Sometimes, a song will come along that affects and moves you on a deeper level. The latest single from The Swell Season is one such song. “People We Used To Be” is masterfully composed and arranged, a delicate beauty of a song. The lyrics draw you in immediately with universal themes of love and friendship, memory and the relentless passing of time: “How I miss the people we used to be, // And all those things that you brought out in me. // We’re both different now and times have changed.” It’s a familiar sentiment, expressed directly and performed like a gentle, natural conversation between old friends. Layers of instrumentation are lush and expansive; in particular, the strings – Marja Gaynor on violin and viola and Bertrand Galen on cello – add a real richness to the music.
Irglová explains: “It’s a song about trying to reconcile with what feels like an end of an era and allowing one’s self to mourn the People We Used To Be while choosing to fight for the person we love and the life we built with them. It is a song of defiance and determination as much as heart aching nostalgia.” The duo’s voices soar as they find that balance between defiance and nostalgia.
The Swell Season is a duo comprised of singer-songwriters Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová. They appear throughout the video, writing, playing and recording and, simply, spending time together, enjoying one another’s company. Directed by Radim Vanous and produced by Little Greta in collaboration with The Swell Season, the video is a nod towards the 2007 film “Once”, which highlighted the pair’s talents for a wider audience and earned them the ‘Best Original Song’ Academy Award for “Falling Slowly”. As well as their acclaimed collaborative work, Irglová and Hansard have both released a number of outstanding solo albums. Throughout the spring and summer, The Swell Season will be touring across Europe, the UK, and North America. Look out for more news soon.
