EDIT – 3 September 2018:

I’m thrilled to release the Nina Cried Power EP on September 6th. This collection of songs is an example of what I’ve been working on in the last while and will be a small taste of what is to be expected from the upcoming album. https://t.co/4BF7hsFCfZ pic.twitter.com/dneUIHU5Ez — Hozier (@Hozier) September 3, 2018

Pre-order link: https://Hozier.lnk.to/PreOrderTW

Track list:

Nina Cried Power (Feat. Mavis Staples)

NFWMB

Moment’s Silence (Common Tongue)

Shrike



Hozier is releasing a new four-song EP, Nina Cried Power, on 6 September with a full-length album to be released in early 2019, according to an interview in Rolling Stone.

Can't wait to share these songs with you #NinaCriedPower pic.twitter.com/UAn8HtScXN — Hozier (@Hozier) August 31, 2018

The EP features legendary R&B and gospel singer, Mavis Staples and the equally legendary Booker T. Jones on Hammond B3 organ.

According to Rolling Stone, the “rousing, gospel-tinged” title track, Nina Cried Power, is a “song about protest songs”. The title references the “Power” refrain in Nina Simone’s Sinnerman, a song Hozier has long said is one of his all-time favourites.





Heavily influenced by news and current events, Hozier told Rolling Stone about the mood of 3 of his upcoming songs on the EP and album:

This sense of impending doom filtered into many of the new songs Hozier wrote, including the moody “NFWMB,” which appears on the EP. Though, as the musician explains, rather than speaking to fear of an impending apocalypse, songs like the acoustic “Wasteland, Baby” and No Plan,” a disco-y stomper inspired by physicist Lawrence M. Krauss’ belief that we should rejoice at being so lucky to even have this relatively brief moment on Earth, are about greeting the chaos with a laugh and a shrug. “It’s like, ‘Well, here the fuck we are,’” he says with a smirk.

MAVIS STAPLES

In the recent Rolling Stone interview, Hozier said of recording with Mavis Staples,

She’s the most amazing person, just fucking unbelievable. That energy is still absolutely there.

Hozier’s long been a fan of Mavis Staples and back in May 2015, when Gigwise asked him who else he most dreams of writing a song for, he replied,

I was talking about Mavis Staples at one stage, and I’d love to look into that, but I’ll be on tour until March of next year with no time at all.

The two met in 2014 when Hozier was at the Newport Folk Festival for the first time. He was thrilled when Mavis joined Lake Street Dive for a song during their set, and later he joined her on stage during the finale to sing We Shall Overcome.





Recently, in a full-circle moment during the #Stand4Truth rally in Dublin, Hozier led the supporting performers in singing Nina Simone’s I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free, which included a verse of We Shall Overcome.

BOOKER T. JONES

Booker T. Jones is a blues legend and a master at the Hammond B3 organ. Last January while in studio in London, Hozier posted this shot:

After spotting the famous organ, we posted some information about the Hammond B3 and coincidentally, this clip of Booker T. Jones at NPR’s Tiny Desk, where he plays his classic song, Green Onions.

Booker T. Jones will also be appearing on Hozier’s full-length album. According to Rolling Stone,

Hozier and (producer Markus) Dravs “thought, ‘Fuck, could you imagine getting Booker T?’” the singer recalls with a laugh. Jones it turns out, was down. The MG’s frontman spent 10 days recording in London with Hozier; he appears on several songs across both projects, including contributing a funky organ breakdown during “Nina Cried Power.” “I had my mind blown,” Hozier recalls of watching Jones arrange several of his parts by ear. “He’s just so intuitive and such an incredible musical brain.”

PRODUCTION

Hozier recorded in Los Angeles, London, and Chicago over the period of a year. His long-time producer, Rob Kirwan, with whom he worked on his first two EPs and album, is back. In addition, Hozier worked with Grammy-winning producer Markus Dravs who has produced Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons, Coldplay, and Florence and the Machine.

In June, Hozier may have dropped a hint about the EP in this interview with NPR back on the announcement of his tour in June where he revealed,

It kind of encouraged me to just explore some of the more folk ideas, which is something I’m doing here in LA, as well as with these extra five songs.

So, perhaps there’s another song left for a future surprise.

PRE-TOUR GIGS

And, speaking of surprises, The Irish Times reports that Hozier has a ‘surprise gig’ with Mavis Staples at Electric Picnic this Saturday at 5 pm.

Three rehearsal shows will be happening September 3, 5, and 7, at the Academy in Dublin, with proceeds going to Safe Ireland, One in Four Ireland, and the Peter McVerry Trust. Fellow Rubyworks labelmate, Eve Belle, will open. The London rehearsal show at KOKO on the 11th has proceeds going to War Child UK with Saint Sister opening.

The first North American show will be at the CityFolk Festival in Ottawa, Canada on 15 September. Europe tour dates will be announced on 17 September.

Thanks to all of our contributors with special thanks to @Megn0481 and @literarypengke.

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