Hozier

Hozier's soulful voice quickly became ubiquitous in the fall of 2014, with his debut single "Take Me To Church" seemingly speaking to everyone's souls. As a songwriter, Hozier's Irish background is apparent with many Christian references and Celtic influences, but he has also chosen to take on systems of oppression in his lyrics. Hozier was born Andrew Hozier-Byrne in County Wicklow, Ireland on March 17, 1990. The son of a blues musician, Hozier went on to study music at Trinity College, Dublin. There he joined the Trinity Orchestra before dropping out early on to record demos for Universal Records. He became a member of the Irish choral group Anúna in 2008, continuing until 2012. In 2013, he released the EP Take Me To Church, influenced by both Irish folk and the blues. He told Vulture of his songs: The song "Take Me To Church," and its accompanying, harrowing music video about a failing gay relationship, became an international success. He released his self-titled debut album in the fall of 2014.