The Lumineers

    The Lumineers are an American folk rock/Americana band based in Denver, Colorado. The founding members are Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion). Schultz and Fraites began writing and performing together in Ramsey, New Jersey in 2005. Cellist and vocalist Neyla Pekarek joined the band in 2010.The Lumineers emerged as one of the most popular folk rock/Americana artists during the revival of those genres and their growing popularity in the 2010s. The band's stripped back raw sound draws heavily from artists that influenced Schultz and Fraites such as Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty.They are known for their energetic live shows and several international hit singles including "Ho Hey”, “Stubborn Love”, “Ophelia” and “Cleopatra”.The band has become one of the top touring bands in the U.S. and also sells out shows around the world.

    The Lumineers have released two albums on U.S. independent label Dualtone Records (Dine Alone in Canada and Decca/Universal worldwide). Their self-titled first album, The Lumineers, was released in 2012 and peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200.It has been certified triple platinum in the U.S. and Canada with platinum certifications in the UK  and Ireland, and gold in Australia.Their second album, Cleopatra, was released in 2016 and debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, and also on the Canadian and British album charts. It is already certified Gold in the U.S.

                                           Musical style

    Schultz has stated, "I write the lyrics, and I co-write the songs with Jer," adding "It’s never the same thing with each song. Generally speaking it involves a piano, a guitar, and maybe singing, and we usually start out with the chord structure, a set of chords, a melody especially, and then the lyrics usually follow. Or it’s one phrase that you really find great and then you build the song around that." Schultz later claimed, "Your melodies make people want to hear what you’re saying," adding, "They’ve got to be open to hearing it, almost hum it. And if they want to go deeper there is something there."

    Fraites emphasizes the simplicity of the group's style, stating, "we’re not reinventing the wheel or doing anything that different, the songs are super simple. The ideas themselves are very simple ideas. Anyone who can play an instrument can play a Lumineers song. I think there’s a certain cinematic aspect of our music that I really like." Launchpad similarly writes, "where most bands these days look for that new, original sound to enhance the digital revolution, 'The Lumineers' do superbly in taking it back to simplicity."In another interview, Fraites explains, "I just think people are enamored of going into a room and watching people play their own instruments and sing, rather than using Auto-Tune and a lot of digital equipment to get their sound across. There is so much digital-ness all around us. People are almost taken aback when you do the opposite of that. It’s inspiring."

                                               Members

• Wesley Keith Schultz – lead vocals, guitar, piano (2005–present)
• Jeremiah Caleb Fraites – drums, percussion, piano, mandolin, samples, backing vocals (2005–present)
• Neyla Pekarek – cello, bass, vocals (2010–present)