Indie-folk fans will be thrown into a sea of blues and wordplay when Hozier, also known as Andrew Hozier-Byrne, arrives in Prague on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, to perform at Sportovni Hala Furtuna.
For the first time since 2019, the Irish musician will be showcasing his new album Unreal Unearth, accompanied by The Last Dinner Party, a London-based indie-rock band.
During his hiatus between Wasteland, Baby, and Unreal Unearth, Hozier only performed three times. This included a virtual concert during the pandemic called One World Together, which involved global sensations like Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones, and Billie Eilish and supported frontline healthcare workers, raising 127.9 million dollars.
His latest album was teased before its release with the EP Eat Your Young, including three songs later featured on Unreal Unearth. Since its release in March, Eat Your Young has reached over 111 million streams on Spotify.
Unreal Unearth walks listeners through the nine circles of hell by structuring the album off of Dante’s Inferno, the 14th-century epic poem. The slow but heart-rending build of the album throws audiences on a rollercoaster ride that ceases to end even when the headphones are off and the room is silent.
The artist doesn’t shy away from political and social commentary in his lyricism, either. After the overturn of Roe v. Wade in the United States, Hozier released Swan Upon Leda. The song is an allegory that discusses how a patriarchal society inherently keeps women in an oppressed state, utilizing Greek mythology.
Whether advocating for women’s rights or alluding to them, his audiences reflect the social and political advocacy he maintains. In an interview with Brittany Broski, Andrew finds himself at a loss for words as to why “the girls and the gays” are the main demographic of his work, but he conveys a feeling of gratitude.
While interviewer Brittany Broski said, “…with what you do and sort of your worldview, there’s a sort of safeness there that in a lot of straight white men it’s hard to find. And I think that for that reason and the sort of whimsy, of what you do and the art, it’s easy to get lost in it. And it’s easy to see yourself in it, too.”
Though the album’s musicality is a hit, Hozier has confirmed he will include some fan favorites in each set. This includes his chart-toppers From Eden, Take Me to Church, and Like Real People Do.
The tour has not failed to shock its audiences with special guests. From Noah Kahan in Virginia to Tom Odell in Portland, he continues to excite his crowds. The surprises do not end there, with Hozier making surprise appearances like singing Salt in the Wound with Boygenius on their tour earlier this year.
In recent years, Prague has found itself bringing in more well-known artists such as Cigarettes After Sex, Billie Eilish, The Lumineers, and Don Toliver.
However, many concertgoers find themselves calculating transportation costs with their tickets, having to go country-hopping to make it to their favorite artists’ shows in hub cities. Whether that is flying to London, taking the bus to Berlin, or catching a train to Paris.
Kiley Mack, a student traveling 664 miles to attend a show, said, “Taylor Swift is doing her Europe tour next year and isn’t coming to Prague, but it’s Taylor Swift! So I’ll fly hundreds of miles to a small city in France to see her.”
Hozier may only have three albums, but with the earth-shattering pieces he’s released, Czech audiences have happily awaited not only the next one but their next reunion with the artist.
