According to Maren Morris, the making of this brand new collaboration was very organic.
Morris and Hozier — the Irish musician, singer, and songwriter whose debut single “Take Me to Church” was his international breakout moment in 2015 — have just released a new version of her ballad “The Bones.”
“I’ve been a fan of Hozier’s music for a really long time, ever since his first record,” Morris said in a recent radio interview. “I just fell in love with his voice, first and foremost, cause that’s the first thing you hear of somebody. He just has so much soul and intention in his melodies, and obviously his lyrics are so deep and personal and poetic. He really reminds me of a Jeff Buckley type.” (Buckley’s debut album had a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and it was released as a single in 2007, ten years after Buckley’s death in Memphis.)
“And (Hozier) was just a fan of my song ’The Bones,’ and it felt like a really organic way to bring two artists together. His voice just fit so perfectly with the tone of that song and what it means,” she said, adding that she feels lucky to have him be a part of that song.
This may have been what sparked their mutual admiration for each other.
@MarenMorris pic.twitter.com/VQ05TTT8GV
— Hozier (@Hozier) October 2, 2019
And while “The Bones” is about a love that’s as strong as the foundation it’s built on, both Hozier and Morris had some early overnight success songs with their songs about church. Hozier’s “Church” won top rock song at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards, and Morris’ “Church” won best country solo performance at the 2017 Grammys Awards.
