I'll leave most of the
chronological details of the
formation of this
Irish band, etc etc to someone more qualified than myself.
The Frames are an Irish rock band that were formed around 1990. Scrape off the thin veneer of Irish acts such as BoyZone and The Corrs, and put huge bands such as U2 to the side for one moment, too. The Frames represent the next visible layer, and are essentially "Irish rock music for the Irish".
Had lead singer & frontman Glen Hansard not been blessed with his innate distaste for record companies, The Frames would probably have been Ireland's next international export, with an album (Fitzcarraldo) full of radio-friendly singles that never quite made the radio. Instead, numerous pop-edits of the melodies were rejected with cries of "You've absolutely got to be kidding me", and the band toiled on alone, touring to build an ever-increasing fanbase in awe of their talent, lyrics, and wisdom.
However their 2001 album For the Birds, released on the band's own Plateau Records, has sold over 100,000 copies in its first few months, and The Frames finally appear to be doing it their way.
Interviews with the band are always amusing, almost as much so as the concerts (which often last 4 hours and are an even mix of music and comedy, with a few Q&A sessions thrown in).
Oh yeah, Glen Hansard also played the guitarist Outspan in the movie The Commitments, ensuring him fame and debauchery (which he apparently hated) for a few weeks on their tour of the USA.
Current Frames albums:
For more information and/or live mp3 samples, you could visit the offical site at www.theframes.ie