Glen Hansard 1970-2026: Some Of His Magical Hot Press Moments

As with so many people across the world, and in Ireland, we were devastated here in Hot Press by the terrible news of the death of Glen Hansard this week, aged 56.

The world-renowned Dublin singer-songwriter – who won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2008, alongside his Once co-star Markéta Irglová – was a great friend of the magazine down the years and we were thrilled by  his decision to being The Frames together for our History in the Making gig at the 3Arena last February. They delivered a stunning performance.

Aspart of our ongoing tribute to Glen, we' have been revisiting some of our favourite interviews and performances from down the years.

Glen Hansard performs 'Raise A Flag' for the Now We're Talking initiative - 2018

‘Raise A Flag' was performed for Now We're Talking – a mental health campaign which was run by Hot Press and supported by Lyons Tea and Pieta House in 2018.

The track was often performed by Glen as part of the Footsbarn Travelling Theatre’s tour at the time.

The stunning video is directed by Myles O’Reilly, the Irish director, who has been behind some of the finest Irish music videos of the past decade – and who has most recently focussed again on his music, including making the acclaimed spoken word album with the then-President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, Against All Certainty, released in 2025 . This powerful performance features Glen, supported by Sam Kavanagh and the ‘Come On Up To The House’ Choir.

Watch the performance below:

Glen Hansard performs 'Astral Weeks' for Rave On Van Morrison - 2020

To celebrate Van Morrison's 75th birthday, on 31 August 2020, we launched Rave On Van Morrison, a nightly series of 75 videos (a little secret – in fact we did 80), which ran on YouTube and saw everyone from Michael D. Higgins to Hozier pay tribute to the music legend.

Glen's extraordinarily powerful and passionate contribution came in the form of a stunning cover of the timeless 'Astral Weeks' – which may just be the finest of all the Van covers.

Watch the performance below:

"After we won the award, we just became busier and a couple of years later I still wasn’t entirely comfortable with it" - 2012 Interview with Stuart Clark

Published in Hot Press ahead of the release of his debut solo album Rhythm and Repose, in 2012, this interview took place during the rollercoaster years that followed on from Glen and Marketa Irglova's Academy Award triumph in 2008.

There was much of a very striking personal nature to be discussed – including the unusual ambivalence that Glen felt felt at being successful. For the interview, Glen pulls up a stool and explains how he finally learned to stop worrying and immerse himself in his new life in New York.

Read the full interview here.

Glen Hansard in 2012.

"It’s a powerful thing, to lose your mother... That’s the place you came from, literally. That’s your first home, and it’s gone" - Interview for Hot Press Annual in 2022

It was two-and-a-half years since he released his solo album, This Wild Willing,  when we caught up with Glen for an end-of-year conversation that we made the cover story of the Hot Press Annual. During the previous couple of years, Glen had weathered more than his fair share of knocks – including the death of his mother, in the middle of a livelihood-snatching pandemic. Over a cup of tea in a Dublin pub, he talks with remarkable honesty to Lucy O'Toole about life, art, loss, family, new projects, class, crises, home, hope – and learning to let go.

Read the full interview here.

Photo: Stephan Vanfleteren

"Island wanted a band to be put together so I put a band together and it's the best band they could want" - Interview with Michael O'Hara in 1991

One of the earliest official encounters Glen had with Hot Press, this 1991 interview with Michael O'Hara was published following the release of The Frames' debut single, and before the launch of Alan Parker's widely loved film about an Irish soul band,  The Commitments.

Read the full interview here.

Uprising: The Swell Season – Full Unedited Interview with Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová - 2023

In July 2023, Hot Press went backstage at Vicar St. to interview Glen and Markéta Irglová for Uprising, the Hot Press music show, shot in partnership with Animo TV Productions for Virgin Media Television.

Reunited as The Swell Season, Glen and Markéta talked about the making of Once, their Oscar win, appearing on The Simpsons, Billie Eilish, Bono, their enduring friendship – and lots, lots more.

Here for the first time is that interview in full…