Hozier stands up for victims of depression who’ve gone unrecognized
After climbing to international attention with his hit single “Take Me To Church,” Hozier is using his new found celebrity to raise awareness to an issue that has been plaguing Ireland over the last five years.
According to the Herald, Hozier is now backing efforts to help prevent suicide among taxi cab drivers in his native Ireland.
Due to economic instability in Ireland, cab drivers are barely scraping by, even after taking on 16 and 18 hour shifts. Between the extensive work hours and added stress, cab drivers have developed a range of health concerns, both physically and psychologically.
“The number of suicides is astronomical,” Tony Roe of the Committee for National Taxi Drivers told the Herald last January. “It’s reached a stage which calls for immediate action”.
With an average of 12 drivers committing suicide each year, Roe took matters into his own hands and decided to use music (yes, music) to bring awareness to the issue. After penning a song titled “Life Is Hard,” Roe has since enlisted the help of fellow taxi cab drivers to collaborate with him on the track.
The drivers received an unexpected boost when they found out that Hozier was in full support of their cause.
Hozier isn’t simply supporting their efforts at a distance, though; he took the time to meet with the Roe and the other drivers behind the movement. “He was such a very nice fellow for a big superstar and he was hugely supportive,” Roe said. “He spent around 15 minutes listening to us and agreed to be photographed with us.” He even sat down to watch Roe’s rendition of “Heartache Tonight” on YouTube.
Needless to say, it warms our hearts to see Hozier bringing attention to this honorable cause. Bonus points all around!
The song, “Life Is Hard” is due for a studio recording and will be released on iTunes thereafter. All donations will asked to be made to Pieta House or to The Samaritans, both of which are organizations aimed at preventing suicide and self-harm.
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