Glen Hansard is one of Ireland’s most celebrated songwriters and performers. His latest project, Transmissions East and Transmissions West, is a two-volume live album recorded in front of an audience in The Hague during the summer of 2024. Capturing 22 songs across his remarkable career, the albums span his acclaimed solo work, songs with The Frames, and music created alongside Markéta Irglová as The Swell Season. The two volumes will be released individually in 2026.
Hansard first emerged with The Frames, formed in Dublin in 1989. The band received an early boost when Bob Dylan invited them to open for him after discovering them rehearsing in Dublin. Around the same time, Hansard gained international recognition for his role as Outspan Foster in The Commitments, while remaining firmly committed to his music career.
In 2007, Hansard and Irglová captivated audiences with Once, earning the Academy Award for Best Original Song for the unforgettable Falling Slowly. Their creative partnership as The Swell Season became one of the defining musical collaborations of the era.
Hansard launched his solo career with Rhythm and Repose (2012), followed by the acclaimed albums Didn’t He Ramble (2015), Between Two Shores (2018), This Wild Willing (2019), and All That Was East Is West of Me Now (2023). Across his career, he has earned admiration from fellow artists including Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder, Joni Mitchell, and Bob Dylan.
Rather than a conventional greatest hits collection, Transmissions East and Transmissions West offer an intimate, live celebration of Glen Hansard’s enduring songwriting, powerful performances, and the extraordinary musical journey that has made him one of Ireland’s most respected contemporary artists.
