Before he found pop glory with “Take Me to Church” — released 10 years ago on Sept. 13, 2013 — it was more like “Take Me to College” for Hozier.
“After I began working on the lyrics for a variety of that song, I used to be in college,” the suburban Dublin native — who was born Andrew John Hozier-Byrne — told The Post.
“The label was offering to pay for studio time, but that studio time conflicted with an exam timetable within the university, and I selected the studio time. I used to be form of forced to make a call to either stay or leave my coursework in university, so I left college and was specializing in music full time.”
But leaving Trinity College Dublin helped Hozier, 33, graduate from playing local open mic nights to becoming a global sensation along with his hit debut single, “Take Me to Church,” which was nominated for Song of the 12 months on the 2015 Grammys and kickstarted a profession that continues to achieve latest heights a decade later. Actually, the Irish singer-songwriter will headline a sold-out Madison Square Garden in Latest York on Saturday — one month after releasing his excellent third studio album, “Unreal Unearth.”
Strangely, though, he’s never even set foot inside the enduring venue that has hosted lots of the biggest musicians of all time.
“It’s an enormous landmark for me,” said Hozier. “And I feel super fortunate that I actually have the support, that audiences are form of growing, and persons are still coming to the music 10 years on. That’s something I’m delighted about.
“Latest York has all the time been so good to me,” he added. “It was the primary city I played after I got here to the States — and the primary time I ever played to an audience that removed from home … It felt like I had a future in playing music world wide. That was a sense I got for the primary time in Latest York.”
Indeed, within the last decade, Hozier has continued to meet the “mission statement” that he made with “Take Me to Church.”
“I figured that if I used to be as honest within the work as best I may very well be, people would resonate with it,” he said. “You recognize, that’s all I attempted to do with that song — and still attempt to do within the work now.”
Still, he’s surprised that “Take Me to Church” managed to go all of the strategy to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, while spend 23 consecutive weeks atop the Hot Rock Songs chart.
“The way in which that the song crossed over right into a pop hit was amazing,” he said. “And I used to be so proud that that the song could do this.”
Although Hozier grew up Catholic, he now identifies as agnostic, and the lyrics of his signature song are critical of the Catholic church.
“I assume a part of me wanted to handle, as an Irishman, the actual legacy of the institutionalized Roman Catholic Church in Ireland,” he said. “And in addition to check out and form of comment on the concept of original sin — so, before we even get into sexual orientation, that fundamentally all human beings are born as something that carries sin. So I just desired to query that and form of turn that concept on its head a bit bit.”
The gospel-charged “Take Me to Church” made much more of a press release with its video, which depicted a gay male couple — considered one of whom comes under homophobic attack.
“It was across the time the Olympics were about to be held in Russia, and on the time the Russian state had engaged on this form of misinformation campaign where they were targeting the LGBTQ+ community,” he said. “They were putting them into the identical bracket of laws as beastiality. And there was this massive uptick of attacks against gay people in Russia. And we decided to form of draw some awareness towards what what was happening in Russia on the time.”
Nonetheless, some proceed to misinterpret the lyrics to “Take Me to Church” as more pro-religion than they really are.
“There’s definitely some individuals who didn’t understand the message,” said Hozier. “And I feel I’m at peace with that … It’s a risk that you just take once you release something, it’d get misunderstood.”
Nevertheless, the song took Hozier all of the strategy to the Grammy stage, where he sang it with Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Annie Lennox in 2015.
“It was a beautiful experience attending to perform with Annie Lennox, who’s just a complete legend and was a beautiful supportive energy as well around me,” he said. “Just attending to know her, attending to check with her and attending to sing along with her — it was great for thus many reasons.”
There are more gospel vibes on “Unreal Unearth” tracks reminiscent of “All Things End,” “Butchered Tongue” and “Damage Gets Done,” featuring Brandi Carlile. And Hozier gets all that soul from his papa.
“My dad was a drummer, and the entire music that he listened to, all of the music that he played, was from the blues tradition and soul tradition,” he said.
While “Unreal Unearth” is top-of-the-line LPs of 2023 — a real album that is supposed to be listened to from start to complete — even Hozier doesn’t expect everyone to eat it that way today.
“I don’t frustrate myself by attempting to swim against that tide,” he said. “For individuals who could have time to sit down down and take heed to an album, it’s great that you would be able to do this. But I recognize that’s not all the time easy … So I’m at peace with the way in which that individuals come to the music nonetheless they arrive to it.”
Before he found pop glory with “Take Me to Church” — released 10 years ago on Sept. 13, 2013 — it was more like “Take Me to College” for Hozier.
“After I began working on the lyrics for a variety of that song, I used to be in college,” the suburban Dublin native — who was born Andrew John Hozier-Byrne — told The Post.
“The label was offering to pay for studio time, but that studio time conflicted with an exam timetable within the university, and I selected the studio time. I used to be form of forced to make a call to either stay or leave my coursework in university, so I left college and was specializing in music full time.”
But leaving Trinity College Dublin helped Hozier, 33, graduate from playing local open mic nights to becoming a global sensation along with his hit debut single, “Take Me to Church,” which was nominated for Song of the 12 months on the 2015 Grammys and kickstarted a profession that continues to achieve latest heights a decade later. Actually, the Irish singer-songwriter will headline a sold-out Madison Square Garden in Latest York on Saturday — one month after releasing his excellent third studio album, “Unreal Unearth.”
Strangely, though, he’s never even set foot inside the enduring venue that has hosted lots of the biggest musicians of all time.
“It’s an enormous landmark for me,” said Hozier. “And I feel super fortunate that I actually have the support, that audiences are form of growing, and persons are still coming to the music 10 years on. That’s something I’m delighted about.
“Latest York has all the time been so good to me,” he added. “It was the primary city I played after I got here to the States — and the primary time I ever played to an audience that removed from home … It felt like I had a future in playing music world wide. That was a sense I got for the primary time in Latest York.”
Indeed, within the last decade, Hozier has continued to meet the “mission statement” that he made with “Take Me to Church.”
“I figured that if I used to be as honest within the work as best I may very well be, people would resonate with it,” he said. “You recognize, that’s all I attempted to do with that song — and still attempt to do within the work now.”
Still, he’s surprised that “Take Me to Church” managed to go all of the strategy to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, while spend 23 consecutive weeks atop the Hot Rock Songs chart.
“The way in which that the song crossed over right into a pop hit was amazing,” he said. “And I used to be so proud that that the song could do this.”
Although Hozier grew up Catholic, he now identifies as agnostic, and the lyrics of his signature song are critical of the Catholic church.
“I assume a part of me wanted to handle, as an Irishman, the actual legacy of the institutionalized Roman Catholic Church in Ireland,” he said. “And in addition to check out and form of comment on the concept of original sin — so, before we even get into sexual orientation, that fundamentally all human beings are born as something that carries sin. So I just desired to query that and form of turn that concept on its head a bit bit.”
The gospel-charged “Take Me to Church” made much more of a press release with its video, which depicted a gay male couple — considered one of whom comes under homophobic attack.
“It was across the time the Olympics were about to be held in Russia, and on the time the Russian state had engaged on this form of misinformation campaign where they were targeting the LGBTQ+ community,” he said. “They were putting them into the identical bracket of laws as beastiality. And there was this massive uptick of attacks against gay people in Russia. And we decided to form of draw some awareness towards what what was happening in Russia on the time.”
Nonetheless, some proceed to misinterpret the lyrics to “Take Me to Church” as more pro-religion than they really are.
“There’s definitely some individuals who didn’t understand the message,” said Hozier. “And I feel I’m at peace with that … It’s a risk that you just take once you release something, it’d get misunderstood.”
Nevertheless, the song took Hozier all of the strategy to the Grammy stage, where he sang it with Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Annie Lennox in 2015.
“It was a beautiful experience attending to perform with Annie Lennox, who’s just a complete legend and was a beautiful supportive energy as well around me,” he said. “Just attending to know her, attending to check with her and attending to sing along with her — it was great for thus many reasons.”
There are more gospel vibes on “Unreal Unearth” tracks reminiscent of “All Things End,” “Butchered Tongue” and “Damage Gets Done,” featuring Brandi Carlile. And Hozier gets all that soul from his papa.
“My dad was a drummer, and the entire music that he listened to, all of the music that he played, was from the blues tradition and soul tradition,” he said.
While “Unreal Unearth” is top-of-the-line LPs of 2023 — a real album that is supposed to be listened to from start to complete — even Hozier doesn’t expect everyone to eat it that way today.
“I don’t frustrate myself by attempting to swim against that tide,” he said. “For individuals who could have time to sit down down and take heed to an album, it’s great that you would be able to do this. But I recognize that’s not all the time easy … So I’m at peace with the way in which that individuals come to the music nonetheless they arrive to it.”
