Watch: Glen Hansard performs four tracks from his new album

Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard has performed four tracks from his upcoming album This Wild Willing ahead of the album’s release this Friday.

In a live session at the Paste Studio NYC, Hansard played ‘I’ll Be You, Be Me,’ ‘Fool’s Game,’ ‘Race to the Bottom’ and ‘Don’t Settle.’ In between each track, Hansard addressed the process behind the record, his musical influences, what to expect from his latest tour and more. Watch the broadcast below:

Dublin native Hansard is perhaps best known for founding ‘90s rock band The Frames and starring in the 2007 film Once. Hansard won an Academy Award in 2008 for ‘Falling Slowly,’ a song he co-wrote and performed with Markéta Irglová for the film, and has earned a Grammy win alongside three nominations for his musical endeavors.

This Wild Willing is Hansard’s fourth studio album. A twelve-track venture into a fresh, eclectic sound, the record marks a new era for the 48-year-old.

“This collection of songs is mainly made up of those that came through while improvising and following the melodic lines and threads,” Hansard said of the work. “Sometimes when you take a small musical fragment and you care for it, follow it and build it up slowly, it can become a thing of wonder.”

Hansard’s tour kicked off last night with a performance at Dublin’s Vicar Street. He’ll rock the stage there again tonight before heading off to Derry, followed by shows all over Europe and the USA. July will see the singer return to Dublin in support of Eddie Vedder's show at 3Arena.

You can watch the just-released music video for 'Brother's Keeper,' the latest tune from This Wild Willing, here. Tour dates for Hansard’s European/UK performances are listed below.

EU/UK TOUR DATES:

4/9 – Dublin, Ireland – Vicar Street

4/10 – Dublin, Ireland – Vicar Street

4/12 – Derry, United Kingdom – St. Columb’s Hall

4/13 – Derry, United Kingdom – St. Columb’s Hall

4/15 – London, United Kingdom – Barbican Centre

4/16 – London, United Kingdom – Barbican Centre

4/27 – Paris, France – Casino de Paris

4/29 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Koninklijk Theater Carré

4/30 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Koninklijk Theater Carré

5/2 – Kobenhavn, Denmark – Amager Bio / BETA

5/4 – Stockholm, Sweden – Skandiascenen

5/6 – Brussels, Belgium – Cirque Royal

5/8 – Cologne, Germany – Kőlner Philharmonie

5/9 – Frankfurt Am Main, Germany – Alte Oper

5/11 – Brno-žabovřesky, Czech Republic – 5th Anniversary of SONO Centrum

5/13 – Warszawa, Poland – Palladium

5/14 – Warszawa, Poland – Palladium

5/16 – Berlin, Germany – Admiralspalast

5/17 – Berlin, Germany – Admiralspalast

5/19 – Berlin, Germany – Admiralspalast

6/15 – Firenze, Italy – Firenze Rocks Festival w/ Eddie Vedder

6/17 – Firenze, Italy – Firenze Rocks Festival w/ Eddie Vedder

7/3 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena, Special Guest of Eddie Vedder

7/24 – Luzern, Switzerland – Blue Balls Festival

7/26 – Gardone, Riviera, Italy – Anfiteatro Del Vittoriale