Last week Hozier announced the name of his forthcoming album, a US tour, and the return to Auckland. Plus loads of interviews & gigs.
All this and more In A Week, our look back at Hozier highlights and happenings from the previous week.
News
Hozier announced that the name of his album will be Wasteland, Baby! And with that, he also announced a US tour for March and the beginning of April 2019 with Jade Bird opening. Tickets went on sale on 14 December and each comes with a copy of the new album. According to Rolling Stone, it’s possible to upgrade to an LP version for an additional charge.
Very excited to announce the US tour which will coincide with the release of the new album, Wasteland, Baby! I’ve enjoyed incredible support from fans in North America and I am thrilled to be going back there soon to play this music live. https://t.co/ongG0F5ykN pic.twitter.com/egV5fzQlNm
— Hozier (@Hozier) December 10, 2018
Following this US tour, Hozier will be heading to Australia and announced a show in Auckland.
And, it looks like he’ll be back in North America before long, with an appearance at Hangout Fest in Gulf Shores, Alabama announced as well.
Looking forward to playing at @Hangoutfest! pic.twitter.com/7szGC4E9JP
— Hozier (@Hozier) December 10, 2018
Chart
Nina Cried Power sits at #7 on the Billboard Triple A Songs chart while Movement entered at #31 this week. Hozier’s debut album has spent 180 weeks on the Billboard Americana/Folk Albums chart and is still holding strong at #8.
Billboard chart movements: @Hozier's "Movement" debuts at #31 this week on the Triple A chart. It is his eighth song to chart.
— Daryl from Pulse (@AAACharts) December 11, 2018
Take Me To Church is in the iTunes top 20 for Belarus, Cyprus, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan. Astonishingly, in Ireland, 5 years after the release of Take Me To Church it is at #126 on iTunes while the album is at #33 after 4 years!
Appearances
Shot backstage in Vienna, have you ever wondered who Hozier’s first celebrity crush was? (Hint: She was a total badass fighting Aliens.)
In this interview with a Brazilian media outlet, Hozier talks about believing in love and says,
“It’s a great dream of mine to go to Brazil and we’re planning to get it on the next tour.”
But, before Brazilian fans get too excited, a second interview this week simply says that Hozier “lives in hope” to get to Brazil.
An Italian interview surfaced this week too.
And The Times featured an interview (paid access) in support of Hozier’s London shows.
Gigs
Hozier played Manchester, Glasgow, and Birmingham on 6, 7, 9 December. Our recap of the three gigs is here.
The tour finished off the UK dates with two nights at the Eventim Apollo in London on the 11 & 12 December. (Gig highlights coming soon.)
Hozier headed home to Dublin to headline the 2FM Xmas Ball which raised €500,000 for the ISPCC Childline.
Holyyyyy shiiiit! Team @RTE2fm have just raised HALF A MILLION EUROS for the ISPCC. Thanks so much to all the acts playing 3Arena for free tonight & thank you all for supporting the Golden Ticket appeal. @ISPCCChildline @mcd_productions @Hozier pic.twitter.com/P6dz2IIXZ4
— Eoghan McDermott (@eoghanmcdermo) December 14, 2018
Look for our coverage of the 2FM Xmas Ball in the coming week.
Life
When asked by the Irish Daily Mirror what his plans were for Christmas, Hozier responded, “Eating good food, watching crap movies.”
What’s Hozier been doing for the last few years? Making some wise (and completely fictitious) investments, according to this website.
Haha. All news to me, delighted. I'd a good laugh at that, thanks. 🤣
— Hozier (@Hozier) December 14, 2018
Friends
Hozier and Karen Cowley’s former bandmate, Max Zaska, released the first single from his debut album in November. Cannot Will Not features sisters Loah and Emma Garnett on vocals and this week it was made Joe.ie’s song of the week.
It’s the time of year for Best Of lists. Irish music blogger Nialler9 put old friends and fellow Trinity Orchestra alumni, Wyvern Lingo and Saint Sister both in the top 5 of his 20 Best Irish Albums list. BARQ made it to Nialler9’s Top 50 New Acts “who impacted Irish music and left a lasting impression on us this year.”
Mia Fitzgerald, Hozier’s keyboardist from his last touring band, is a talented vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and sound engineer. Since the last tour ended, she’s been creating music with Toni Etherson as electro-pop duo, SIIGHTS. This week they released their 6th single, Tell Me Lies.
'Tell Me Lies' is out NOW – Listen here 👉🏻 https://t.co/1ZhCjipEV8👈🏻 (I wrote this song to try and put into words the more vulnerable side of how you can feel after a breakup) 💔Hope you like it 🖤 #FridayFeeling pic.twitter.com/tJneKgEEqQ
— Mia Fitz (@MiaFitzMusic) December 14, 2018
Street Lights is a charity album with an all-star version of Homeward Bound by Bono, Saint Sister, Loah and many others, as well as Saint Sister’s live cover of The Cranberries’ Dreams. Money raised aids organizations working to help the homeless in Ireland.
The full @StreetLights19 album is OUT NOW. Amazing to sing on debut single Homeward Bound. Put the album in every Christmas stocking, let’s get it to number 1!! All proceeds go to housing our most vulnerable. Text STREET LIGHTS to 50300 to donate €4 #streetlights #homewardbound pic.twitter.com/jZICFOj1L3
— Loah (@musicbyloah) December 11, 2018
Special thanks to Hozier’s Guitars contributors @Megn0481, @literarypengke, @AInabsentia, @aenroute, @FYeahHozier, Biljana J, and more.
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Featured image: Photo: X . Graphic: Hozier’s Guitars.
HG great to have u back filling us in on everything Hozier and his friends! His new music is amazing! Listening to on repeat, while i wait for the new album. ❤️🇨🇦🎅