Hozier on His Sold-Out Tour, the Legacy of ‘Take Me to Church’ and Why He Visited Dante’s Inferno on New ‘Unreal Unearth’ Album
variety.comChris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Hozier’s third album, the just-released “Unreal Unearth,” has serious conceptual underpinnings that include references to literary and even mythic tropes like Dante’s “Inferno.” Even with that time spent in the underworld, though, fans can assume that the Irish singer-songwriter will take them somewhere closer to heaven — and, for sure, “Church” — when he mounts a major U.S.
tour this fall, including a sold-out stop at the Hollywood Bowl Nov. 4. The artist more fully known on his passport as Andrew Hozier-Byrne took time out after a soundcheck on his European tour to talk with Variety about subjects including: singing with Brandi Carlile on a new song; why Monty Python makes him particularly excited about doing the Bowl; how “Take Me to Church” has only taken on more topical importance over the last 10 years; standing with Tennessee’s LGBTQ+ community; the impact of Irish literature on the new album; and, not incidentally, the meaning of all things. You are playing some of the iconic U.S.
venues on your fall tour, like the Hollywood Bowl, Madison Square Garden and Red Rocks. Anything you’re particularly excited about with this tour? We’re looking at a larger production than I’ve had before, including a nine-piece band that is the largest group of musicians I’ve worked with.
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