This Wild Willing (Vinyl 2LP)

"My plan for the record was to work on the songs in Paris, then make a trip to the studio near Segre, 300 kilometres west. The intent was to make an acoustic record with sparse accompaniment. I would work with Joe Doyle (bass), who’s been my long-time friend and collaborator in The Frames, Swell Season etc. and an integral part of all I do along with Ruth O’Mahony Brady (ROMY) (piano, keyboards, string arrangements, vocals), who’s recorded and toured with me since Didn’t He Ramble. I’d also invited Javier Mas (Spanish guitar, laud) to join us. I first saw Javier play with Leonard Cohen in 2010 and wrote him a fan letter. We became friends and he’s been on every record I’ve made since. I alerted David Odlum of the Black Box Studio — another friend and collaborator of many years — of my plans to bring the Khoshravesh brothers to the studio at the last minute. He encouraged the idea of setting us all up in a room to improvise together, catching whatever came.

Earlier in the year I had been working on song ideas with two experimental electronic musicians, David Cleary (DEASY) and Dunk Murphy (Sunken Foal). We had informally formed a band called The Invisible Brethren. The nature of their music making had pulled my writing into an area I was eager to pursue. I asked these two to join in with the core group of Joe, Ruth and Javier, and the new addition of the Khoshravesh brothers. The possibilities of what might emerge in the studio with this broad set of musicians changed my view of the record I was making.

I then invited more friends to join us:

Graham Hopkins and Earl Harvin came in on drums and percussion; Michael Buckley on saxophone, horns and flute; Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich, the great traditional Irish musician, along with Cape Breton violinist, Rosie MacKenzie; Aida Shahghasemi, Iranian singer and Daf player; Eamon O’Leary (The Murphy Beds) on banjo, bouzouki, and mandolin; Anna Roberts-Gevalt (Anna & Elizabeth) and Brían Mac Gloinn (Ye Vagabonds) on fiddle. My touring string section – String Féin – featuring Una O’Kane, Katie O’Connor and Paula Hughes joined as well. Last minute satellite additions came from friends Markéta Irglová on vocals and Rob Moose on string arrangements.

It became quickly apparent in the studio we were onto something interesting. I was finding new ways into the existing songs and we were improvising new ideas every day. When you surround yourself with great musicians and do your best to keep up, stay loose, give little direction, and allow everyone to bring what they bring, something transformative may happen. This collection of songs is mainly made up of those that came through while improvising and following the melodic lines and threads. 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. In this sense, some of these songs weren’t written in the traditional form; they were ideas followed to a conclusion. I want to thank all these great musicians for coming and giving these songs their best.

All a song wants is to be heard. I hope something in this music can be of use to you. I know it’s been of great use to me to make it. Beauty is in the ear of the behearer." 

- Glen Hansard

Tracklist:

1. I'll Be You, Be Me
2. Don't Settle 
3. Fool's Game 
4. Race To The Bottom 
5. The Closing Door 
6. Brother's Keeper 
7. Mary 
8. Threading Water 
9. Weight Of The World 
10. Who's Gonna Be Your Baby Now 
11. Good Life Of Song 
12. Leave A Light