(PPR) The Swell Season-the acclaimed duo of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova-today released their evocative, moody, and rhythmic new single "Great Weight," the fourth single from their new album Forward, now out 11th July 2025 (moved due to vinyl manufacturing delays).
Of the song, which is out now alongside a video filmed by Irglova and Sturla Mio Thorisson, Hansard explains: "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." "Great Weight" follows additional pre-release singles "Factory Street Bells," "Stuck In Reverse" and "People We Used To Be." Produced by Thorisson and recorded at his and Irglova's Masterkey Studios in Iceland.
Following their tour of Europe, the UK, and Ireland-which included a number of sold-out shows-The Swell Season will land stateside on 11th July to perform at Wolf Trap in Vienna, VA. The dates include 26th July at Brooklyn, NY's Kings Theatre and September 19th at Los Angeles, CA's The Greek.
When 16 years have passed since the release of their beloved duo's previous album, 2009's Strict Joy, it might be expected that Hansard and Irglová would title a new collection of The Swell Season songs as something commemorative or reflective instead of the succinct Forward. But, as anyone who has followed their career will tell you, The Swell Season doesn't exactly do things the typical way. First formed by Hansard-then best known as the frontman of Irish rock band The Frames-and Czech pianist and singer Irglová in 2005, The Swell Season released a self-titled LP in 2006 before going on to star in and perform their songs in the film Once. Much-loved and critically praised, the movie catapulted them into the spotlight, and earned the duo the 2007 "Best Original Song" Academy Award for "Falling Slowly" before being adapted into a Tony-winning Broadway smash. Yet they have never spent much time looking back. So when the longtime friends decided amid their respective solo careers to officially reconvene for a handful of Swell Season shows in 2022, it led to not only a larger run of dates in 2023 but a recording session as well. A single, "The Answer Is Yes," encouraged the pair to converge again in Irglová's Iceland studio to write a new album in 2024, and from there, well, it seemed there was only one direction for The Swell Season to go. "It felt right to title the record 'Forward' because it's a reunion of sorts, but we're not going backwards," Irglová says. "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 pair started working through song ideas they had written independently, choosing pieces that could benefit from the other's touches, while some were composed entirely on the spot, seizing on the inspiration of their shared space. The synergy of their dynamic returned instantly-like turning on a tap-with Irglová seated at the piano and Hansard on his guitar; Hansard, who doesn't typically set out to write intentionally for any specific project, found that Irglova's ability to "call (him) out, artistically" and keep things on task really helped him to dial in on what the song required in the context of The Swell Season. With the intention of keeping things succinct, Hansard and Irglová walked away after three different sessions with eight songs decided on for Forward, which also features original Swell Season musicians Marja Gaynor and Bertrand Galen (strings) and Joseph Doyle (bass), and newcomer Piero Perelli (drums and percussion).
There is space to move around in these songs, and enough air to let the listener settle in and appreciate the loveliness-and, above all, a measured, harmonious balance. Where Hansard's tendency is to keep things rough and raw, stripped-down and grainy, Irglová's songs move more into the lush, polished, cinematic world; the duo challenged themselves to find each song's meeting-point while always staying true to each other's intentions. Through it all, the group's thesis statement remains as strong and unwavering as ever: never, ever give up; keep going, no matter how hard. In other words: Forward.
The Swell Season live dates
7/11 - Vienna, VA - Wolf Trap
7/12 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theatre
7/13 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre
7/15 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater
7/16 - Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum Theatre
7/18 - Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theatre
7/19 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore Detroit
7/21 - Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
7/23 - Rochester, NY - Kodak Center
7/25 - Northampton, MA - The Pines Theater
7/26 - Brooklyn, NY - Kings Theatre
7/29 - Philadelphia, PA - The Met
7/31 - Greenville, SC - Peace Center
8/01 - Durham, NC - Durham Performing Arts Center
8/02 - Atlanta, GA - The Woodruff Arts Center
9/09 - St. Louis, MO - The Factory
9/10 - Kansas City, MO - The Midland Theatre
9/12 - Dallas, TX - The Majestic Theater
9/13 - Austin, TX - ACL Live at The Moody Theater
9/15 - Santa Fe, NM - Lensic Performing Arts Center
9/16 - Mesa, AZ - Mesa Arts Center (Ikeda Theater)
9/19 - Los Angeles, CA - The Greek Theatre
9/20 - San Francisco, CA - The Masonic
9/22 - Portland, OR - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
9/23 - Vancouver, BC - The Orpheum Theatre
9/24 - Seattle, WA - The Paramount Theatre
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