously people have had phones and everything last, you know, matter of years to document it, but this would be the first time it would be nationally televised, which, you know, without Glenn, um, you gotta wonder how that's going to feel, uh, to, to watch and take in, um, just some points I want to rattle off, um, which I did in the intro for the previous run of this episode last year.
But, um, the impact of a film like once, uh, to not only for it to become an eight-time Tony Award-winning Broadway production, it still holds, even a year later, a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
That puts it in caliber, at least on that website, shoulder to shoulder with movies like Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, Schindler's List, The Empire Strikes Back.
That is the kind of way people think about this movie very modest, moving film that was made for like 100k 150k and went on to make globally like $23 million, which is huge numbers now, but, you know, rewind back to 2006 2007.
Um, clearly, uh, he treasured the collaboration he had with Marquetta above his solo work.
Um, he says as much during this conversation and he also references a sort of five song, maybe EP of his songs, um, featuring him and Jason Molina, another artist we tragically lost, um, Um, these guys very much influenced each other and I guess it's sitting on a shelf somewhere and, uh, Glenn references, you know, hoping to release it at some point.
Uh, who knows on that? That could still be years down the line, but that is something I think a lot of us, you know, fans of both those artists would very, very much be interested in, in hearing at some point.
Again, a lot of people will talk far more eloquently than I am right now, but I wanted to at least hit some bullet points of records to start with or records that I feel are his best that hopefully, if it's not too painful to hear at this point, maybe you visit.
If you haven't seen it, A bunch of Irish working class kids get together and want to start a soul band.
He alludes in this interview to not really having his musical fingerprints on the soundtrack so much, but- It's really good, and it gives you an angle sort of on Glenn before Once ever happened.
Obviously, the self-titled first Swell Season album partnered with the Once soundtrack.
That's necessary hearing, I think, for you to understand Glenn and Marquetta's collaboration.
And try to watch that movie again, if you can, with 2006, 2007 eyes, because it was a movie made by venerable nobodies, at least in American culture, and became this behemoth of hope.
A lot of people are quoting his very humble acceptance speech at the Oscars for falling slowly that year, which beat out, by the way, like...
Mega Disney, you know, songs and for him to say, you know, just make art, you know, and I think in fast forward, you know, 20 some odd years, it's like we're still saying the same thing.
I'm a big fan, as you'll hear during this chat, of an EP of Jason Molina covers that Glenn did in 2015.
It's called It Was Triumph We Once Proposed, Hang On Magnolia, Farewell Transmission.
These are songs that are covered on there if you're a fan of Songs Ohio or Magnolia Electric Company.
It is a absolute must hear, maybe one of my favorite recordings of Glenn's, let alone ever.
Listeners may differ, obviously, depending on when you came into Glenn's universe, I guess, as far as a songwriter.
I have to tell you that his PR team at Chromatic, who I worked with to set up the original interview that you'll hear, had just reached out and said, would you like some vinyl copies of these to talk about on the show? I said, yeah, absolutely, for sure.
One of these has... a great version of, uh, didn't he ramble? Um, just something I've been going back to, um, you know, since it's released, but I, I honestly have not played it since, um, I've listened to any of Glenn's music in the last couple of days.
Um, I think it'll, I will come to a point where I will, I will need to, but for right now I haven't really been able to, and maybe you haven't either.
Um, but, uh, it's, it's almost, I don't want to say fitting, um, But it's sort of a weird moment for these two live releases to come out, their career spanning, you know, it's stuff from his, the swell season days, it's stuff from the frames, it's solo work all put together in a live setting where I think a lot of people have said, Glenn does his best work.
The recordings themselves are phenomenal and, Um, there's footage of this too on YouTube.
I'm sure you can go see, you know, the, this, this killer band that he put together, um, again, in front of a live audience.
I just, I obviously regret the fact that I have to tell you about how great these releases are, uh, in this context, um, as, as sort of being the last things he put out while he was with us.
Glenn and Marketa were with me to promote their album from last year called Forward.
I count myself, I'm sure you do too, I count myself lucky to have been in the time of Glenn Hansard and be able to hear him and his music.
And I hope this chat gives you a tiny peek into the joy that Glenn found in collaborating with Marketa and making music in general all over the world.
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I'm recording this on Sunday, August 2nd, a couple days after the tragic news, obviously, of the loss of Glenn Hansard, an incredibly talented musician and human being from the frames, the swell season, in a plethora of solo work.
So following his sudden passing, I found it prudent that we rerun my conversation with him and his swell season creative partner and more, Marketa Erglova, to celebrate Glenn's songwriting and lasting musical impact.
If you are unfamiliar, I've actually met up with a And I can give you what I feel are some starting points or some highlights in a career that's full of them, obviously.
You know, this is a guy whose work impacted people who came before him in a very deep way.
And I think one of the Irish papers, I'm remiss to remember which one exactly, but, but they had in remembering him referred to him as a bard for modern times.
And I think that's like the first thing that came to my brain and trying to describe him.
And let's hope that they obviously carry on the tradition and carry on with that thought, because it could very well be one of the most watched cultural events of a lifetime if they choose to continue to to move forward with those plans.
Um, obviously people have had phones and everything last, you know, matter of years to document it, but this would be the first time it would be nationally televised, which, you know, without Glenn, um, you gotta wonder how that's going to feel, uh, to, to watch and take in, um, just some points I want to rattle off, um, which I did in the intro for the previous run of this episode last year.
But, um, the impact of a film like once, uh, to not only for it to become an eight-time Tony Award-winning Broadway production, it still holds, even a year later, a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
That puts it in caliber, at least on that website, shoulder to shoulder with movies like Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, Schindler's List, The Empire Strikes Back.
That is the kind of way people think about this movie very modest, moving film that was made for like 100k 150k and went on to make globally like $23 million, which is huge numbers now, but, you know, rewind back to 2006 2007.
Um, clearly, uh, he treasured the collaboration he had with Marquetta above his solo work.
Um, he says as much during this conversation and he also references a sort of five song, maybe EP of his songs, um, featuring him and Jason Molina, another artist we tragically lost, um, Um, these guys very much influenced each other and I guess it's sitting on a shelf somewhere and, uh, Glenn references, you know, hoping to release it at some point.
Uh, who knows on that? That could still be years down the line, but that is something I think a lot of us, you know, fans of both those artists would very, very much be interested in, in hearing at some point.
Again, a lot of people will talk far more eloquently than I am right now, but I wanted to at least hit some bullet points of records to start with or records that I feel are his best that hopefully, if it's not too painful to hear at this point, maybe you visit.
If you haven't seen it, A bunch of Irish working class kids get together and want to start a soul band.
He alludes in this interview to not really having his musical fingerprints on the soundtrack so much, but- It's really good, and it gives you an angle sort of on Glenn before Once ever happened.
Obviously, the self-titled first Swell Season album partnered with the Once soundtrack.
That's necessary hearing, I think, for you to understand Glenn and Marquetta's collaboration.
And try to watch that movie again, if you can, with 2006, 2007 eyes, because it was a movie made by venerable nobodies, at least in American culture, and became this behemoth of hope.
A lot of people are quoting his very humble acceptance speech at the Oscars for falling slowly that year, which beat out, by the way, like...
Mega Disney, you know, songs and for him to say, you know, just make art, you know, and I think in fast forward, you know, 20 some odd years, it's like we're still saying the same thing.
I'm a big fan, as you'll hear during this chat, of an EP of Jason Molina covers that Glenn did in 2015.
It's called It Was Triumph We Once Proposed, Hang On Magnolia, Farewell Transmission.
These are songs that are covered on there if you're a fan of Songs Ohio or Magnolia Electric Company.
It is a absolute must hear, maybe one of my favorite recordings of Glenn's, let alone ever.
Listeners may differ, obviously, depending on when you came into Glenn's universe, I guess, as far as a songwriter.
I have to tell you that his PR team at Chromatic, who I worked with to set up the original interview that you'll hear, had just reached out and said, would you like some vinyl copies of these to talk about on the show? I said, yeah, absolutely, for sure.
One of these has... a great version of, uh, didn't he ramble? Um, just something I've been going back to, um, you know, since it's released, but I, I honestly have not played it since, um, I've listened to any of Glenn's music in the last couple of days.
Um, I think it'll, I will come to a point where I will, I will need to, but for right now I haven't really been able to, and maybe you haven't either.
Um, but, uh, it's, it's almost, I don't want to say fitting, um, But it's sort of a weird moment for these two live releases to come out, their career spanning, you know, it's stuff from his, the swell season days, it's stuff from the frames, it's solo work all put together in a live setting where I think a lot of people have said, Glenn does his best work.
The recordings themselves are phenomenal and, Um, there's footage of this too on YouTube.
I'm sure you can go see, you know, the, this, this killer band that he put together, um, again, in front of a live audience.
I just, I obviously regret the fact that I have to tell you about how great these releases are, uh, in this context, um, as, as sort of being the last things he put out while he was with us.
Glenn and Marketa were with me to promote their album from last year called Forward.
I count myself, I'm sure you do too, I count myself lucky to have been in the time of Glenn Hansard and be able to hear him and his music.
And I hope this chat gives you a tiny peek into the joy that Glenn found in collaborating with Marketa and making music in general all over the world.