Hozier Is Most Excited About These Three Things Ahead of His U.S. Tour

This fall, Irish singer-songwriter Hozier is hitting the road for a full U.S. tour — his first outing post-pandemic. Following a handful of warmup dates at smaller venues stateside and overseas, his Unreal Unearth tour (in support of his long-awaited third album, of the same name, released Aug. 18) will bring him and his new backing band to iconic venues from coast to coast for some of his biggest shows to date.

As he sees it, “I’m just excited to share the work live with a fan base that has been with me now for 10 years.” Here’s what else he’s looking forward to on this upcoming trek.

Expanding His Show (And Setlist)

“We’ve been bringing this killer nine-piece band to these tiny rooms. It’s a band that really needs to be on bigger stages. It has been tough in these club shows where there’s curfews in these cities, [so I’m excited] to be able to expand the setlist and actually offer a wider representation of the discography, and have a bit more time to play with the ebb and flow of the set.”

Celebrating His Heritage

“This is the first time that I’ll be singing songs in the Irish language or singing parts of songs that are in Irish Gaelic. So I’m really excited to [play] Madison Square Garden or Hollywood Bowl, and sing in Gaeilge [the Irish language]… and watch as, hopefully, concertgoers and fans learn those lines and maybe even sing it with me.”

Fawning Over His Opening Act

“I’ve always been a huge fan of Madison Cunningham — how astoundingly skillful she is on her instrument, and inventive. I think she represents one of the most talented creative forces of our generation. I’m honored she’s on these shows and that I get to hear her music every night and watch her do her thing.”

This story originally appeared in the Aug. 26, 2023, issue of Billboard.