Hozier was born in Bray, County Wicklow. The son of a musician, he graduated from St. Gerard's school in Bray in 2009. He then began a degree in music at Trinity College, Dublin, but dropped out midway through his first year in order to record demos for Universal Music. While at Trinity, he became involved with the Trinity Orchestra. He was a member of Anúna from 2008 to 2012, and appears as a soloist on their 2012 release Illumination singing "La Chanson de Mardi Gras".He toured and sang with the group internationally including performances in Norway and the Netherlands.

Hozier grew up with an appreciation for traditional Irish music, but blues was the soundtrack in the Hozier-Byrne house. His dad played the blues in Dublin when Hozier was a kid. The two EPs he dropped prior to Hozier showcase some of the standout tracks from the album ("Take Me To Church," "Cherry Wine," etc.), so fans have had their hands on versions of these songs for about a year now.