Home News TV Listings Movies Music Video Photos Radio Extra Book Club RTÉ Guide

Music Feature

Frames of mind - Glen Hansard

Thursday 12 April 2001
The Frames have always been a band with a passion for live performance, the showmanship to carry it off and a respect for their fans that has ensured they did not fall by the wayside over the last ten tumultuous years. Since their earliest incarnation on Island Records with 1992's raggle-taggle-esque 'Another Love Song', The Frames have never stopped moving forward, regardless of disappointments or kicks in the teeth along the way. After being dropped from Island, they picked themselves up to record their indie pop album 'Fitzcarraldo'. Without money to make a proper video, they improvised with a security camera, captured the interest of producer Trevor Horn and signed to his ZTT label. Unfortunately, the relationship soured and the follow-up album was the subject of many delays and friction between the record company and the band. Eventually released in 1999, the low-fi American-influenced 'Dance the Devil' was preceded by a self-released five-track ep with alternative versions of two of the album songs. Finally getting their freedom from ZTT, they plunged into the recording of a new album - on their own terms.

Related Articles

'For The Birds' is The Frames as they see themselves, without the input - or interference - of a record company and Hansard is delighted: "This time we've realised how easy it is to put a record out. For the first time in our career we've taken care of every angle, every side of what its about, ourselves. It's very easy, just simple business." Now back out on the road, with gigs planned over the summer and into autumn at home and abroad, The Frames are on stage, doing what they have always done best. And Hansard doesn't intend to let the grass grow underneath their feet: "I'd really like to have the next Frames album out at the same time next year, that's my goal." Although 'For The Birds' is a hard act to follow, there's no doubt that, once again, The Frames will delight and surprise us.

Caroline Hennessy

'For The Birds' is out now on Plateau Records.

add your own comment
User contributions and/or comments do not, unless specifically stated, represent the views of RTÉ.ie or RTÉ.
Click here for Terms of use

Top 10 Most Read

1 Tubridy - "Let the caption competitions begin..." Photo: Anthony Woods Muppet honour for Tubridy
2 Baldwin - Wearing green jersey. Sort of Baldwin pokes fun at Ireland
3 Noel Kelehan - Irish music great passed away earlier this week Funeral of Noel Kelehan takes place
4 Simon Cowell blames himself for the X Factor ratings flop Cowell admits X Factor failure
5 Watts - "It is such an honour to be able to play this iconic role" Watts to star in Diana biopic
6 Perry and Brand seem to be keeping their divorce quite friendly Brand and Perry reach divorce settlement
7 Mike Love and Bruce Johnston will perform at the Grammys Beach Boys to reunite at Grammys
8 Lagerfeld - "I am Adele's biggest admirer" Lagerfeld clarifies Adele "fat" comment
9 Frank will be murdered Corrie murder suspect is revealed?
10 Hammer's house of horror The Woman in Black

Must Watch TV

  • - The Late Late Show

    9.35pm RTE One

    You can be guaranteed that Ryan Tubridy will host a stellar line-up of high-profile guests, current social issues will get an airing and he'll introduce the very best in all-round entertainment, plus a fabulous prize for someone at home! What more could you ask for from your Friday night viewing?

  • - Who Knows Ireland Best?

    8.30pm RTE One

    Derek Mooney hosts as two teams compete to see who is most in touch and who has their finger on the pulse. Points are awarded for being in agreement with the majority of a survey of 1,000 people across the country. This week, three agricultural consultants (Tom Dawson, Tipperary; Julie Roche, Cork; and Mike Brady, Cork) go head-to-head with three auctioneers (Nora Meaney, Sharon O'Leary and Maura Fenlon, all from Carlow) to see who is more in tune with the nation.

  • - The Big C

    9.15pm RTE Two

    As the rest of the neighbourhood gets ready for Hallowe'en, Cathy prepares to start a clinical trial she hopes will cure her cancer. Yet just when Cathy needs him, Paul has to deal with a series of problems at work. And as they are arriving at the hospital, Cathy's search for a parking spot ends with her harmlessly hitting another patient with her car. Meanwhile, as Adam grows increasingly agitated by his mom's illness, Sean's Hallowe'en plans lead him to suspect that Marlene's ghost is haunting his house.

  • - Hustle

    9.00pm BBC One

    Albert decides to pay a nostalgic visit to an old haunt, only to find it's been pulled down by ruthless property tycoon and former '80s game show host, Dale Ridley (played by Mark Williams) in this week's episode. Posing as international businessmen, the team lure Dale into a scam, convincing him to purchase the television studios that fired him in his showbiz heyday on their behalf. Will the temptation to get revenge on his old employers be enough to trick the greedy entrepreneur?

  • - Safari Vet School

    8.00pm UTV

    Thirty-two vet students are at one of the toughest vet schools in the world in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Under the guiding hand of Chief Vet, Dr Will Fowlds, the students tackle everything from lions to rhinos to giraffes and elephants. In tonight's episode, TV vet Steve Leonard who presents the show is pushed to his limits when he's left in charge of 16 vet students and a hall of 100 barking dogs while Cambridge student Nadia gets a second chance at being a team leader.