Born in Dublin, Ireland in 1970, Glen Hansard is the lead singer, guitarist and a founding member of Irish rock group The Frames. He quit school at the age of 13 to begin busking on Dublin streets and gradually established himself as one of Irish music’s most popular and greatest talents. He first came to public attention as guitar player Outspan Foster in the Alan Parker film The Commitments.
Prior to The Commitments, he secured a record deal with Island Records and subsequently formed The Frames in 1990. The band has been recording and touring ever since, and included filmmaker John Carney as bass player in its earliest incarnation. The band released their sixth studio album The Cost in September 2006 to widespread acclaim. The Frames are currently touring around Europe and will reach the USA in early 2007.
In April 2006, Hansard released his first solo album, The Swell Season, in collaboration with Czech singer and multi-instrumentalist Marketa Irglova.
Once music in the lifetime reviews
USA Today
Where Moulin Rouge was the quintessential musical inspired by music videos, Once has the grittier look of a documentary. But its heartfelt story draws viewers in, enhanced by naturalistic performances and, most of all, intensely affecting songs.
Newsday
No matter what your musical tastes, "Once" will reinforce your belief in the power of melody and harmony to heal one's inner wounds.
LA Weekly
The Irish romance Once is one of those urban fairy tales you come out of not wanting to switch on your car radio, make small talk or do anything but shelter in its beguiling ambiance for as long as you can to avoid re-entering the real world
Entertainment Weekly
Just about everyone with a heartbeat has had this tingly experience. You're at a movie, and a song, as if by magic, breaks through the surface of the drama. Suddenly, you're no longer sitting and watching — you're soaring.
The New York Times
The formula is simple: two people, a few instruments, 88 minutes and not a single false note.
Variety
Pic's charm seems so offhand one might not notice the skill with which helmer John Carney pulls it off, or how it plays like a full-blown musical without anyone bursting into song.