Markéta Irglová and Glen Hansard share first new music in over 10 years as The Swell Season

Music duo Markéta Irglová and Glen Hansard have today released music together for the first time in 10 years. Under the name The Swell Season, the duo have released their newest single ‘The Answer Is Yes’.

Speaking about their new music, Irglová states: “Glen and I had been talking about releasing new music prior to our upcoming Dublin dates and US tour.

Irglová continues: “I wanted to write a beautiful duet for us to sing together each night. Something that felt right for the time and place; deeply personal and yet widely universal. Something that summarised our journey through the past 20 years, paying tribute to all that once was and celebrating all that now is.”

Hansard, speaking about the new release, added: “We came together and as we’re working through old songs the chances for new songs became almost inevitable.”

‘The Answer Is Yes’ was recorded at Masterkey Studios in Iceland and produced by Sturla Mio Thorisson.

Listen to The Swell Season's new single 'The Answer Is Yes' below:

The Swell Season will visit Ireland in July, playing two sold out shows in Dublin’s Vicar Street on Thursday July 13 and Friday July 14.

The folk rock group's two Irish shows precede a North American tour in August, where they hit venues in New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The Swell Season’s 2023 tour marks the 5 year anniversary of the release of the duo’s film Once. Irglová and Hansard came to prominence together starring in the 2007 film and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song with their composition ‘Falling Slowly’ in 2008.

The soundtrack garnered two Grammy nominations and the two christened their project, The Swell Season. The Swell Season became the duo’s musical namesake in the wake of the movie’s success. They went on to release the critically acclaimed album Strict Joy before branching out into solo careers.