What are the Twenty First Century Blues? And who shall we find to sing them?
From trivial first world problems to the seismic shifts in geopolitics, the modern Blues resonate down the years with the same eternal themes – loss, loneliness, longing and regret. New wine in vintage casks.
Born on St. Patrick´s Day and hailing from County Wicklow, Hozier was raised on the building blocks of popular music: rhythm and blues, soul, jazz and the deep dark stuff stretching from Chicago to the Delta. He joined his first band when he was 15 years old, fronting a soul band with some older heads. Taught himself to play guitar and piano, and went to Trinity College to study music. Whilst there, he bagged a seat on the flight deck of the symphonic B-52 that is the Trinity Orchestra, fronting their missions into the world of classic rock.
However, four years looked like a long stretch, particularly when the goal was to write, record and perform his own music; so Hozier dropped out to… ³