Busking holds special significance within Hansard’s life. Prior to forming rock-outfit The Frames, Hansard and the Horse could be heard on the streets of Dublin, drawing in passers-by. (Busking) is the foundation for all I do. If you think about standing on the Melbourne Recital Centre stage, it’s not really that different. The only difference is the crowd have decided to be with you for that couple of hours. But they’re still going to walk on their way to and from the show and they’re going to carry on with their lives,” Hansard muses.
“Really, the best compliment you can get is when someone stops and listens to you. That’s the beginning of your career right there…much more than someone throwing you a couple of quid and saying, ‘Nice one,’ and walking on. When they walk on, you’ve not really made any impact,” Hansard explains. “But when someone stops and listen to you… before you know it, you’re sitting in a bar with these people and you’re travelling, you’re visiting their countries. Suddenly the world is opening up to you. The guitar is like a big key. It’s a fascinating thing.”
The 2007 film Once would open up a world of new opportunities for Hansard, who had eventually become restless in spite of The Frames’ accomplishments. “When I was about 34, I just remember thinking, ‘This really is a long road’. I was having a great time, we were in a band and the band was playing to people… all the things you would hope. People were listening to our records and getting something from them. What is the success of an album? That it gets listened to.
“But at about 34, I remember getting a little angry that things were taking so fucking long,” he admits. “Then my friend John was like, ‘I’m making this film and I would love for you to be part of it’. It gave me some hope, I don’t know why. There was something about making this music film with Marketa and John, it just gave me a shot in the arm.”
Once, a film that “took three weeks to make” and “cost nothing”, became a hit. Its stars, Hansard and Marketa Irglova, had also composed and performed the soundtrack, scooping an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Hansard went on to perform with Irglova as The Swell Season, before embarking upon a solo career. Recently, he’s enjoyed playing alongside some iconic names, including Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. In fact, Hansard is currently on tour with Eddie Vedder and is set to return to Melbourne for a special, intimate performance.
“It’s quite a magical thing if you get into it… as a kid, if you love someone like Dylan or Leonard Cohen, how miraculous that you end up actually getting to spend time with these people. You don’t want to give it too much talk but it really just shows that, if you focus on something, every part of your body sets sail for that destination. Every breath of wind that blows in that direction you’re using and utilising. I think human beings are tapping into only a tiny bit of their manifesting power. Without wanting to sound new-agey, we literally invent the road before us.”
BY NICK MASON
