Bonnaroo: Hozier Reflects on Mumford and Sons Team-Up, Praises Brandi Carlile

Hozier made a triumphant return to the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival on Saturday, but his first experience playing the Tennessee music festival is still fresh in his mind.

Before his set at Bonnaroo’s main stage (known as the What Stage), Hozier opened up to PopCulture.com about his most cherished memory from his first time at the festival back in 2015. While he performed his own set, he also made a guest appearance with Mumford and Sons. Hozier joined the group for a Joe-Cocker-inspired rendition of The Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends,” alongside My Morning Jacket, Dawes, Ed Helms and The War On Drugs.

“(I had a) really, really fun crowd. I believe it was a warm day like today. Later on that day, Mumford and Sons was closing out the stage,” he explained. “They were headlining and they very kindly in their kind of perfect, open-armed, generous, lovely, Mumford and Sons way, they had so many artists and closed out the set with them singing ‘With a Little Help From My Friends,’ the Joe Cocker version.

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“So My Morning Jacket was on stage, myself and the band. The entire band was on stage. Danny Clinch was on, this photographer who also plays a mean blues harmonica. It was just a huge party up there. So that was a big, big memory.”

However, the Irish singer-songwriter, who was 25 at the time, did not call it a night after the collaboration. He then ventured into Bonnaroo’s main area (known as Centeroo) to see a set from none other than R&B icon D’Angelo.

“Later on that night, I just got to let the hair down a wee bit,” he said. “D’Angelo and the Vanguard played a 2 a.m. set and that was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen. Good memories.”

As for his 2019 set, Hozier decided to welcome a special guest: Americana favorite Brandi Carlile. In our chat ahead of the surprise collaboration, Hozier played coy about hopefully running into the “Party of One” singer, who he admitted he was a big fan of.

“I’m just looking forward to playing the set right in the sunshine,” he said when asked about his hopes for this year’s fest. “I know Brandi Carlile is possibly knocking around somewhere on site. So I’m hoping to catch up with her and catch a few sets. … She’s the best. She’s amazing.”

Hozier is currently touring in support of his latest album, Wasteland, Baby. He will be playing shows throughout the U.S. and Europe for the remainder of 2019.