Story and Photo by Megan Cole/MTSU Seigenthaler News Service
Before his performance on Saturday night, Hozier stopped by the media area at Bonnaroo to answer questions about his latest album.
“Wasteland, Baby!”, released in March 2019, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard top 200 chart. Since this was his first album since 2014, fans had been anxiously awaiting new music.
Hozier’s worldwide hit, “Take Me To Church”, is really where all of his fame began.
“‘Take Me To Church” was being played on the radio in the states before I even had a band together,” Hozier said.
Since then, Hozier has played the song thousands of times and when asked if he’s now tired of the tune, he said that he still enjoys it.
“It’s kind of like a roommate that you see quite often. Or it’s like the ghost that lives in your attic that you’re very comfortable with.”
His latest album is based around rather dark themes and what a doomsday would be like.
“In “Wasteland, Baby!”, with two people in this absolute wasteland scenario, what is there left to do? There is the holding of hands and the kind of squeeze that offers reassurance in that last moment,” Hozier said.
Dark humor came naturally to the Irish musician, as he joked about what the band does to prepare for stage performances.
“There’s a stake in the ground and a little goat that’s tied to that. So we have a pentagram mapped outside of the bus. Right now the band, as I speak, is probably putting on their robes. Once all the blood has been drained, we start the vocal warm-ups. Then, sunscreen. Because that’s really important.”
With all jokes aside, Hozier performed hits, new and old, and even had a guest performance from Brandi Carlile in front of thousands of people.
For more on his performance, read here.
