The Lumineers are a folk rock band, based in Denver, Colorado. The two founding members and songwriters of the Lumineers are Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion). Josh Fraites, the brother of Jeremiah and best friend of Schultz, died of a drug overdose in 2002. As a way to cope with their loss, Schultz and Fraites began writing and performing together in New Jersey in 2002. Cellist and vocalist Neyla Pekarek joined the band in 2010, after responding to a Craigslist ad. Pianist Stelth Ulvang and bassist Ben Wahamaki joined the band as full-time members in 2012. The band’s self-titled debut album was released on Dualtone Records on April 3, 2012, eventually peaking at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart in January 2013. As of December 2013, their debut album has been certified Platinum in the US and Ireland, with Gold certifications in the UK, Australia and Canada. Wikipedia®.
Back then, growing up in the New York City suburb of Ramsey, New Jersey, Wesley spent his days drawing. Today, as bandleader of The Lumineers, Wesley’s replaced his pencil with a guitar and his drawings with songs. He still practices a lot, and it still turns out good. In the spring of 2005, childhood friends Wesley and Jeremiah began to collaborate, writing together and playing gigs around New York. After battling the city’s cutthroat music scene and impossibly high cost of living, the two decided to expand their horizons. They packed everything they owned—nothing more than a couple suitcases of clothes and a trailer full of musical instruments—and headed for Denver, Colorado. It was less a pilgrimage than act of stubborn hopefulness. The first thing they did in Denver was place a Craigslist ad for a cellist, and the first person to respond was Neyla Pekarek, a classically trained Denver native. As a trio, they began playing at the Meadowlark, a gritty basement club where the city’s most talented songwriters gathered every Tuesday for an open mic and dollar PBRs. Neyla softened Wes and Jer’s rough edges while expanding her skills to mandolin and piano.
The Lumineers: Ophelia (Official Video)
And so The Lumineers sound took shape; an amalgam of heart-swelling stomp-and-clap acoustic rock, classic pop, and front-porch folk. In 2011, an eponymous, self-recorded EP led to a self-booked tour, and before long 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 songs like “Ho Hey” and “Stubborn Love,” Americana-inflected barnburners in the vein of the Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons. They’re drawn by songs like “Slow it Down” and “Dead Sea,” slow, sultry ballads that suggest the raw revelations of Jeff Buckley and Ryan Adams. 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. Powered by passion, ripened by hard work, The Lumineers have found their sound when the world needs it most.
The Lumineers: Ophelia Lyrics:
Ah, ah, when I was young.
I, I should’ve known better.
And I can’t feel no remorse.
And you don’t feel nothing back.
I, I got a new girlfriend here.
Feels like he’s on top.
And I don’t feel no remorse.
And you can’t see past my blindness.
Oh, Ophelia. You’ve been on my mind, girl, since the flood.
Oh, Ophelia. Heaven help the fool who falls in love.
I, I got a little paycheck.
You got big plans and you gotta move (whoo!).
And I don’t feel nothing at all.
And you can’t feel nothing small.
Honey, I love you. That’s all she wrote.
Oh, Ophelia. You’ve been on my mind, girl, like a drug.
Oh, Ophelia. Heaven help the fool who falls in love.
Oh, Ophelia. You’ve been on my mind, girl, since the flood.
Oh, Ophelia. Heaven help the fool who falls in love.
Oh, Ophelia. You’ve been on my mind, girl, like a drug.
Oh, Ophelia. Heaven help the fool who falls in love.
