Glen Hansard has announced All That Was East Is West of Me Now, his first solo album in four years. The project is out in full October 20th, while lead single “The Feast of St. John” is available to stream now.
Rather than working out new songs in solitude or road-testing compositions while on tour, Hansard began prepping All That Was East Is West of Me Now by playing a five-show residency in a pub in his native Ireland last November. “I told no one,” he said of the gigs. “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.”
Hansard continued, “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.” Pre-orders for the album are ongoing.
“The Feast of St. John” feels like an Irish folk song imbued with heavy rock guitar. Featuring Warren Ellis (The Dirty Three, The Bad Seeds) on violin, the track stomps like a melancholy waltz as Hansard contemplates loss and the passage of time. “I’ll be with you brother if good fortune allows/ ‘Cause all that was east is west of me now,” he sings. Listen to the single below.
Hansard has a North American tour with Swell Season collaborator Markéta Irglova mapped out for this summer. Then, in September, he’ll perform at Eddie Vedder’s Ohana Festival before embarking on a run of solo shows across Europe. See his full tour itinerary below, and grab tickets here.
Hansard’s last album was 2019’s The Wild Willing.
All That Was East Is West of Me Now Artwork:
All That Was East Is West of Me Now Tracklist:
01. The Feast of St. John
02. Down on Our Knees
03. There’s No Mountain
04. Sure as the Rain
05. Between Us There Is Music
06. Ghost
07. Bearing Witness
08. Short Life
09. Reprise
Glen Hansard 2023 Tour Dates:
08/08 — Nashville, TN @ The Ryman *
08/09 — Atlanta, GA @ Symphony Hall, Woodruff Arts Center *
08/11 — Boston, MA @ Boch Center, Wang Theatre *
08/12 — New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall *
08/14 — Durham, NC @ DPAC *
08/15 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem *
08/17 — Grand Rapids, MI @ Meijer Gardens *
08/18 — Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed *
08/20 — Denver, CO @ Levitt Pavilion *
08/21 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre *
08/23 — Seattle, WA @ Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery *
08/24 — Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall *
08/26 — San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic *
08/27 — Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theatre *
08/29 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Cemetery *
09/29 — Dana Point, CA @ Ohana Fest
10/30 — London, UK @ The London Palladium
10/31 — Manchester, UK @ RNCM Theatre SOLD OUT
11/02 — Paris, FR @ La Cigale
11/03 — Brussels, BE @ Cirque Royal
11/05 — Cologne, DE @ E-Werk
11/06 — Frankfurt, DE @ Jahrhunderthalle
11/08 — Munich, DE @ Circus Krone
11/09 — Vienna, AT @ Wiener Konzerthaus
11/11 — Zurich, CH @ Volkshaus
11/12 — Milan, IT @ Teatro Dal Verme
11/14 — Prague, CZ @ Velký sál Lucerna
11/15 — Warsaw, PL @ Palladium Club
11/17 — Berlin, DE @ Verti Music Hall
11/20 — Amsterdam, NL @ Royal Theatre Carré
11/21 — Amsterdam, NL @ Royal Theatre Carré
12/13 — Dublin, IE @ Vicar Street
12/15 — Galway, IE @ Leisureland
12/16 — Derry, UK @ St. Columb’s Hall
12/18 — Belfast, UK @ Ulster Hall
12/19 — Cork, IE @ City Hall
*= w/ Markéta Irglova
