Marketa Irglova Has a Solo Adventure on The Interface

Marketa Irglova first wowed the world in 2006, when she burst onto the scene with her candid and natural performance as the unnamed female protagonist in the modern-day musical 'Once.' From there, she became the youngest person ever to win an Oscar in a musical category when she took home the trophy for the song 'Falling Slowly,' which she wrote and performed for her film debut. Irglova continued to tour the world with her onscreen co-star Glen Hansard under the moniker the Swell Season.

Now a newly minted resident of New York City, Irglova stopped by The Interface to perform some tunes from her recently released solo debut, 'Anar' and talk about her future and life int the Big Apple.

How do you approach writing solo as opposed to working with collaborators?

Some writing is a really nice solitary process, in a way, because you can be a little self-conscious around other people. If it's just you, and you're at your favorite piano, or whatever instrument, and you feel comfortable, then somehow, I always feel like it's opening a door and letting whatever is to pass through pass. Often times, I'm surprised by what I'm writing or what I'm playing, and then that inspires me to keep going with it, so it ends up being a very adventurous process.

The songs, if I write alone in a room, end up being a little more quiet, a little more subdued. If I play with other musicians or percussive instruments, it might end up being a little more upbeat. When Glen and I worked together, I looked up to him very much. He was so much more experienced in songwriting that I would definitely be too shy sometimes to say, "But what about it going here?" Over time, I became a little bit more confident with my role in songwriting and music playing, but this process of writing my own record has definitely been a case of, "OK, it's just me now." I have to be the one who makes all the decisions on this, and rather than it being overwhelming or daunting, it's actually been really fun.

Marketa Irglova Performs 'Your Company' on The Interface

Do you have any trepidation when you perform these songs live, by yourself?

I do when I worry about making a mistake. If I'm focusing on playing and enjoying the song, then it always goes well. I get lost in the song, and the performance is so much better. If the focus becomes not making a mistake, then it just feels rigid to me. The only thing that makes me worry about making a mistake is some fear of judgment, or being embarrassed. Embarrassment is a total reaction of the ego, so I really try not to ever feed that feeling. It creeps in because I have an ego and, unfortunately, it's always going to be part of me, but I
always try and focus on the thing that matters, and that is the song, not me.

Do you have any plans to continue acting?

I would love to. I really enjoyed the process of making the movie, so I would totally be up for being in a movie again, but I would have to feel that I can embody the role and do it justice. If I felt that I wasn't right for it, I couldn't empathize with the character enough to make it believable, then I wouldn't really see the point of doing it just for the sake of acting. If it doesn't happen ever again, then I'll just be really happy with it happening that one time, and that will be fine by me, too.

How do you feel about the 'Once' play?

It's awesome. I really think it's great. The thing I'm looking forward to the most is just going to see it. It's amazing to have made something that moves and inspires somebody else so much that they'd want to continue creating and molding it into something else. That's very flattering, and I can't wait to see what they've done with it.

Do you find that living in New York helps your creativity?

Yeah, definitely. People in New York are very hungry for more knowledge about certain things, or reading certain books, or going to see plays, and I think it becomes part of your inner world somehow. Whatever you focus your attention on, you're making that part of you by drawing it into your inner world of experience. Whatever you create goes through the filter of everything that has gone inside. Somehow, you're processing it and then sending it back outwards. It's like that circle of life and inspiration. There's so much to draw inspiration from in New York, but I have to say I also find nature really inspiring. If I couldn't go and have a walk in the park or go and sit by the river or something, after a while, I'd feel a little stifled. Whatever resonates with you is what you find inspiration in. So right now, this is the perfect place, apparently!

Is there a story that you could tell about writing any of the songs on your most recent album?

I didn't have a piano when I moved, so I used to go play the piano at my friend's mother's place, who lives on the Upper West Side. She's got this beautiful apartment and a grand piano in the living room, so I would walk all the way from Bleecker, where I used to live, to the Upper West Side, and just that walk through New York, that's when I'd be thinking about lyrics and everything. Also, having met my friend Ida, who's from Iran, and us playing together, that definitely influenced me a lot. My friends who are from Iran started introducing me to Iranian music, and that was something completely different to what I'd heard before.

Do you have any future plans with the Swell Season?

My only plan is that I would love to get back with the guys into a studio and record another album or play more gigs, but I'm just kind of waiting, to be honest. I'm waiting to see where Glen is, because right now, he's tied up in doing other things that he's been looking forward to doing and couldn't because he was too busy with the Swell Season. When everybody's ready to go back on tour as the Swell Season and into a studio, then that would be the time.