Few people have missed the song ”Ho Hey” by the Lumineers. It’s been forced into our ears whether we choose to accept it or not. It was featured on the season finale of CW’s Hart of Dixie, which generated a buzz through social media. The rest is, well, history. The radio constantly attacked people with the catchy tune by the Denver-based band, which is sometimes not always a good thing. A song being that overplayed and popular can sometimes drive negative responses and many times draw attention away from the other great things the band does. And the fact is this band has done great things…
The Lumineers’ self-titled debut album is a solid piece of Americana/folk representation. It has a strong theme and no song really derives from the album’s path of folk-y rock. The Lumineer’s two founding members, Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites, began to write and play together in New York under the name Wesley Jeremiah during late 2005. Moving to Brooklyn, Schultz and Fraites met Katelyn Arnold who was brought in to manage the band and make sure they played the right venues. Later on, New York proved to be too much of a battle when it came to competition in the music scene and the cost of living. The band set out for the Rockies, and landed in Denver, Colorado, where they met one of their core members still with them today, Neyla Pekarek, who sings and plays the cello.
In Denver, the band established a good base, catching the ear of two managers from Onto Entertainment after they saw a video of the band playing ”Ho Hey” in a small apartment. The managers were overwhelmed with the pure talent and authentic collaboration of voice and instruments – they knew they couldn’t just let them pass by. Not long after The Lumineers found themselves recording a full-length album in Seattle’s Bear Creek Studio. Recording their first single, the success was waiting around the corner. Now, they’re one of the hottest bands in the world. Funny how things have a way of turning out.
Their simple sound and authentic interpretation of stories hasn’t changed much since their stardom, which makes them even more likable. Some of their best videos consist of them singing in stairways or sidewalk stumps. The atmosphere from those types of videos are exactly what people look for from folk bands.
Now, their journey has brought them all the way to Sweden for the very first time! The show is sure to be a completely stripped performance that will compliment the holiday spirit nicely. There are a few tickets left and you don’t want to miss the first time this group comes into town… so don’t.
Words by David Johansson
The Lumineers play at Annexet on 12 December.
