07/29/2026
He was a giant in my life. He was the songwriter that changed everything about how I see and hear and feel music/art. For me he was before Dylan, before Albini (though they are inexplicably linked), before Kozelek. He along with Blake Schwarzenbach (Jets to Brazil) unlocked things in me that I didn’t know how express and gave me the roadmap for how to do it. Glen Hansard sang to the soul. He dredged it, worked it, nurtured it, and planted something new and deep in its place. Every note had gravity, every word dripped with truth—often bittersweet but somehow hopeful truth. I honestly struggle remembering a time in my life where his presence wasn’t at the very least ambient—I was 10 or so the first time I saw The Commitments and frames CDs were regularly around budget bins in the 90’s. It was 2001’s For the Birds that brought him front and center. And there he has remained ever since. The world will be a bit darker because he’s gone, but exponentially brighter because he shared his gifts with us.
Rest in Power, Glen Hansard
