Hozier will play his biggest U.S. stadium yet when his Unreal Unearth Tour hits Boston’s Fenway Park for two nights in June — but the nerves haven’t hit him so far.
“It is a little bit [nerve-racking],” Hozier, 34, exclusively told Us Weekly while on the Los Angeles red carpet at the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s annual Oscars viewing party, where he served as an event cochair. “I mean, I’m sure it will be when I’m five minutes away from the stage.”
The “Take Me to Church” singer explained how he tries to keep his cool in the face of preshow jitters. “Honestly, just breathing techniques. Meditation,” he emphasized. “Grounding and centering, that’s all you can do.”
First launched in summer 2023 amid the release of his Unreal Unearth album, the eponymous tour keeps being extended in the wake of sold-out shows and chart success. (Hozier secured his first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 last year with “Too Sweet,” a track from a post-album EP.) The singer-songwriter said he’ll make minor tweaks to try and keep the show fresh.
“There’s probably a few little setlist changes and probably some production stuff,” he added. “Definitely, we’re looking at that.”
Hozier (real name Andrew Hozier-Byrne) is also set to headline closing nights at Bonnaroo in Tennessee and Governor’s Ball in New York City just weeks prior to his Fenway shows, but in between tour stops and festival sets, he’ll be trying to write new music.
“I hope to be [recording], yeah,” he told Us. “I have a little remote rig that I’ll bring with me, even just for writing creative work. So I’m hoping to do that.”
The tour so far has included 83 dates, and that number will be well over 100 by the time 2025 comes to an end. With so much practice, a live album has certainly crossed the Irish musician’s mind. (He previously released a six-track Live in America EP in 2015.)
“Yeah, look, absolutely that’s something I’ve been thinking about,” Hozier told Us. “Maybe arranging the music slightly differently, you know, maybe for an orchestral arrangement or something like that.”
Also on his wish list for this summer? Fun collaborations. Hozier surprised festivalgoers last year when he welcomed Ed Sheeran to perform “Work Song” at Pinkpop in the Netherlands and Lucy Dacus for “I, Carrion” at his show in NYC (and is expected to feature on her Forever Is a Feeling album later this month). He hopes this year’s events give him more chances to play with friends.
“Depending on the show, depending on the festival, you know, I’m really hoping that we could do that. But it’s early to tell,” Hozier shared of plans for surprise guests.
Hozier’s Unreal Unearth Tour returns from hiatus in May in Bogotá, Colombia, before he returns to the U.S. in June.
With reporting by Sienna Leone
