They used to be known as one of Irish music’s best kept secrets. Well, the secret is well and truly out and The Frames are now enjoying success in the mainstream.
For 16 years now, The Frames have been rocking the Irish music scene. A bright hope during the ‘90s, they ran into storm clouds – but in recent years they have fulfilled their potential leaving their cult status behind, to become mainstream (well, almost!) rock stars, with a huge fan base around Ireland and a growing one throughout the world. Not bad for a band who started out in the late ‘80s busking for money.
Frontman Glen Hansard left school at 13, knowing that all he wanted was to be a singer. The band formed in 1990, but Hansard first hit the bright lights starring as Outspan in The Commitments. Their debut album The Dancer was released in 1992. They were signed to Trevor Horn’s ZTT label and, good as the subsequent Fitzcarraldo (1995) and Dance The Devil (1999) were, they suffered a bad case of record company mismatch and it seemed that The Frames were destined to remain a cult Irish band.
They re-grouped and released the epochal For The Birds on their own label in 2000. It was their fourth and finest album to date and a whole new breed of fan was won over to the cause. But it was really in 2003, when they released their live album Setlist, that they realised the true meaning of success. The Frames give fans a totally unique live experience and they somehow managed to capture that magic on record, over four nights at Vicar St. Setlist reached No.1 in the Irish charts and attracted a further legion of new fans. Highlights such as ‘Revelate’ and ‘Star Star’ prompted new Frames devotees to go and explore the band’s back catalogue.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about The Frames’ journey is that they have succeeded in building such a vast – and ferociously loyal – fanbase, with little or no help from the mainstream media or record labels. Fans proclaimed their loyalty in 2004 as The Frames swept the hotpress Readers' Poll and they also received their first music industry award for Best Irish Band at The Meteors, confirmation that they were finally being recognised for their hard work and dedication.
The past six months have been an interesting and busy time for The Frames and for Glen in particular. He recorded an album, The Swell Season, in just six days in early December 2005, in a studio in the Czech Republic, with Czech singer and pianist Marketa Irglova. The album was released in April of this year to critical acclaim. Then, in January 2006, Glen began filming for a movie with Marketa called Once, directed by former Frames bassist John Carney. Glen plays a busker in the movie, a fitting tribute to his own roots. Meanwhile, the band have just finished recording their follow-up to Burn The Maps.
With The Frames, there is a motto: always expect the unexpected. They are never afraid to try new things. They are not opposed to playing small gigs in villages in the west and they recently recorded an Irish language version of their song ‘Suffer In Silence‘ for the Ceol 2006 album.
Their summer 2006 tour will take them to the Czech Republic during most of June and they will hit Austria, Belgium and The Netherlands during July and August. Finally, it’s back to Ireland for the Electric Picnic at the beginning of September, before the release of the new album.
Their Live At The Marquee appearance is sure to be a highlight of their summer tour. Expect a full-on, show-stopping performance. One of the best live bands extant, The Frames know no other way.