A look back in Hozier history for January 21 to February 18
4 Years Ago
February 8, 2012: Hozier was playing tiny gigs on his own.
February 15, 2012: Hozier and Alex Ryan were with the Trinity Orchestra and played Money by Pink Floyd in the Trinity College Exam Hall.
3 YEARS AGO
February 15, 2013: Hozier supported Amelia Curran from Newfoundland at the Hot Spot Café in Greystones.
Speaking about this gig at an interview show with Hozier in September 2014, the owner of the Hot Spot Café commented, “I think he pretty much stole the show that night.” (Photo from that gig by Sean Rowe.)
February 2013: Alana Henderson was busy recording her EP, Wax and Wane. Check out the behind the scenes video, below.
Can you believe this was 3 whole years ago? Recording the Wax&Wane EP.
I can only hope the next 3 years are… https://t.co/vErfMKAeTr— Alana Henderson (@lanihendy) February 8, 2016
2 YEARS AGO
January 28, 2014: Back in the attic again…
February 7, 2014: Before ever having stepped foot in America and on the strength of the 4-song Take Me To Church EP, the producer of the Newport Folk Festival invited Hozier to play.
@Hozier you should play the grandaddy of all music tests: @Newportfolkfest Make it happen
— Jay Sweet (@ajsfour) February 7, 2014
Hozier taught himself to play guitar by watching old footage of Newport and so the festival was vital in his education and development as a musician. (What was that noise? Oh, that was just young Hozier’s mind being blown.)
February 13, 2014: Hozier announced his first US bookings, including SXSW.
January 28, 2014: Mia Fitzgerald was at the board as producer and engineer on this jazz project.
Hard to believe this video is two years old. https://t.co/M7oIZTJiUf Produced & engineered by @MiaFitzMusic Danny Boy from the 'Ballads' EP
— Niall O'Sullivan (@NiallTrumpet) January 30, 2016
1 YEAR AGO
January 21, 2015: Lorraine Barnes played her first live gig with Hozier. Happy 1 year tour-niversary Lorraine!
January 29, 2015: Rolling Stone Magazine – Behind Hozier’s Unlikely Rise
January 30, 2015: Hozier covered Ariana Grande’s Problem (with Warren G’s Regulate) in the BBC Live Lounge.
February 6, 2015: Hozier performed From Eden on The Ellen Show.
February 8, 2015: Spotify announced that Hozier was the viral artist of 2014, with 195 million streams.
*Amen* @Hozier has made us a believer! 195 million streams and @Spotify viral artist of 2014 🙏 http://t.co/6aeBY59Dga
— Spotify (@Spotify) February 9, 2015
February 8, 2015: Nominated for Song of the Year, Hozier performed a medley of Take Me To Church / I Put A Spell On You with Annie Lennox at the Grammy Awards.
Performing at the Grammys was a career highlight and an experience that Hozier has often mentioned in interviews:
He admits his nerves were on high beam that night.
“It’s the Grammys. And every musician who has ever inspired you is sitting in front of you watching you. Paul McCartney was there and Prince was in the front row too,” he said.
“And I’m playing a guitar solo for Annie Lennox’s song and I don’t play guitar solos.
With Dan Auerbach from the Black Keys and Jack White in the audience, you just feel like a fraudster playing a guitar solo and the nerves were killing me. I played it adequately.”
His brother and father were also in the audience:
My brother just slayed it. And @PaulMcCartney gave him a standing ovation. Truly beautiful, surreal moment.
— Jon Hozier-Byrne (@JonHozierByrne) February 9, 2015
The day after the Grammys…
February 9, 2015: Hozier thanked Iceland for awarding him Best Foreign Song; Softly played Erik Satie’s Gymnopédie No.1 while in a fragile state; Shot the video for Work Song; And performed an impromptu acoustic set for the video extras. (That was quite a 48-hour stretch!)
February 2015: Vanity Fair interview – What was it like singing at this year’s Victoria’s Secret fashion show while beautiful models wearing lingerie paraded by you?
I can’t quite remember what was going through my head. Trying to acknowledge a wink from a Victoria’s Secret model mid-song while trying not to blush probably took up most of my mental capacity.
February 10, 2015: Hozier commented on the newly-released video from ballet dancer Sergei Polunin and photographer/director David LaChapelle.
Absolutely blown away by this gorgeous piece of work from David LaChapelle and Sergei Polunin. No words. Thank you! http://t.co/ey3GBv2N0Q
— Hozier (@Hozier) February 10, 2015
February 14, 2015: A clear display of family sensibilities.
Text from my dad: "the bones of St Valentine and a vile of his blood reside in Whitefriar St Church between Georges St and Camden St." Gimme
— Hozier (@Hozier) February 15, 2015
February 16, 2015: Piano duet with Alex Ryan. Song of Storms from Zelda.
January 21 to February 18, 2015: Hozier’s live headlining tour took him to Oxford, Birmingham, Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne, Munich, London, Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Salt Lake City, and Denver.
Bonus
Febrary 8, 2015: Watch as Grammys Director Louis J. Horvitz calls the camera shots from the director’s truck during Hozier’s live performance of Take Me To Church. Absolute magic!
Featured photo: Sean Rowe