In the video for recent single ‘Great Weight’ from The Swell Season, we are privileged to see fine musicians collaborate and perform. At the heart of The Swell Season is the acclaimed duo of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, whose songwriting is incredibly consistent, sensitive and emotive. This is another brilliantly atmospheric track. Moody and languid, ‘Great Weight’ is full of swaying rhythms and masterful percussion, as fiddle soars above. Hansard delivers a vocal performance deep with feeling, almost spoken at times, with whispering then swelling backing.
Hansard explains the song’s theme: “This song is about throwing off the weight and burdens of unnecessary struggle. It’s a take stock moment. A kind of report from the centre of a clearing storm. It’s violent, but one knows it’s gonna leave one at a new beginning. Any way the wind blows. I still roam. Every direction is suddenly available.”
This is the fourth single from the new album “Forward”, which is now due out tomorrow on 11th July 2025. Hansard, then frontman of The Frames, formed The Swell Season with Czech pianist and singer Irglová back in 2005, before releasing their first self-titled album a year later. Then, the duo starred in the film ‘Once’, performing their songs and winning over fans and critics. They earned the 2007 ‘Best Original Song’ Academy Award for ‘Falling Slowly’, a tremendous piece of emotional songwriting – do check it out if you’re unfamiliar. The friends had not recorded together for many years when they reunited for some shows in 2022, leading to more dates, a recording session and a new single, ‘The Answer Is Yes’. The new album was recorded in Irglová’s Iceland studio in 2024 as the pair looked forward rather than backwards. Irglová says: “It felt right to title the record ‘Forward’ because it’s a reunion of sorts, but we’re not going backwards. 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.” What has remained the same is the thoughtful lyricism, ambitious writing and gorgeous arrangements. Enjoy.
