MUSIC
NEW SWELL SEASON:
PEOPLE WE USED TO BE
By The Swell Season
“It’s a song about trying to reconcile with what feels like an end of an era and allowing one’s self to mourn the People We Used To Be while choosing to fight for the person we love and the life we built with them. It is a song of defiance and determination as much as heart aching nostalgia.” – Markéta
THE ANSWER IS YES
By The Swell Season
“This song was given as an answer to my prayer some months ago. Glen and I had been talking about releasing new music prior to our upcoming US tour, and I made a wish in my heart to write a beautiful duet for us to sing together. Something that felt just right for the time and place. Something deeply personal and yet widely universal. Something that summarized our journey through the past 20 years, paying tribute to all that once was and celebrating all that now is. Some things have remained the same, like the strength of our personal and musical connection, while others changed in big and small ways.”
NEW SONGS:
FRANKINCENSE, MYRRH AND GOLD
“The thing is, I really wanted to write a song about Jesus. This time of year he is on my mind a lot, and I feel an even stronger urge to connect with the Christ energy than usual. In December and January, it seems to fill the space around us, the air we breathe and the earth we walk on. When I am in the right state of mind, I feel like I can just about see it and touch it. My senses open to it in a deeper way and I drink it in, hoping for it to saturate my being and lift me up. And it is precisely this feeling of being lifted up that I wanted to facilitate through this song by invoking the love and light of Jesus and Mother Mary. I set up the scene of Christ’ birth as well as his death, with a tribute to Mary, so full of grace, in the centre. May it bring you peace in this beautiful season of advent, which can be such a busy time for us all.
The strings were played by the quintet of Jihočeská Filharmonie, with whom I have often performed live. My dear husband Mio produced this song and now we are all so joyful to get to share it with you. Merry Christmas.” – Marketa
MONA LISA
By Markéta Irglová & Malinda
The inspiration for the song came from Markéta contemplating women’s position in society throughout history, combining two timelines, and bridging the gap of about 500 years between the present 21st century and the past age of Renaissance. It uses the renowned Mona Lisa painting as a window through which to transport the listener into a Florentine society of the early 16th century.
NENÍ TO LEHKÉ
“This song was written for a Czech movie titled Útěk, about a boy who runs away from home and the adventure he never planned to embark upon, resulting in the founding of an unlikely friendship between him and another, older boy who is also on the run. I was looking for a male vocalist to sing the song with me, and was introduced to Marcell, by our mutual friend Jan P. Muchov. We organized a long distance recording collaboration between Iceland and Czech, and the result is something we are excited to be able to share at this point, ahead of the film’s premiere. I am both grateful and honored to have been given an opportunity to write music for a film, and delighted by the opportunity to collaborate with both Marcell and the David Lanka the director of the movie. David also made a video for our song, combining footage from the movie with footage of Marcell and me, shot in a studio in Prague during my summer visit to Czech.” – Marketa
SPIRIT IS HERE TOO
By Markéta Irglová & Jihočeská Filharmonie
“Is a humanistic song I wrote for the world. It promotes peace while warning of the dangers that lurk on the path of division and polarization, radicalism and disconnection from our humanity. It pains me to see the world in constant conflict with its self, and the pointless loss of lives and people’s suffering trouble me deeply. Writing songs whose objective is to uplift myself and others by offering hope in the place of despair gives me a sense of purpose.
This song is a collaboration with a Czech orchestra called Jihočeská Filharmonie (The South Czech Philharmonic) based in České Budějovice.” – Marketa
WHERE YOU BELONG
“The vinyl release of 3 long songs released digitally during the two years of a global pandemic. The different perception of time during the pandemic dictated the extended length of these songs, and the circumstances inspired the topics. In these three songs I raise questions pertaining to mortality, transience, spirituality, connection, love and loss – among others.
‘Magdalena’ is an added bonus, included for the similarity it bares to the trilogy, based in introspection and a sense of deep longing, as well as processing grief while finding faith.” – Marketa
MY HAPPY PLACE
“My happy place, is a state of mind brought on by a combination of things coming together and creating a feeling of well being, serenity and joy in a given moment in time.
Since I was a little girl, Christmas has represented a time of magic for me. The anticipation, the preparations, the air of something other than usual, otherwise intangible all around. During Christmas, there is more emphasis on family and togetherness, playing, singing, eating good food and enjoying the moment. We experience a lightness of heart and peace of mind, we feel more charitable and generous of spirit.
Throughout history, Christmas was a time when people got to experience a respite from war, from crime and poverty through charity. Christmas was holy and any disruption of peace was condemned as unlawful. The music that came from these times communicated that peace and that joy.“
NEW SONGS POST-LILA:
IF YOU WANT ME (SATISFY ME)
21 April 2023
“If You Want Me – I wrote this song when I was 16. It is my second most popular song after Falling Slowly and is never missing from a live concert setlist. Whenever I hear the recording from Once, I hardly recognize myself anymore, my voice has changed so much over the years. I felt it was time to revisit this song. You guys ready?”
Art by Galletasconagua Ilustración
Listen/buy on Bandcamp:
SI ME QUIERES (feat. Eric Harper)
5 May 2023
“The Spanish lyrics were written by Sion Fullana, a dear friend and Barcelona based photographer who have worked closely with me over the years. I had wished to sing the song in Spanish, considering the flamenco character of this re imagined version, and Sion was kind enough to offer translating my lyrics, as well as helping me achieve the correct pronunciation. Learning Spanish has been a hobby of mine for the past couple of years, and I have gained a good enough understanding of the language to know and appreciate how true Sion´s translation is to the original lyrics while graceful in finding beautiful and poetic alternatives to parts that did not work as well in direct translation. I am very grateful and honored to get to sing my song in another language and in the process express a new aspect of my self. It is something I wish to do more of in the future. “
HAPPY
17 January 2023
The song is about being present and feeling joyful without forming an attachment to how long the feeling may last.
It is about a connection with others, without needing to analyze or name it, hoping only that the joy can be shared.
It is about celebrating that joy and that connection – the here and now – with song and dance, being together and feeling elevated.
Featuring the wonderful Eric Harper on guitars, Manu Barreto on drums and percussion, and Sturla Mio Thorisson on programming and production, it is truly a song that makes me want to dance. I hope it may do the same for you.”
Až Tu Budeš S Námi
By Markéta Irglová & Tomáš Kačo
“This song is a collaboration between myself and Tomáš Kačo. We were brought together in 2019 by Lenka Pastorčáková, the author of a book titled Žárlivka. In her book, Lenka writes about a character, a woman, who becomes pregnant. She is a singer and the father of her child a pianist. Believing that music can have a certain calming and positive effect on prenatal babies, they sing and play to their unborn child a song of their love, convinced that on some level the baby can feel and understand its meaning.
Lenka wished to have an actual song written, to accompany her book. She approached me to write lyrics, knowing I had been pregnant myself not long ago, and she asked Tomáš to write the music. I had said yes to this invitation because of three things: I loved the piano piece Tomas had composed, I liked the idea of writing about the things I felt while being pregnant, and believed I would enjoy the challenge of writing lyrics in Czech. At the time, it was not possible for Tomáš and I to meet in one place, so we collaborated long distance, me in Iceland with my husband Mio and Tomas in LA with his wife Grace.”
WATCH THE VERSION WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES HERE
NEW ALBUM:
LILA
BUY “LILA,” THE NEW ALBUM FROM MARKETA, NOW!
19 Aug 2022 | Masterkey Sounds
LILA (2022) is the third in a trilogy of solo albums, presenting a dreamlike collection of songs on the theme of Love, in all its guises: False love. Vulnerable love. Imagined love. Filial love. Childlike love. Parental love. Sensual love. Young love. Past love. True love. Purest love. Confusing love. Romantic love. Unitive love. Eternal love.
Tracklist
Click for lyrics
Love Stayed With Me
Girl From A Movie
High & Dry
The Way
My Roots Go Deep
Remember Me
Alchemy of Love
The Season
Know Yourself
LONG-FORM SINGLES
AMONG THE LIVING
3 December 2020
Digital single is available on all streaming platforms (links here) including Bandcamp.
QUINTESSENCE
21 June 2020
Digital single is available:
Bandcamp
Apple Music
Spotify
Amazon Music
Lyrics & more can be found here.
OTHER SOLO ALBUMS
MUNA
23 Sept 2014 | ANTI-
27 musicians & vocalists participated in the performance of these songs, among them Robert Bochnik from the Swell Season/The Frames, an Iranian daf player and vocalist, Aida Shahghasemi and Shazhad Ismaily, Una Sveinbjarnardóttir and Zuzana Irglova. MUNA was recorded, mixed, produced and mastered in Iceland by Sturla Mio Thorisson.
Click here for the MUNA press kit & to read more about the album & the people who helped bring it to life.
Tracklist
Click for lyrics
Point of Creation
Time Immemorial
The Leading Bird
Fortune Teller
Without A Map
Remember Who You Are
Mary
Phoenix
Seasons Change
Gabriel
This Right Here
ANAR
2011 | ANTI-
Tracklist
Click for Lyrics
Your Company
We Are Good
Crossroads
Wings of Desire
Only In Your Head
Diving Timing
Go Back
Let Me Fall In Love
For Old Times’ Sake
Last Fall
Dokhtar Goochani
Now You Know
THE SWELL SEASON
STRICT JOY
2009 | ANTI-
Tracklist
Low Rising
Feeling The Pull
In These Arms
The Rain
Fantasy Man
Paper Cup
High Horses
The Verb
I Have Loved You Wrong
Love That Conquers
Two Tongues
Back Broke
“ONCE” SOUNDTRACK
2007 | Columbia
Tracklist
Falling Slowly (Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova)
If You Want Me (Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova)
Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy (Glen Hansard)
When Your Mind’s Made Up (Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova)
Lies (Glen Hansard)
Gold (Interference)
The Hill (Marketa Irglova)
Fallen From The Sky (Glen Hansard)
Leave (Glen Hansard)
Trying To Pull Myself Away (Glen Hansard)
All The Way Down (Glen Hansard)
Once (Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova)
Say It To Me Now (Glen Hansard)
FEATURED COLLABORATIONS
Svavar Knútur –
Ölduslóð
2012
Listen on Bandcamp
Baby, Would You Marry Me?
While The World Burns
Prayer For The Dead
