Hozier has teamed up with fellow Irishman Domhnall Gleeson for the accompanying music video to one of his latest releases, “De Selby (Part 2).” While writing the song, Hozier was inspired by the famous Irish novel The Third Policeman.
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The music video is as harrowing as the lyrics are. In the track, Hozier sings about the darkness in a relationship: I wanna run so far, I’d beat the mornin’ / Before the dawn has come, I’d block the sun / If you want it done. In the accompanying visual, Gleeson plays a man lost in a time warp. He goes from being buried alive to waking up on the edge of a cliff, only to do it all over again.
At the end of the video, it’s revealed that Gleeson has killed himself, buried his body, and as punishment, is made to do it all over again. The theme falls right in line with Hozier’s aim to make the album, Unreal Unearth, a dramatic portrayal of the circles of hell. “De Selby (Part 2)” is set to act as the second track on the impending record.
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“This song reflects on darkness and night falling. It aligned with the thinking of the character of De Selby,” Hozier says in a statement. “When you can’t see where your hands and the darkness end, they literally become one and the same. Part 2 is something of a descent. We are lost together in this moment with no beginning and no end. The track explores this theme over a disco track, hope you enjoy!”
“I’m very proud to release this collaborative video for ‘De Selby (Part 2)’ featuring the incredible Domhnall Gleeson and directed by the great Wolf James,” Hozier added. “Working together with such creative talents toward this piece was a pleasure, and I’m honored that Domhnall Gleeson would bring his remarkable skills and this stunning performance to my work.”
Check out the visual, below.
Unreal Unearth is set to arrive on August 18. The project will be Hozier’s third studio album following his self-titled 2014 record and his 2019 sophomore record, Wasteland, Baby!
Earlier this year, Hozier shared an EP, Eat Your Young. Hozier recently caught up with American Songwriter to talk about writing the EP.
“It felt good to write differently for a song like that with Bekon, that was a joy,” he said. “A lot of the songs from those sessions we just started jamming as a band, and that was one that just happened. It was written very naturally. The production styles and the writing styles across all these sessions were different.”
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
