Reddit was the catalyst that helped the Take Me To Church video to go viral the night it was released. You once said that you didn’t know which friend was behind the username who posted it that night but that you’d love to buy him a pint. Did you ever find out?

That was me! I'm the brother of Jon's friend Ciara

About 6 years ago Jon offered me a lift into town to go college, and you were in the car with us. You were on your way to go busking on Grafton street, and had just gotten a slot at Oxegen (2009 I'm guessing?). You struck me as a really cool and down to earth guy. Not long after you put out the video for take me to church, and I posted it here because it was genuinely incredible and the type of thing Reddit would like.

The rest is history I guess!

Dude! I'll be home soon and we should get together and let me buy you that pint. Send me a PM. You're a legend.

I'm in gay relationship and your message of equality has meant a lot to me since I discovered your amazing music. I've just got a simple question:

How has your day been? You alright?

I'm doing really good actually..and I mean that, so thank you.

I really enjoyed this! Thank you so much for writing. Hopefully we'll do this again at some other stage!

All the best,

Andrew

How do you like your pizza?

Inside me.

What were you thinking about when you wrote the song From Eden?

I kind of play around with the idea that the song is sang by the snake. That it's the devil looking longingly at something he desires - for everything that he does not have.

What does it mean to be the giggle at a funeral?

Have you ever burst your shit laughing at Church? I think it's something that all Irish people have experienced at some point.

There's a unique, wonderful aspect to an expression of irreverence in the face of what should be reverential.

Hey Hozier Big fan! I am getting married a week from today (Holy shit) and will be walking down the isle to your song, "Like Real People Do". My question to you is, if or when you see yourself getting married what would be a must on the "Hozier wedding playlist"?

First of all, congratulations! Thank you so much for playing the music at your wedding, that means a great deal. Many happy years ahead!

I think if I got married and the song "Sugar" by Stevie Wonder did not play at least a few times, the annulment would be issued post-haste.

Much love and best of luck!

Man braids or man buns? Plus I'm that girl you traded jackets with after the San Francisco/Berkeley show and was wondering when your done with your jean jacket could I take it off your hands?

Good to hear from you! Thanks for coming to the show. I'd trade with you, but if I remember well I don't quite have the form for your jacket.

In the documentary It Might Get Loud, Jack White says that he wanted Jimmy Page and The Edge to teach him all their tricks. Which two guitarists do you want to have teach you their tricks?

Yeah I'll talk about guitar players! I've never considered myself a lead guitar player and I don't think I'll ever be that guitar hero. I've such respect for and am always in awe of skillful players.

Saw Gary Clark Jr in the Bowery Ballroom last week. The man's a thundering god up there.

Hi! I'm a huge fan! Got a few questions:

1. Is the line "casting shadows on the walls of the cave" from Sedated an allusion to Plato's allegory of the cave?

2. Can you explain why the transition between the end of the second chorus and the bridge in Jackie and Wilson does such awesome things to my brain?

3. "Why you wanna be a corpse so bad?" - My Brother (also a fan)

1. Yes.
2. No. Read Daniel Levitin's "This Is Your Brain On Music"
3. Great question.

Please answer the corpse question.

I've just always enjoyed things that might be considered somewhat macabre.

What is your opinion of the UK leaving the EU? I'm 15 and trying to understand what it means for the future by getting different viewpoints. Thanks

I think it's a real shame, what happened with the results. I think we arrived at this point through demagoguery.

My heart goes out to anyone who voted to remain and anyone who's young, and the youth that will be affected in the coming years. In the end, these things always sort themselves out although at the moment there seems to be a bit of free fall panic.

It's a shame that the Leave Campaign carried with it somewhat of a sentiment of xenophobia and I don't think the result represents the UK that I know. I hope it politicizes the younger generation.

What do you do with all the gifts fans give you? Have you read each letter?

I'm really, really flattered by all the gifts and the letters. I have to say on the record: it breaks my heart to see people send purchased gifts. I think it's immoral to accept them and I have more than I'll ever need or want.

So if any fans want to send on gifts, spend the dollars that you would spend and donate to any charity of your choice. I usually do what I can with a charity called ChildLine, which is involved with the ISPCC, and any charity that deals with protecting children. I know that any donation in that regard would be highly appreciated.

ChildLine: https://www.childline.ie/

[deleted]

We're a Barrys household.

Hi! What is the best piece of life advice that you could ever give someone, or what is the best advice you have been given that has helped or inspired you? Thanks!

My uncle told me a long time ago to just "do it myself" and to just kind of develop the skills that you need to do whatever it is that you need to do in whatever field you are.

In the creative arts, you really have to just find your own way there...and failure is a good thing. It's a cliche, but what we regard as failure often times are steps toward getting us to where we need to be.

Hey! I've been following your music for a while, and I think you're a beacon of hope for what popular music can achieve. I love your cover of Sweet Thing by Van Morrison, and my question is this: what does Astral Weeks (the album) mean to you? It's my personal favourite record so I'm interested to hear about your experience with it.

Actually two days ago I did a piece with Beats One where I talk about Astral Weeks as one of my favorite albums.

Can you predict the future?

Yes

Do you sing in the shower? Which song?

Of course I do.

Who do you think should rule Westeros?

I am catching up and am about 7 years too late so...No spoilers!

How do you take your coffee?

Black, no sugar.

do you consider your self a Feminist?

Yes, of course. I don't understand why it is a contentious issue, but in no way does it suggest that I'm anti-man or anti-male.

I would be an advocate for a lot of men's rights that need to be discussed and I think anyone of sound mind and common sense would be able to see that there are inequalities on both sides that always need to addressed, but absolutely - of course I'm a feminist.

I think the fear is that when we get into binary thinking and binary discussion, we tend to lock up and shut down.

A book you recommend? Other than those you have already mentioned.

My favorite book is 1984 by George Orwell. I've been reading a bit more Oscar Wilde recently and just enjoying his genius.

What is the craziest thing you've done for love? <3

Meatloaf.

Which of your guitars has the most interesting story? Do you have a favourite to play?

Some of the ones that have more sentimental value I keep at home, like the first guitar I owned and learned to play on.

I can hear many influences in the music you write. Do you have any classical composers that have influenced you?

Yeah! I spend a great deal of time on the road listening to Erik Satie. Gorgeousness.

You favour bareback guitar picking ~ what's your contingency plan in the event of pre-gig fingernail breakage?

It happens. There was a time I used to put superglue or shellack on my fingers. When it happens, it happens and you just have to play through. So, that can mean blisters and that can mean blood.

Hozier, the best piece of music I've come across this year is In a Week. I love being in the woods, among trees, and the raw imagery of this song is what sticks with me. What inspired this song?

In truth, lying in a field after some night during a festival called Knockanstockan in Wicklow and realizing that I was covered in insects that were biting my skin.

THANK YOU FOR REPLYING!! WOKE MY SISTER UP AT 3.30 AM INDIAN STANDARD TIME TO TELL HER YOU REPLIED.

Awesome! Hope she sleeps well again and forgives you.

Hey Andrew! Why did you never performed In The Woods Somewhere on stage?

Guilty. We had a lot on our plates and there are so many percussive elements to that we felt it would be impossible, but we may try that next time around.

Hey Andrew!

Huge fan ever since I heard you on XPN in philly a few years ago.

Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene is absolutely one of my favorite songs ever. The way it builds to the final chorus with the high harmony is just amazing. My question is: for songs like that, does it take you a while to come up with the lyrics or do you sit down and hammer them out in one sitting?

Hope to hear so much more from you, and thank you for everything you've already given us.

Very rarely would I be able to hammer out the lyrics for an entire song in one sitting. It can take a long, long time sometimes. You come away from it and then you go back to it and in your time away you might have new ideas.

First off your concert was the first I've ever been to and I wanted to say thank you for such an amazing experience. Also I have two questions. What was your favorite item to have while on tour? Could be anything food, a book, a record, hair ties... What is something that you would like to see, see happen, or do in your life time?

Hey! I would say a good pair of headphones was important to have on tour. I also had a wireless speaker, which was essential for partying. Also...thank you! I'm glad my gig was the first one you'd ever seen. That's a big deal for anybody.

Will you ever turn on that fan cell phone again ? thank you c:

I still have it. The number has defaulted back to another person so please don't text it because they tweet everything that you text.

Dia duit, Andrew! I have to ask- do you speak Irish? An bhfuil Gaeilge agat? You're incredible- super excited to hear your new music!

Go raibh maith agat, cúpla focail!!

Hello. Thanks for doing this AMA :)

If it's not too much of a hassle, I was wondering if you could share some insight, or a very "long-story-short" version of your personal story/experiences behind "Like Real People Do" and "From Eden" ? Or just the first one, or any one of them at all, if it's alright.

Your songs and writing / lyrics are very touching. And you seem very connected to them, both while singing and the feeling you send.

Good luck :)

There are two important influences to "Like Real People Do". One is Seamus Heaney's poems about bog people. The Grauballe Man would be an example and maybe something along the lines of "The Fisher Man And His Soul" by Oscar Wilde.

I would say that I kind of liked the imagery of someone digging up a person from the earth and falling in love with them and at the same time I suppose that person being dug from the earth is relieved, reborn, and somewhat suspicious of the motives of a grave digger. A fine love story.

Your stagecraft evolved significantly over the course of the tour. Did you have a breakthrough moment? Did you turn to anyone for advice? How did you improve yourself?

I think, no I didn't turn to anyone for advice. I don't think I improved terribly greatly but it was just a natural thing of getting more comfortable. Things really went from not to 100 very quickly so there was no time for stagecraft development, I suppose - much to my regret. It's just something that has had to come about naturally.

You’ve mentioned in many interviews how you don’t feel any different despite the level of fame and recognition you’ve now achieved, but was there ever a moment when you realised that you could no longer enjoy the level of anonymity and privacy you once had? Has this been difficult to navigate?

Yes is the short answer. It's something I'm still figuring out and something that I'm conscious not to revel in the negativity of.

I really enjoyed anonymity and still do when I can find it, which maybe can't be said for everybody, but it's something that can be found while traveling alone sometimes.

I think that sense of anonymity is something everybody should experience.

Jack Keourac talks briefly about it in 'On The Road', shortly after the protagonist has left home. I can't remember the language he uses, whether it's 'forgetting himself' or 'losing himself'. As I said, Yes is the short answer.

When you first started writing songs, was it always with a view to sharing them with the world or did that come later? What was it like performing your own songs to an audience for the first time and how did that differ from performing other people's songs?

I think the first songs, certainly that I wrote, and I imagine in a lot of people's cases, is something you do in a very private space that you don't really want to share with the rest of the world at first.

You spend a lot of time arguing with yourself whether it is good enough. I think it's a good thing and a bad thing as you need to have a hight standard of quality for yourself but also you don't want to be afraid of taking the plunge when the time is right.

I was given a showcase at a music festival at the age of 18 and that was my first chance to share with the world. It was terrifying, but you just have to do those things.

I started writing at 15 or 16 and didn't start playing my own music until I was 19 and didn't release anything officially until I was 23.

Hi. I know this is mostly, well all, about you. But does you mother still create her beautiful art? and if so does she have any social media where she posts it, or shares her techniques. Hopefully one day I could see her artwork, and does she work with a certain gallery wheree her artwork can be seen ? I hope you get this in the sea of questions being asked on this lol :).

Yes she does! She's working away on a series at the moment, which I'm excited to see and I'd love to continue working with her in the future.

What's your favourite song from Unknown Mortal Orchestra?

Yeah! Fuck me!! I literally just got into their stuff. A bit late, but to be honest "Multi Love" just freaks me out - how amazingly crafted that song is. I'm young to it though so I'm still getting into their recent album.

You've recently posted a picture of a page from Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, and have often mentioned the likes of Wilde, Joyce and Orwell in your interviews. When did you sort of become exposed to these works - was it through school or do you seek them out yourself? Are you a fan of any other writers or literary works?

I think largely, I just sought them out myself. I want to read into as much as I can of Irish writers.

What advice would you give to someone that loves to sing but has terrible stage fright?

Suffer through it. That's all you can do. It gets easier.

Any place you would like to visit but you haven't had the opportunity to do so?

I would love to visit Japan.

Hi from San Francisco! Other than teleportation, which we know is your fave, what is your next choice as far as super powers go?

I suppose flight would be fun. If it was incredibly fast, but you'd also have to have super cold-resistance and we gotta get our rules right about this shit.

are you following the EuroCup? excited for Ireland's next match? hopeful? :D

Yeah! Cautiously optimistic.

Of course I'm hopeful!! I was on a promo schedule and missed the Irish/Italian match but sadly I caught the results before I could watch the glory. The fans are representing us well out there.

The videos that are coming back of Irish Fans having a gently mischievous but very good natured and good willing time in France is something that I'm taking great joy in!

Love this one: https://www.reddit.com/r/happycrowds/comments/4o3ew2/irish_fans_in_paris_cheering_for_a_french_guy_on/

Hey! I was wondering, is Better Love a standalone song for the Tarzan movie, or is it a hint at a new album in the near future?

I'm gonna take break now and work on the next album. I don't have a date but I'm very, very excited about it.

Andrew, if you could be an eye witness to any historical event what would it be?

I'd love to witness the asteroid that changed the Earth's ecosystem and led to mammals, you know, doing their thing.

I'm obsessed with your guitar 'Epi' (the Epiphone Broadway). I wanna get one like yours, but there aren't like that. (The colour) What did you do to it? Can you explain the story and if it is still with you? Thanks.

That was one of the first guitars I ever bought. After a long summer of working essentially as a janitor in a golf club. I saw it hanging in a store in Dublin so it was as it is. It was always black.

Fantastic to hear the new single. It sounds fantastic. I was introduced to your music by my partner (another huge fan, she says hi very shyly). I had heard "take me to church" on the radio so frequently that it had blended with much of the mediocre white noise of shopping malls (it shouldn't have) and I couldn't filter out the awesome of it at the time. My partner was playing "in the woods somewhere" and I suddenly stopped and heard the lyrics. Since then we saw your Sydney show and your show in Byron bay last year. 👍 As a fan of narrative and fiction, this spoke to me on so many levels. I considered it a horror story, Tis one of my all time favorite pieces of modern music and still hearing it today sends chills.

My questions are: Do you read horror fiction? And if so, did it contribute to your writing of the song in any way?

I enjoy a little of Edgar Allan Poe and have dabbled in a little bit of H.P. Lovecraft.

I enjoy elements of cosmic horror and oftentimes joke with close friends that the simplest of mundane activities in the day-to-day are in some part, bound to some horrific cosmic dance.

Do you cry on movies?

I've ruined all my DVDs with salt damage.

Good evening, Andrew! I really appreciate your uniqueness and talent, especially in today's music industry. I love you and your music very much.

I went to see you live in Copenhagen earlier this year, and it was one of the most euphoric moments of my life. You're absolutely incredible; I had very high expectations and you exceeded them with ease.

You just released your single "Better Love", and my first question is if you're currently working on a new album, or if you're working on something new for us to listen to? I can't wait for a new tour and to hear your amazing voice live again! And my second question has to do with your interests outside of music. Having been on your social media I've seen a lot of "geeky"-things, such as piano covers dedicated to the Legend of Zelda, that makes me believe that you are a gamer or atleast grew up with video games. So my second question is, what is your all-time favorite game, and why?

Lots of love, Linn.

1 Thank you very much! I think you're being a bit too generous there with the praise, but thank you and thank you for coming to the show in Copenhagen. I am working on a new album. Releasing the new single this month is a nice way to say goodbye for a while, I suppose - and get back to it.

2 Well spotted! In a lot of ways, I suppose I'm a child of the 90's. Video games and a lot of the imagery surrounding video games is something that has always appealed to me. Favorite video game? I don't know if I have one. Honestly, I've always been very moved by the Legend of Zelda games. Currently buzzed for a lot of the VR stuff coming out.