The Swell Season Looks ‘Forward’ With 1st Album In 16 Years

After 16 years, Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard and Czech musician Markéta Irglová will release a new The Swell Season album, Forward, on June 13 through Masterkey Sounds/Plateau Records. The duo shared the long-awaited album’s latest single, “Stuck In Reverse.”

In 2007, Hansard and Irglová starred in the feature film Once, following the release of The Swell Season’s self-titled debut album in 2006. The duo was bolstered by the critical acclaim garnered by Once, which showcased their original songs. The Swell Season won the 2007 Best Original Song Academy Award for “Falling Slowly.”

A second album, Strict Joy, was issued in 2009 and remained their most recent full-length release. The Swell Season reunited for shows in 2022, which lead to a full tour in 2023. The tour helped spark the duo’s decision to record a new album.

Hansard shared the below thoughts regarding the pending release:

“After our whirlwind that led up to the Oscars and after, we were so busy and with that came a pressure that neither of us particularly wanted, and ultimately we kind of drifted in the middle of all of that hard work and celebration. We remained good friends, helping on each other’s records, keeping up with each other’s families.

“While touring my last record, I realized I just missed her. I remember calling Marketa and saying, ‘Do you feel like doing some gigs?’ She said, ‘Yeah, that sounds great,’ and the shows went really well. Once we were hanging out again, new songs started coming through, and we started trying new ideas and playing the songs onstage.

“From there the idea was to do a little recording and not put any pressure on it, just see what happens, and suddenly we found ourselves making a record. And we were both totally into it, and so here we are, a new chapter of our lives.”

Featuring eight new songs (including the prior-released “People We Used To Be”), Forward was recorded by Hansard and Irglová with producer Sturla Mio Thorisson at his and Irglová’s Masterkey Studios in Iceland. The sessions included original The Swell Season musicians Marja Gaynor and Bertrand Galen on strings and Joseph Doyle on bass, with newcomer Piero Perelli on drums/percussion.

“It felt right to title the record ‘Forward‘ because it’s a reunion of sorts, but we’re not going backwards,” Irglová stated. “Both of us have grown and changed; we’re in different places and getting to know each other again as the new people we’ve become.”

The Swell Season will tour Europe and North America in support of the album beginning next month. Watch the video for “Stuck In Reverse”:

Forward Tracklist

1. Factory Street Bells
2. People We Used To Be
3. Stuck In Reverse
4. I Leave Everything To You
5. A Little Sugar
6. Pretty Stories
7. Great Weight
8. Hundred Words