Ain't It Swell?

Glen, this is, by our count, your third time in Philadelphia in as many months. You must really like it here! How do your fans in Philly compare with your fans in other American cities you frequent?
GH: Philly has been very good to us. We've had some great shows there and the crowds are not only growing, but loyal and clearly into what we're doing. We count on our crowds to either help take us on the ride that night or be willing to come along; Philly is definitely a case of the former.

Last time you played at this venue (with the Frames), you played a set that went long into the night - the fans just couldn't get enough. Tonight, you're faced with time limitations, as there's another band set to take the stage later tonight. How are you going to handle fans who remembered the last show and want more – second show at the venue be damned?
GH: Yeah it's a shame. I guess we were supposed to play the First Unitarian place but [that didn’t work out]. But maybe we'll busk on the street or find a place to continue the show.

Tickets for tonight's show actually list seating assignments on them. Are you used to performing in more formal settings like this?
GH: We enjoy mixing it up between the two. Seated venues definitely add a different vibe to the whole experience. I would say they are equally enjoyable, but for very different reasons. And you need that different mix of things to keep it fresh.

Glen and Marketa, The Swell Season is actually the name of the album you recorded together, with your own names attached, but you're performing tonight under that moniker. Who made the decision to perform as The Swell Season, rather than as yourselves as individuals?
GH: We both did. There is something about a band name that has always appealed to me more so than just a person's name. We released the record with both [names] because we wanted people to know it was out there and pick it up.

Along those lines, where did the name "The Swell Season" come from?
GH: The name comes from a book of the same name that Mar and I were very much consumed with for a while.

To go back to the beginning, how did the two of you meet and what made you decide to collaborate?
GH: We met in the Czech Republic where Mar's father puts on shows. He has been bringing The Frames there for a number of years. Our musical partnership has come through just knowing each other over the years: a natural progression.

How long did you spend on the album?
GH: The record took about two weeks to make.

Were you already working on The Swell Season when John Carney approached you about working on Once, or did the album evolve as work on the film progressed?
GH: John asked me to write a bunch of songs for the movie. I had done that, but we never thought the film would be seen outside of Ireland. So I wanted folks to hear the record and just released it, thinking there would be no soundtrack. They walked hand in hand for the most part.

Marketa, you were seventeen when Once began filming, and you'd never acted before. Was the prospect of not only acting, but essentially starring in a film daunting to you? Now that you've done it once, would you consider doing it again?
MI: I wasn't worried at all. I had never acted and didn't feel like I had anything to lose. It felt like a wonderful opportunity. Honestly, I haven't decided whether I want to do it again.

Glen, you weren't originally supposed to act in Once - only to share your stories and contribute your music. When you were asked to act, you agreed with the caveat that, if you weren't satisfied with the way things were going, you'd leave the project. At what point did you decide that you were going to stick around and see things through?
GH: John kind of decided for me. I'm glad I did, but was worried it was going to be a vanity project since it was my songs and turning into a movie with me as the main person. But in the end it worked. Or it seems to have.

Other than the music, how much input would you say you had into the creative process behind the production of the film?
GH: There was definitely a fair amount of give and take from us and John, the director. But ultimately it's his movie.

Whose idea was it to leave your characters unnamed? Do you think that having the characters remain nameless is important to the story?
GH: It was John's, and I think it definitely has an impact. But more importantly, it's saved me from being referred to as a person I'm not for the rest of my life.

There's a scene in the film during which you're standing on a beautiful hillside, and The Guy asks The Girl whether she loves her estranged husband. The Girl answers in Czech. Glen, when you performed with The Frames in Philadelphia in April, you explained to the audience that the answer translated to: "No, I love you." Do either of you think that the film would have been different if that answer had come in English?
GH: It's definitely the Lost in Translation moment of the movie. So I guess you have to ask yourself: would that movie be different if you knew what they said to each other? That answer is, of course, yes.

There's a growing amount of buzz going around about an Oscar nomination for Once, in the category of best original song. Our reader who tipped us off to tonight's show is curious as to how you feel about it. Do you think that it's realistic speculation?
GH: Who knows? I'm trying not to think about it. It's so outside of me to even begin to think what that would be like that I can't even find the words. Fox has done a great job with the movie and I'll let them worry about that and just keep moving forward with shows and various promotion. But the show answer is that it would be amazing.

After the surprising success of both Once and its soundtrack, is another collaboration in order for you? Is what we'll be seeing onstage tonight a sneak preview of what's yet to be?
GH: I believe so. Mar and I are writing songs together and would love to do another record in the future. There are even a few new songs in our set. At the moment, though, we're devoting our energies to our Once commitments and my stuff with The Frames. The Frames are off to New Zealand and Australia to open for Bob Dylan (the ultimate honor!) and back to the U.S. for a handful of shows.

You're both movie stars now! Do you think another modern musical might lie ahead?
GH: I certainly hope not. If anything should either of us do any more acting the goal would be to do something more traditional without singing. But right now we're focused on the music.

Although the ending of Once isn't tragic, it's certainly not a happy one. Do you think that's the way life goes, or do you hope that things can proceed along a happier trajectory?
GH: Oh, happiness is essential to living, so it must proceed along that trajectory. But I don't think the end of Once unhappy in any way. Without ruining the ending, I think it's quite upbeat and full of promise. It might be unconventional, but not in a bad way by any stretch.

Is there anything else you'd like to pass along to your fans in Philadelphia?
GH: Have a good summer and [we] hope to be back soon.

The Swell Season with Amy LaVere
TONIGHT, July 27, 2007
Doors at 6PM, Show at 7PM (Note early showtime.)
Fillmore at the TLA (334 South Street)
Tickets: $20

ALSO: If you're near a radio at lunchtime today, be sure to check out Glen and Marketa with Minnie Driver as they play this week's Free at Noon Concert.

Image from Once, © Fox Searchlight Pictures, via Rotten Tomatoes.