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.

The lineup includes; Glen Hansard, Bono, The Edge, Imelda May, Hozier, John Sheahan, Finbar Furey, Shane MacGowan, Danny O’Reilly, Roisin O, Declan O’Rourke, Lisa O’Neill and Kodaline’s Steve Garrigan.

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Glen Hansard is no stranger to busking of course. Ten years ago Glen Hansard started the tradition of taking to Dublin’s Grafton Street with a collection of musicians in order to raise money for the homeless. The usual tradition can’t take place in person this year because of the ongoing global health crisis so RTÉ will be taking on the show and broadcasting it to the world.

The show will have many special performances along with stories about memories of the busk over the years and lots of information about the wonderful work The Simon Community does, especially at this time of year. John Sheahan, Finbar Furey, Lisa O’Neill, Glen Hansard, and Shane MacGowan will be making appearances in The Late Late Show studio. Bono and The Edge will perform an acoustic version of U2’s Walk On, as well as lead a special Christmas number. Artists like Imelda May will be performing virtually from London, where she will be performing On Raglan Road. 

Presenter of The Late Late Show, Ryan Tubridy spoke about the event, saying; “This will certainly be a night to remember with the best of Irish talent in one room coming together for some incredible performances. In return, our friends here are asking viewers to dig deep to donate to the Simon Community and to help our brothers and our sisters who are currently homeless to get off the streets, to be safe, to be warm, to be treated with dignity and decency and ultimately to get the type of secure housing that everyone deserves.”

If you are looking for a gift that delivers hope in a meaningful way, why not buy a Dublin Simon Christmas Star The beautiful gold stars can be hung from a tree and represent the real difference you can make to a person’s future. #SimonStars

https://t.co/1DdpTRMoar pic.twitter.com/QqAsfi57c1

— Dublin Simon (@Dublin_Simon) December 12, 2020

Ryan will also be interviewing, Philip Powell, who was staying in a hostel when he struck up a friendship with Glen Hansard, and became a staple performer of the Grafton Street busk. Philip will speak of his experiences of being homeless on and off for two decades.

If you would like to donate to The Simon Community, who work to help the homeless in Ireland, you can do so here. You can watch The Late Late Show Busk for Simon on RTÉ One, Friday, December 18, at 9.35pm or online on the RTÉ player in the UK.