Wine and Cheese: Hozier and Maren Morris

Two seemingly different artists collaborate harmoniously to find redemption through religion and love.

It’s your dream collab. The artists you add back-to-back to the queue. The pairing you can’t get enough of. You know they sound good together, but why? Welcome to Wine and Cheese, a series investigating the why and telling you all about it.

Written by Jencie Tomasek

Illustrated by Asha Rountree

When describing Hozier's essence, scenarios like getting lost in a forest or sitting with your lover by the fire come to mind. The Irishman’s whimsical worldbuilding and folksy sonics take precedence over his occasional forays into country music, a genre that evokes gunslingers and cowboys with gleaming silver spurs in the imagination.

But his seamless genre-hopping should surprise no one, as Hozier famously draws musical inspiration from blues and R&B, styles even country stars like Maren Morris proudly call upon today.

A 2019 studio collaboration with Arlington native Maren Morris allowed listeners to hear the ease with which Hozier adapted to the country style. A different Hozier revealed himself, singing as if he were born with that unmistakable Nashville twang and penchant for moodiness that only cowboys and cowgirls know how to bellyache about so well.

Hozier and Morris’ songs explore deep, universal themes that resonate with many people, such as the complexities of being human, spirituality and religion (“Take Me to Church,” “My Church”), relationships with family (“The Tree”), the experience of love (“Work Song,” “Girl”), and the pain of loss (“All Things End”). These themes are central to the human experience and genres do not confine them. Both artists' storytelling transcends typical musical labels or categories, sharing a talent for connecting with listeners on an emotional level. They’re an acoustic yin and yang; stripped down doesn’t mean dull, and less certainly can equal more. The easygoing, folksy sounds and mixture of complex, honest lyrics create a laidback and grounded musical experience, reminding people that anyone can find a home.

The duo shared the stage for the first time at the CMT Crossroads TV special in September 2023. The collaboration invited Hozier and Morris’ fans to come together for an electric evening where the pair dueted with their music and reveled in each other’s presence. “I just fell in love with his voice, first and foremost, cause that’s the first thing you hear of somebody,” Morris said in a 2019 CMT interview. “[Hozier] has so much soul and intention in his melodies.” 

“My Church,” Morris’ first single, kicked off the show with a bang. Country and pop collided in the free-spirited beat and no-fuss lyricism. Drawing the notes out with impressive range, accompanied by the drums' slow but steadily rising tempo, made the chorus sound like the gates of heaven opening to a joyous (albeit sassy) celebration. Morris noted that she’s far from a saint, singing, “I’ve cussed on a Sunday / I’ve cheated and I’ve lied / I’ve fallen down from grace / A few too many times.” Further, clever lyrical allusions to her country roots and alternative notions of church referenced “Hank (Williams) bringing the sermon” and “[Johnny] Cash leading the choir. Belting “Feels like the Holy Ghost running through ya” emphasized the feeling she gets while driving under a wide-open sky with the windows down, akin to the powerful moment in church when you feel the spirit refreshing your body, or, as she calls it, a ‘soul revival.’ It’s a unique take on making religion your own, even if you’re the only one singing in the whole church choir.

Hozier brought listeners into a religion of his own with his 2013 hit single “Take Me to Church." He didn’t stray far from the easygoing yet dramatic genres of blues rock and gospel pop with the song that shot him to stardom. Themes of religion interwoven with ideas of romantic love made for an equally powerful religious experience for viewers as Morris’ own ballad. Whereas Morris found religion in herself by singing along with her country heroes on the radio, Hozier put his lover and religion side by side and threw a bit of political commentary into the mix. All of this was to illustrate the idea of “asserting yourself and reclaiming your humanity through an act of love,” as Hozier said in a 2014 New York Magazine interview. Through worshiping your lover, “Only then, I am human, only then, I am clean,” Hozier crooned in the song.

Hozier preached love above all, singing, “The only heaven I’ll be sent to is when I’m alone with you.” Morris found sanctuary in creating music and belting, “When this wonderful world gets heavy / And I need to find my escape / I just keep the wheels rolling, radio scrolling / Until my sins wash away.” The duo was a force of nature on Hozier’s moody and melodramatic “Work Song” and Morris’ edgy and brutally honest "Girl." “Work Song” utilized a church choir as a backup to fervent clapping, accompanying Hozier’s musical sermon. On the studio track, a worker attributes his strength to his lover while working hard. No barrier or obstacle — not even the depths of hell or death — can keep the diligent laborer away from his love. With a strong sentiment, Hozier sings from the perspective of a working-class promise that, “No grave can hold my body down / I’ll crawl home to her." On the flipside, “Girl” called girls to own up to their insecurities and not place the blame on others in a toxic cycle of comparison and envy. The track wasn’t a watered-down Hallmark message when the country legend released it in 2019. Morris’ mission was a lesson for herself. “I don’t like myself right now / Gotta find a way out,” the Texas native sang in a brutally honest fashion. Morris sincerely and earnestly delivered uncomplicated words. She’s speaking to the listener with care and honesty, like how you might talk to someone you care about. With simple lyrics, the focus shines on stopping the comparison with others and embracing the eccentricities that make you unique. 

Rounding out the evening was Hozier’s song “All Things End” off his latest album, Unreal Unearth, which tells the story of a romantic relationship’s end, new beginnings, and connections amid death. “When people say that something is forever / Either way, it ends," Hozier sang in the pre-chorus, ending on a hopeful note in that "All things end / (Knowin’ we can always start again) / All that we intend / (Knowin’ we have another day).” “All Things End” is a reflection on closure and renewal. Everything — whether it's a chapter in life, a relationship, or a specific moment — comes to an end at some point. Yet, despite endings, there's always the opportunity for new beginnings as each day offers another chance, which Morris reiterates in “The Tree.”

Past the performance, this track pairs perfectly with Morris’ latest single, “The Tree” from The Bridge, a nature-based symbolic love letter to letting go and breaking up from things that stop you from growing. For Morris, growth comes in the form of “a toxic ‘family tree’ burning itself to the ground... without any of my help,” Morris wrote in an Instagram post. The track reminds us that we shouldn’t settle for empty cups when people out there want to fill them. “By the end of the song, I give myself permission to face the sun, plant new seeds where it’s safer to grow and realize that sometimes there IS greener grass elsewhere,” Morris wrote. Both songs serve as a needed reminder to listeners that not all endings are negative if we gain a little bit of distance and time.

With Hozier’s deep and haunting baritone and Morris’ ability to balance out the darker tones of his sound with her bright and soulful voice, a collaboration would see the blending of two extremely talented vocalists and lyricists. Hozier and Morris have transcended the genres they debuted in, and their ability to break the boundaries of being confined to one genre demonstrates how much creative freedom each artist possesses. While Hozier takes a poetic approach to songwriting and Morris’ words come across as deceptively simple, each are masters of capturing the valleys and peaks of life (and death) in a digestible way for listeners.

The pair have certainly made it known that two seemingly different genres can harmoniously crossover and comment synchronously on critical themes like love and religion. With lyricism that hits the soul and voices that mesh better than gravy over biscuits, the rise of Irish-Texan and Indie-Country music is here without plans of slowing down.

Music video links:

Maren Morris, Hozier - The Bones (Official Audio)

Hozier & Maren Morris perform "The Bones" | One World: Together At Home

Maren Morris & Hozier Perform “My Church” | CMT Crossroads

Maren Morris & Hozier Perform “Take Me To Church” ⛪ CMT Crossroads