Have you ever heard of Andrew Hozier Byrne?
I hadn’t, until very recently, when I came across the
music video for his song “Take Me to Church”, which went viral within a day or
two of being posted a couple of weeks ago. Smashing vocal, haunting lyrics and clear
instrumental prowess aside, this video went viral because it did a very good
job of bringing to life – with real cinematic beauty and hearty storytelling –
an issue which simply shouldn’t exist in any society.
Hozier is an Irish singer-songwriter (originally
hailing from County Wicklow) whose debut EP, also named “Take Me to Church”
came out earlier this summer.
The video for this song follows the relationship
between two gay men and the violently homophobic backlash that occurs when some
people in their community learn of their sexuality. I didn’t realise it myself
initially, but after doing a little digging I came to learn that the video was
referencing (and I take this phrasing direct from Hozier himself following an
interview he did with Irish magazine, State) “the recent increase of
[organised] attacks and torturing of homosexuals in Russia, which is subsequent
to a long, hateful, and oppressive political campaign against the LGBT
community.”
Hozier collaborated with Irish director Brendan Canty
of visual arts production house, Feel Good Lost to make the video. A personable and clearly passionate Canty
was kind enough to let me interview him last week (our Q and A can be read a
little further on).
Commenting on the song itself, Hozier said recently –
“[it] was essentially about humanity and how it was undermined by religious
organisations and those who claimed to act in its best interest. What has been
seen growing in Russia is no less than nightmarish. I proposed bringing these
themes into the story and Brendan [Canty] liked the idea.”
Hozier took to his Twitter and Facebook accounts to
say that he was proud and overwhelmed by the response to the video, and so he
should be.
The music industry and all it encompasses, is a huge
influencer for our society and how we can consume the issues, social and
otherwise, that it faces. I think this is particularly true for the younger
generation. For me, it was refreshing to see an artist injecting so much depth
and poignancy into delivering a message that actually matters, and a story that
needs to be told and indeed, spot-lighted. As I said to Brendan Canty myself, I
can’t say I appreciate the likes of Miley Cyrus swinging out of a giant cement
ball, in quite the same way.
I took a punt and approached Canty on Twitter to ask
him if he’d mind me posing a short interview, and he obliged…
BF: How did you and
Hozier hook up for the Take Me to Church video?
BC: “I actually tweeted about the track a few months
ago, saying how good it was. Within about an hour his label got in touch with
me, asking me to do a video. I don’t know if it was a coincidence or what. From
then we were put in touch, and we got to developing the concept.”
BF: What was the
reasoning behind the location choice?
BC: “I wanted the video to have an industrial
ex-soviet union sort of feel. The dam is a location near me called Inniscarra
Dam; it’s really industrial and beautiful. The estate bits were shot in an
older, more urban style housing area of Cork, which I thought resembled
something you’d see in Russia. The bits running out of the city were shot up by
Cork airport on a hill; I wanted it to have the feel of him leaving the city.
And then the estate house was a perfect contrast from the city. It is actually
my aunt’s house; I grew up there pretty much. That lane-way is so intimidating
also.”
BF: Aside from the obvious (the
events happening in Russia) did you draw inspiration from anywhere in
particular for the video - movies, photographs etc?
BC:
“Yeah I was pretty inspired by one video in particular by an amazing young
Norwegian director Johannes Greve Muskat - This
video is incredible, the way he gets across such a powerful story using
beautiful little moments and in such a short time. The cinematography is incredible too"
BF: I've seen tweets from
people saying the video reduced them to tears. How does that make you feel?
BC:
“Pretty special. I never realised it would have such an effect on people. It's
such a complement.”
BF: Great to see the
storytelling and cinematography in 'Take Me to Church' getting such
recognition by critics and the general public alike - a rare thing these days
for a music video. Do you think it's important for music videos to make people
stop and think / challenge their perceptions?
BC:
“Yeah it is important. A music video for a great song is going to get great
attention. It's important to make people think and challenge people. But not
necessarily with every video, it has to suit the song and be the right
project.”
And
so there you have it, two very talented people come together to create a bit of
a modern day masterpiece.
The
result is... well, along with highlighting a brutal, political no-holds-barred campaign against
the LGBT community, to hundreds and thousands of people
(me being one of them)… the result is, This –
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