The Lumineers
The Lumineers is an American rock band that originated in 2005 in Brooklyn, New York, before relocating to Denver, Colorado, where they achieved significant success. Founded by Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz, the band emerged from a personal connection between the two, which deepened after a mutual friend's tragic passing. The band’s name was born accidentally during a performance, leading to their distinctive identity. They are known for their Americana-inspired acoustic music, which features a strong blend of folk rock elements.
The Lumineers gained widespread recognition with their self-titled debut album, released by Dualtone Records in 2012, which included the hit single "Ho Hey." This song became a cultural phenomenon, aided by its presence in television commercials and shows. Over the years, the band has released four studio albums, with their second album, "Cleopatra," topping the Billboard 200. Their third project, "III," explores the theme of substance abuse across generations through a cohesive narrative, complemented by a series of music videos. In 2022, they released "Brightside," further solidifying their impact on the American folk-rock revival. The Lumineers' engaging live performances and catchy melodies create a sense of community among their fans, marking them as a significant force in contemporary music.
The Lumineers
Music group
Wesley Schultz
Jeremiah Fraites
Jeremiah Fraites
- Drummer
Wesley Schultz
- Guitarist and vocalist
Contribution: The Lumineers is an American rock band founded in 2005 in Brooklyn, New York, but that relocated to and found success in Denver, Colorado. The band was nominated for two 2013 Grammy Awards, including best new artist and best Americana album. As of the mid-2020s, the band had released four studio albums.
Background
Jeremy “Jeremiah” Fraites and Wesley Schultz connected when Fraites’s older brother, Josh, who had been a close friend of Schultz, died of a drug overdose in 2001. Soon after, Fraites and Schultz began writing songs together and playing at open mics.
The band’s name came about accidentally when the duo, who often performed in New York and New Jersey under the moniker Wesley Jeremiah, was mistakenly introduced as the Lumineers at a Jersey City, New Jersey, club.
At the band’s outset, Schultz was working three service-industry jobs in order afford rent for his Brooklyn apartment. Eventually Schultz and Fraites tired of the crowded Brooklyn music scene and the cost of living in the New York City area. Feeling that their blend of Americana-inspired acoustic music might be better received in the West and seeking a location where the cost of living was lower, the two moved to Denver, Colorado.
After establishing themselves in Denver, Schultz and Fraites began performing at open mics at the Meadowlark, an intimate and well-known live-music venue and bar located in a basement in the city’s Five Points district.
Encouraged by positive feedback from audiences, the pair decided to expand the group, placing an advertisement on the Internet in search of a cellist. The first respondent was Neyla Pekarek, whose classical training on cello, piano, and mandolin complemented her ability as a vocalist. Pekarek became an instant asset to the band’s live performances, sparking notoriety for the band in the Denver region.
Career
In 2012 the band independently released a self-recorded EP, marketing it both online and selling CDs at live performances. Tracks from the Attic was a precursor of the sound that would ultimately catapult the band to stardom, complete with marching rhythms and sing-along melodies as well as the band’s trademark array of instrumentation. To promote the release, the band also independently arranged a tour, staying with friends or kind strangers.
The Lumineers signed to a Seattle-based management firm that fronted production costs for a self-titled debut LP. The band recorded weekdays in Seattle while performing a variety of shows throughout the Pacific Northwest on weekends.
The Lumineers’ raucous live performances soon drew the attention of major record labels, eager to capitalize on the band’s brand of folk rock, which was reminiscent of successful contemporary bands such as Mumford & Sons. The band instead released its record with a small independent label, Nashville’s Dualtone Records.
The LP’s single “Ho Hey,” a simple and catchy Americana-style waltz, was featured in nationwide television advertising campaigns and bolstered by a popular YouTube video, which garnered more than 347 million views between early 2012 and 2024. The song’s dramatic appearance in the television series Hart of Dixie earned furthered acclaim for both it and the Lumineers, and within six months, it was certified platinum, having sold a million digital copies. The LP earned the band two Grammy Award nominations in 2013 for best new artist and best Americana album. It peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart and sold three million copies by April 2018.
Throughout the mid-to-late 2010s, the Lumineers continued touring extensively, playing festivals, and recording. They also wrote several songs for film soundtracks, including The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014) and Pete’s Dragon (2016). Their own sophomore album, Cleopatra (2016), topped the Billboard 200 and also went platinum in early 2018. Its single "Ophelia" reached sixty-sixth on the Billboard Hot 100.
Bandmate Neyla Pekarek departed in 2018 to pursue an independent career, and violinist-vocalist Lauren Jacobson, a longtime collaborator, formally joined the Lumineers as a touring member in 2019. That same year the band released its third album, III (2019), peaked at second place on the Billboard 200 chart. Unlike the group's prior efforts, III relates a unified tripart story around a single issue: the impact of substance abuse on a family over generations. Each song became its own music video, and the shorts were screened collectively at the Toronto Film Festival.
In 2022, the group released the album Brightside, which hit number six on the Billboard album charts.
Impact
The Lumineers is one of a handful of groups at the forefront of the American folk-rock revival of the 2010s. The story of the band’s career is ironic given that the Lumineers’ success occurred ostensibly in spite of, rather than because of, its roots in Brooklyn, a region of the United States that has spawned several notable indie-rock artists.
The Lumineers’ penchant for simple melodies and habit of involving audiences in its music have made the band’s recordings and live performances communal experiences that are rare in contemporary American music.
Personal Life
The cover of the band’s major-label debut featured an old black-and-white photograph of Schultz’s mother and grandmother.
Bibliography
Blickley, Leigh. "The Lumineers Challenge Music Industry Rules with ‘III’" HuffPost, Verizon Media, 12 Sept. 2019, www.huffpost.com/entry/the-lumineers-new-album-iii‗n‗5d701315e4b0cdfe057a46b0. Accessed 23 Sept. 2024.
Gallo, Phil. “The Lumineers Break on Through.” Billboard 15 Dec. 2012: 14–17. Print.
Laudadio, Marisa. “Five Things to Know about the Lumineers.” People, 11 Nov. 2022, people.com/awards/five-things-to-know-about-the-lumineers/. Accessed 23 Sept. 2024.
Monger, Timothy. "The Lumineers." All Music, 2024, www.allmusic.com/artist/the-lumineers-mn0002873356#biography. Accessed 23 Sept. 2024.
Morris, Christopher. “Band Shines on Slow Road.” Variety, 22 Sept. 2012, variety.com/2012/music/news/band-shines-on-slow-road-1118059604/. Accessed 23 Sept. 2024.
Riggs, Liz. “Chatting It Up with: The Lumineers.” American Songwriter, 26 Apr. 2012, americansongwriter.com/chatting-it-up-with-the-lumineers/. Accessed 23 Sept. 2024.