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 bun
