That is, win the attention of the American public. His rock group the Frames have been huge in their native Ireland for years, but despite consistently high-quality output, they’ve never been able to amass much of a U.S. following. Finally, with the 2007 indie film Once (in which Hansard acted and co-wrote the soundtrack), he’s got our ears. “Falling Slowly,” the single from the soundtrack and currently a staple over at KFOG radio, was honored Sunday night at the Oscars with the award for Best Song. There’s some irony that Hansard’s biggest song in the U.S. came from a low-budget art movie and not one of the Frames albums (like, say, their latest, 2007’s The Cost, which also happens to contain “Falling Slowly”) and this wasn’t lost on him: “This is amazing! What are we doing here? This is mad!” he exclaimed during his acceptance speech. After all, the movie was made on two Handicams over three weeks for a mere $100,000. Hansard always considered the film, and acting in general, a minor side project to his work with the Frames. Go figure. Maybe all the new fans he’s made through Once will finally decide to pick up a Frames record or concert ticket. After the jump, see a YouTube clip of Hansard and Once co-star Marketa Irglova performing “Falling Slowly” at the Oscars.
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