The Lumineers
When cellist Neyla Pekarek began playing open mic gigs in Denver, CO with East Coast transplants Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites, The Lumineers sound began to take shape as an amalgam of heart-swelling stomp-and-clap acoustic rock, classic pop, and front-porch folk. Neyla softened Wes and Jer's rough edges while expanding her skills to mandolin and piano. In 2011, an eponymous, self-recorded EP led to a self-booked tour, and The Lumineers started attracting devout fans, first across the Western US, then back in their old East Coast stomping grounds. Young, old and in-between, they're drawn by the group's Americana-inflected barnburners in the vein of the Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons as well as their slow, sultry ballads that suggest the raw revelations of Jeff Buckley and Ryan Adams, and they're drawn by the live Lumineers experience—a coming-together in musical solidarity against isolation, adversity, and despair. The roots revival of the last few years has primed listeners for a new generation of rustic, heart-on-the-sleeve music—the kind that nods to tradition while setting off into uncharted territory. The Lumineers walk that line with an unerring gift for timeless melodies and soul-stirring lyrics. 2012 finds The Lumineers playing sold-out shows and receiving favorable reviews of their self-titled debut album, released in April of this year. Born out of sorrow, powered by passion, ripened by hard work, The Lumineers have found their sound when the world needs it most.
