Glen Hansard

Glen James Hansard (April 21, 1970 – July 29, 2026)

Glen Hansard was always a true busker, and he remained one even when he had the privilege of lifting an Academy Award, or every time he performed alongside Eddie Vedder on some of the most prestigious stages on the planet. He was a simple man who, at fifty-six years old, and despite his extraordinary success, would still stop to play on the street with anyone, never putting up any kind of barrier with fans and passers-by. Yet he demanded respect, for himself and for his art, a proud Irishman who knew exactly where he came from and exactly where he wanted to go. Not just a tremendous singer-songwriter, one of the greatest ever born in the Emerald Isle, but also a talented actor and a hugely popular public figure in his home country.

From his first steps with The Frames to the spotlight earned through his role in the film "The Commitments", from the Academy Award for writing and singing "Falling Slowly", featured in the small independent film "Once", in which he also starred as the lead actor, to the brotherly friendship with the Pearl Jam frontman, a kindred spirit who wanted him as a fixture opening his shows for years, wherever he went, almost always ending up playing something together. A friendship born out of tragedy, just as it was a tragedy that on an ill-fated July morning in 2026 robbed us forever of Glen's presence, who passed away suddenly in a car accident.

He leaves an enormous void, especially for all those fans already worn down by too much grief: without looking too far back, one need only think of the untimely deaths of Chris Cornell and Mark Lanegan, other artists adored by Hansard's audience. Thank you for everything, Glen, thank you for all the moving art you left us. (Claudio Lancia)

Ten essential songs

The Frames – “Fitzcarraldo” (da “Fitzcarraldo”, 1995)
Autori: Glen Hansard/The Frames

The title track of The Frames' first great album: Glen Hansard's poetic sensitivity merges with a robust, orchestral sound. A long folk-rock ride inspired by the Werner Herzog film, able to combine melancholy with epic momentum. It's the first manifesto of Hansard's songwriting: intense, visionary and deeply human.

The Frames – “Seven Day Mile” (da “Dance The Devil”, 1999)
Autori: Glen Hansard/The Frames

A heartfelt, vibrant tribute to former bassist Graham Downey, who left the band over artistic differences. The theme of distance and loss is transformed into an overwhelming emotional progression, moving between suspended stillness and sudden surges. The final crescendo perfectly captures the Frames' ability to turn pain into collective energy.

The Frames – “Headlong” (da “For The Birds”, 2001)
Autori: Glen Hansard/The Frames

It's one of the most intense and representative songs of the band's most mature phase, the one in which Glen Hansard's songwriting finds a perfect balance between fragility and strength. "Headlong" doesn't recount the euphoria of youthful infatuation, but the restless, vulnerable emotion of feelings lived out in real life. A song in which desire, fear and tension intertwine, turning everyday life into a deeply emotional experience.

The Swell Season – “Falling Slowly” (from “Once”, 2007)
Written by: Glen Hansard/Markéta Irglová

The song that finally brought Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová international fame, crowning a journey that began far from the spotlight. The soundtrack to the wonderful film "Once" became a worldwide phenomenon and earned the two artists the Academy Award for Best Original Song. A seemingly simple composition, built on just a few essential chords, yet capable of reaching a universal emotional depth.

The Swell Season – “Lies” (from “The Swell Season”, 2006)
Written by: Glen Hansard/Markéta Irglová

One of the most delicate and intense songs in Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová's artistic journey. It tells of the moment when a relationship begins to crack, when words spoken and unspoken create distance between two people. Glen's rough voice and Markéta's fragile one build a dialogue suspended between pain, regret and the desire to find common ground again.

The Frames – “When Your Mind’s Made Up” (da “The Cost”, 2006)
Autori: Glen Hansard/The Frames

The song was born within the Frames but found a second life thanks to the soundtrack of "Once". It's one of Glen Hansard's most powerful performances: a song about the moment when a decision has already been made and all that's left is to face its consequences. The final crescendo perfectly captures the band's emotional force, suspended between despair and release.

The Swell Season – “Leave” (from “The Swell Season”, 2006)
Written by: Glen Hansard/Markéta Irglová

An intimate, painful ballad about the difficult moment of separation, when letting someone go becomes the only way not to destroy what remains. Glen's voice is fragile and restrained, while Markéta's adds a dimension of extraordinary sweetness and melancholy. A song that reveals the most human side of Hansard's songwriting: love not as possession, but as the acceptance of loss.

Glen Hansard – “Lowly Deserter” (da “Didn’t He Ramble”, 2001)
Autore: Glen Hansard/The Frames

"Lowly Deserter" shows the most intimate and crepuscular side of Glen Hansard's solo career. The arrangement is spare, built on melancholy folk atmospheres, with understated instrumentation that leaves room for the voice, able to shift from a whisper to full emotional intensity. The song lives on pauses, fragility and small crescendos, confirming Hansard's ability to turn personal experiences and unresolved feelings into a deeply human musical form. A melancholy, profound ballad, where Glen's voice turns fragility and regret into a delicate form of redemption.

Glen Hansard – “The Closing Door” (da “This Wild Willing”, 2019)
Autore: Glen Hansard

It's a composition with dark, nocturnal atmospheres, dominated by an intimate, suspended dimension: Hansard's near-whispered voice intertwines with the strings, particularly the violins, creating a sense of restrained melancholy. What emerges is a deeply reflective song, built around the theme of life's passages and the doors that inevitably close. Hansard looks at the passing of time not with nostalgia, but with awareness and gratitude. The song never reaches for an emotional explosion, instead living on silences, nuances and small inner movements, letting the pain of change slowly turn into the possibility of moving forward.

Glen Hansard – “There’s No Mountain” (da “All That Was East Is West Of Me Now”, 2023)
Autore: Glen Hansard

A song with an orchestral folk-rock sweep, built on a broad, intense progression, where Hansard's voice weaves through enveloping arrangements and an almost hymn-like quality. The lyrics deal with perseverance, overcoming hardship and the ability to turn the wounds of the past into new strength. It's a fitting final farewell for this collection of ten songs: a track that closes out Glen Hansard's artistic and personal journey with a knowing gaze, open to hope and the ongoing search for authenticity. (Michele Cattaneo)

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