Hozier: “My heart was just torn open”

Welcome to the debut episode of Alchemy! For our very first guest, I invited one of my favorite singer-songwriters, Andrew Hozier-Byrne. Between his breakout hit “Take Me to Church” and his more recent smash “Too Sweet,” he’s put out three exceptional albums. Hozier talks with us about falling in love with Simon & Garfunkel as a kid in Ireland, the mystery that always brings him back to music, and taking the stage at Madison Square Garden for the first time – with his dad. 00:00 Introduction & Welcome to Alchemy 01:24 "Too Sweet" Going Viral & the TikTok Leak 04:07 Watching a Song Take On a Life of Its Own 06:09 First Time at Madison Square Garden & His Father's Return to the Stage 10:17 Growing Up in a Creative Household 13:25 Early Singing Experiences & the Band at 15 16:22 Nina Simone, Thin Lizzy & the Records That Shaped Him 18:09 The Mystery of Music & What Pulls Him Back 19:46 Watching Paul Simon Soundcheck at Love Rocks! 25:01 [Sponsor Break] the FLAG Art Foundation 26:33 The Thrill of a Song Coming Together 29:12 Making the TIME 100 & Speaking Out on Matters of Conscience 32:44 Noah Kahan & What Music Gives Him 36:44 Getting Out of Your Own Way When Creating 38:31 New Music: Three Years of Phone Memos 41:09 What's Most Thrilling About the Creative Process 44:48 Hozier the Beekeeper 48:54 Closing Remarks & Credits New episodes of Alchemy every Wednesday. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube so you never miss one. Sign up here to get Alchemy in your inbox⁠. Stay connected with Anthony Mason on Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ & Facebook. For brand partnerships: partnerships@collective.media For press inquiries: dawn@thepresshouse.com For bookings: rebecca@alchemy.show About our Founding Sponsor, ⁠The FLAG Art Foundation⁠: The FLAG Art Foundation is a nonprofit contemporary art exhibition space in New York's Chelsea Arts District. Since 2008, FLAG has staged more than 100 exhibitions celebrating nearly 1,000 artists, with innovative partnerships including the Parrish Art Museum, the Serpentine Galleries in London, and the Harlem Children's Zone. FLAG is free and open to the public. Follow FLAG on Instagram⁠. About Anthony Mason: Anthony Mason, the host of Alchemy, is also a Special Correspondent with CBS News. One of the most versatile and experienced television journalists, Anthony co-hosted CBS This Morning: Saturday for seven years (2012-2019), and then the weekday CBS This Morning broadcast for two more. But he may be best known for his interviews with artists like Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Annie Leibovitz, Judi Dench, David Hockney, and André 3000. He has won a dozen Emmy Awards. In 2023, the Songwriters Hall of Fame presented him their Patron of the Arts Award. And for the past three years he has hosted the GRAMMY Hall of Fame Gala.