GLEN HANSARD began his musical career as a busker on Dublin's Grafton Street before forming The Frames in the late 1980s. A record deal with Island Records followed, and the band's debut album, Another Love Song, was released in 1991.
The Frames have since gone through a couple of different labels (they're currently with Anti Records outside of Ireland) and many different line-ups.
They've released six studio albums in all (the latest, The Cost, came out in 2006) and one live album. In addition to a huge domestic support base, the band have toured extensively in Europe, North America and Australia.
Last year, Hansard also recorded and released The Swell Season, a collaborative album with his Once co-star, Czech musician Markéta Irglová.
Hansard's only acting credit prior to Once came when he played Outspan Foster in The Commitments Alan Parker's 1991 film of Roddy Doyle's novel.
