In 2005 Glen Hansard, lead singer of The Frames and Marketa Irglova recorded an album together in Prague while working together on the soundtrack of Jan Hrebejk's movie, Beauty In Trouble. 'The Swell Season' was released in April 2006 and also featured two Interference musicians, Marja Tuhkanen (violin) and Bertrand Galen (cello). In many ways, it was to prove partly inspirational for John Carney’s 'Once', a low-budget Irish indie film that turned out to be the most successful independent features of 2007. The pair not only wrote the songs for the movie but they both starred in it as well. Since the release of the film Glen and Marketa have toured extensively as The Swell Season and in February 2008 they took the Academy Award in the Best Original Song category for 'Falling Slowly'. Their new album Strict Joy will be released on the 27th of October. The record, which borrows its name from a work by Irish poet James Stephens, was co-produced by Hansard and Peter Katis (The National, Interpol), and recorded mostly at Katis’ Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport, CT. In addition to Hansard and Irglova, the album features Frames members Colm Mac Iomaire (violin), Joe Doyle (bass), Rob Bochnik (guitar), Graham Hopkins (percussion) plus guitarist Javier Mas (Leonard Cohen), pianist Thomas Bartlett (Doveman), percussionist Chad Taylor (Chicago Underground Duo), horn players Steven Bernstein and Clark Gayton from Levon Helm’s band, and others. ‘STRICT JOY’ TRACK LISTING 1. Low Rising 2. Feeling the Pull 3. In These Arms 4. The Rain 5. Fantasy Man 6. Paper Cup 7. High Horses 8. The Verb 9. I Have Loved You Wrong 10. Love That Conquers 11. Two Tongues 12. Back Broke