Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard is set to release his eagerly anticipated fifth solo LP All That Was East Is West Of Me Now on October 20 – his first record in four years. The announcement arrives in tandem with lead single “The Feast Of St. John” featuring Warren Ellis of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds fame and sees Hansard returning to his rockiest.
Check out the new song below:
Following a period of collaboration with Eddie Vedder, Cat Power and his old band The Frames, Hansard rediscovered the raw power of distorted guitars and group chemistry, a revelation which directly informed the songwriting and recording on his new album. Early last year, when the record was still in the early stages of conception, the singer explained:
“I’m kind of going back to stuff I thought I’d left behind. Big electric guitars. It’s actually more in the area of The Frames. I’ve just missed playing with a band so much over the past two years. It’s still raw as hell right now. It’s all one take, straight band stuff. I was touring with a big band for a long while, but now I’ve gone right back to bass, drums, guitar and piano. And I’m loving it. There’s always that classic irony, where the less people you have, the bigger it can sound – because you’re listening to every note, and every note means something.”
All That Was East Is West Of Me Now, however, only truly began taking shape through a series of word-of-moth gigs Hansard arranged at a small local pub in late 2022. Believing that songs only become what they are in the presence of an audience, the singer took to the stage to present new material and unfinished ideas, which ultimately helped piece the new record together.
In a press release, Hansard elaborates: “I told no one. We set up in the corner and played to the locals, some of whom were only half listening. A collection of farmers and workers, dart players, pool sharks. I played two hours of new songs each week, some songs finished, some half-baked. Through this process I realized what I had and what I had to work on further – which songs landed and which ones were only good in my imagination. It solidified my choices right away. It was as if the album appeared in that bar. And not before.”
While the album sees Hansard reconnect with his musical roots, the title, which the singer says stems from the “sudden realisation that there’s more behind than ahead”, also suggests a lyrically reflective body of work.
Pre-order All That Was East Is West Of Me Now here.
Catch Glen Hansard on tour:
30/10/2023 – The London Palladium – London
31/10 – RNCM Theatre – Manchester
13/12 – Vicar Street – Dublin
15/12 – Leisureland – Galway
16/12 – St. Columb’s Hall – Derry
18/12 – Ulster Hall – Belfast
19/12 – City Hall – Cork
Tickets available here.
