Hozier In The Highest

Pic: Giles Clement

elping the young Byrne lad get over any Difficult Second Album worries, Hozier’s latest offering, Wasteland, Baby!, debuted at no.1 in the US this weekend.

It’s the Bray-reared, Newcastle-based singer-songwriter’s first no.1 there, having become an overnight sensation in America and the rest of the world in 2013 with Take Me To Church.

Sharing the good news on social media yesterday, Hozier stated, ‘Can’t quite put it into words. Thank you, so so much to the fans for this #1. This is handmade, homemade music and your support of that is everything‘.

Young Andrew went on to thank his team at Columbia Records and the bould Denis Desmond, before, we reckon, partying into the wee-wee hours. And a little beyond.

Hozier at The Hot Spot 2011

Just beginning his North American tour, Hozier will be back in Ireland in the summer, with shows at Independent Park, Cork on June 25th and Belfast’s Belsonic Festival on the 27th.

Rumours that Hozier will be doing a return gig at Greystones’ Hot Spot have been dismissed by his management as “complete and utter arse“.

So, you’ll just have to settle for Andrew Hozier-Byrne performing Cherry Wine on the roof of The La Touche Hotel, just months before his career – fittingly enough – went through the feckin’ roof… 

Now, go check out Hozier’s live debut at The Hot Spot in September 2011. “Nobody has actually heard of me…”, indeed.