Thérèse Walsh caught up with Hozier to talk about the Wicklow man’s new video music video Take me to Church which has gone viral, sovaldi sale anti- homophobia and what is really in that black box…
Andrew Hozier sits patiently in the Central hotel, troche Dublin while a line of journalists eagerly await a chat with the emerging star. I just happen to be one of them and I can hardly wait to ask one little question. The Wicklow musician has been on the scene for a while, playing music since his teens and experimenting with his sound for years. However, this summer Hozier’s song, Take me to Church has gone viral, launching his music and his personality into the spotlight. For anyone familiar with the video for this song, the video utilizes the motif of a little black (unopened) box. What’s in the box? Why is it important? Where did the idea for the video come from? I’m eager to find out.
Hozier’s new album Take me to Church is a four track EP that has made musical waves in Ireland. Some of the EP was recorded live at 6am on an abandoned hotel rooftop with the first track Take me to Church nearly entirely produced by Hozier himself.
Hozier is the epitome of polite and before I even sit down he’s offering me tea. We launch into the interview and it becomes clear that he has a unique story to tell. Hozier was briefly a Trinity student, however, ironically he decided to leave his studies because his own music was interfering with his music degree, “I was recording demos with Universal Ireland when I was in first year and I ended up having to miss a few exams.” We began chatting about music in education and the lack of practical elements in most Irish universities. We agree that most university music degrees are made up predominantly of theory, “the only real practical elements in Trinity were when the students organized it themselves,” he says. Hozier made his mark by singing popular music sections with the Trinity orchestra, “I really only took part when they were doing there popular music sections, so I was the soloist for Pink Floyd and Arcade Fire and Stevie Wonder covers.” However, from humble beginnings Hozier’s music is really taking off.
Take me to Church is the opening track on his new EP and it has gained considerable attention online and in the press in the last number of weeks. The video, directed by Brendan Canty, currently has over 300,000 youtube views. The video juxtaposes images of a gay couple in love, kissing and enjoying their life with images of one of the gay men being hauled off by a mob of men, who, holding a knife to his throat and videotaping their actions, beat him beside a fire, while his agonised lover stands helpless in the distance. The images are accompanied by provocative lyrics such as “every Sunday’s getting more bleak, a fresh poison each week, we were born sick, you heard them say it, my church offers no absolutes, she tells me worship in the bedroom, the only heaven I’ll be sent to, is when I’m alone with you, I was born sick, but I love it.”
It is clear to see why this thought provoking video has gone viral. Part of the reason that the video has garnered so much attention is due to its anti-homophobia message which is deemed by Hozier to be a “shout off to LGBT in Russia.” Hozier states the song itself “is a love song, a song about humanity and how we express that humanity through sexuality, I mean the song wasn’t written from a place of sexual orientation, it’s not gay or straight – it’s just on the base of what’s natural, what’s human.” With poetic lyrics like “the only heaven I’ll be sent to, is when I’m alone with you,” you can see Hozier’s sense of humanity is recognised through music. Angel of Small Death, is the second track on the EP and takes the form of a gospel song while Cherry Wine has a really interesting sound. This is an EP which has brought Hozier into the spotlight, and rightly so.
So whats next for the star? His music is taking the country by storm and there are rumours abound that music industry heads are flying to Ireland to get a piece of this Irish musical talent. Meanwhile, Hozier is playing some of the best venues in Ireland with his debut EP making sure gigs sell out fast. Hozier’s plans for the future are sure to be influenced by his recent success, “in truth I don’t know but I’m going to go back into the studio in November for the next few songs,” he says. Many of his December gigs have already sold out due to demand, but he’s set to play Cork’s Pavillion on the 21st of December and the Roisin Dubh in Galway on December 22nd.
As the interview drew to a close, I finally got to ask my question – “What was in the box?”
Hozier looks down and smiles, “well that’s for you to decide.”
Tickets available on ticketmaster for his December shows.
