The Lumineers
The Lumineers are an American alternative folk band based in Denver, Colorado. The founding members are Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion, piano). Schultz and Fraites began writing and performing together in Ramsey, New Jersey, in 2005. Cellist and vocalist Neyla Pekarek joined the band in 2010, and was a member until 2018.[1] The Lumineers emerged as one of the most popular folk-rock/Americana artists during the revival of those genres,[2] their popularity growing in the 2010s.[3] They are known for their energetic live shows and several international hit singles, including "Ho Hey", "Stubborn Love", "Ophelia", "Angela" and "Cleopatra".[4] The band has become one of the top touring bands in the United States[5] and is also popular in other countries.[6]
For the band's debut album, see The Lumineers (album).
The Lumineers
- Denver, Colorado, U.S.
- Ramsey, New Jersey, U.S.
2005–present
- Neyla Pekarek
- Maxwell Hughes
- Ben Wahamaki
- Jay Van Dyke
The Lumineers have released four albums on American independent label Dualtone Records (Dine Alone in Canada and Decca/Universal worldwide).[7] Their self-titled first album was released in 2012 and peaked at No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200.[8] It has been certified triple platinum in the U.S. and Canada,[9] platinum in the UK[10] and Ireland, and gold in Australia.[11] Their second album, Cleopatra, was released in 2016 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and also on the Canadian and British album charts. It is currently certified platinum in the U.S.[12] Their third album, titled III, was released on September 13, 2019[13] and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Their fourth album, Brightside, was released on January 14, 2022.
History[edit]
2002–2009: early years[edit]
When Schultz and Fraites began collaborating, writing together and playing gigs around New York City, they did so under various names, including Free Beer, 6Cheek and Wesley Jeremiah.[14] Fraites elaborated, "When Wes and I got together, our first band name was Free Beer. It wasn't serious at first. We were a crappy band doing (terrible) covers. But we slowly started getting away from covers and writing originals. We were doing everything: vanilla singer-songwriter stuff, hard rock, electronic music. There was no focus; it was a mad, random mess."[15] According to Schultz, the band became The Lumineers after a band called Lumineers (a made up word) were supposed to play at a club in Jersey City the week after Schultz and Fraites played there.[16] The emcee mistakenly introduced Schultz and Fraites as The Lumineers, and the name stuck.[16]
The Lumineers struggled to find success in New York according to Schultz, who said, "I was living in Brooklyn and working three jobs just to pay the rent," adding, "it was really infuriating to move to a city that would help us grow musically but then never have any time to work on music. So I decided to do something about it." In 2009, after considering relocating to London, Philadelphia and Boston, Fraites and Schultz, in their "ignorance and naïveté", moved to Denver, Colorado, and joined the open mic scene. During this time they had a former member, Jason "Jay" Van Dyke play with them rarely. Van Dyke sued The Lumineers around 2008, claiming that Schultz and Fraites didn't give him the proper credit he deserved. Later Schultz and Fraites acknowledged Van Dyke, and admitted that they performed for a short period of time. Van Dyke claims that he co-wrote nine songs with Schultz and Fraites.[17][15][18]
2010–2013: The Lumineers[edit]
In 2010, after the band's relocation to Denver, Fraites and Schultz met classically trained cellist Neyla Pekarek.[19][20][21] Although Pekarek had just recently graduated from college and was planning to become a music teacher, she responded to a Craigslist ad posted by Schultz and Fraites requesting a cellist and agreed to join the band when she was invited.[22][23][24]
As a three-piece, The Lumineers met Maxwell Hughes at an open mic event in Denver.[25] Hughes played and toured with the band as an unofficial fourth member and contributed to the band's debut album.[25] He suggested joining the band as a mandolin accompaniment, but the band was not looking for a permanent fourth member at the time, so Hughes and The Lumineers parted ways.[25]
Influences[edit]
The band cites a diverse range of influences, including Bob Dylan, Beethoven, Guns N' Roses, Talking Heads, Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, The Cars, Leonard Cohen, and "cinematic music and anything strange and weird."[109][110][111] Schultz adds Bob Dylan, Born in the U.S.A., Greatest Hits, Sand in the Vaseline, Exile on Main St., and The Future as specific album influences.[110] Additionally, Schultz cites a Tom Petty performance as one that, "really stands out" to him, stating, "I just remember him playing "Last Dance With Mary Jane", and as the opening guitar line was being played, he opened up a chest on stage that had not been opened the entire show, pulled out a hat, put that hat on for the duration of the song, and then opened the chest back up and put it in and shut it. That is the moment I took away from his show. This taught me everything I needed to know."[110]
Former members
Headlining
Opening act
