In 2005, Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites worked together to form The Lumineers. The pair met and began making music together in Ramsey, NY. They moved to Brooklyn to pursue their dream of a music career, and later went to Denver. The band’s subsequent success was all thanks to its constant reinvention and collective desire to improve.
Over the years, The Lumineers gained more members like Neyla Pekarek, Maxwell Hughes, Ben Wahamaki, and Jay Van Dyke. Each new member contributed various musical skills and offered new creative twists to The Lumineers’ signature sound before its eventual departures. Despite the band’s ever-changing member lineup, the original founders Schultz and Fraites kept things fresh.
The band’s swift success began when “Ho Hey” hit radio waves in 2012. It differed from the usual pop-friendly tracks with its classic folk-rock twist. The single reached unbeatable heights on numerous charts across the globe and set up impending success for the band. Soon enough, The Lumineers’ unique self-titled record earned the group a Best New Artist nomination at the 2013 Grammys. It turned the tables on popular music and marked the beginning of a solid career.
After gaining well-deserved commercial success, The Lumineers geared up for more groundbreaking albums. Cleopatra followed in 2016, showcasing the band’s delightful versatility and proving its place in pop culture. Cleopatra sat comfortably at the top of the UK and U.S. charts and helped the band’s third full-length record III shake up its stellar discography.
III told a touching story of personal struggles, allowing The Lumineers to reach its full potential as a riveting band in 2019. Not only did it captivate fans with more creative diversity, but it stuck to the band’s original roots. III peaked at number 2 in the U.S., securing another incredible accomplishment for The Lumineers.
The Lumineers hit up 2022 with renewed vigor. Its fourth studio release, Brightside, breathed life into a promising record collection and proved the band was more polished than ever. It was no surprise, especially with Schultz and Fraites at the helm. True star power and lyrical storytelling weaved its way into each soulful track, shedding new light on The Lumineers’ music career.
Throughout its illustrious career, the band has maintained a revolutionary vision, building a cohesive collection of all-star albums while reinventing the folk-rock genre. Besides a game-changing discography, The Lumineers also liven things up with unifying concert experiences.
From Madison Square Garden to Red Rocks Amphitheatre, The Lumineers make a home in every legendary venue. Fans can’t deny the band’s presence on stage, especially with its subtle sound reverberating throughout each smash song or low-key ballad. The Lumineers constantly represent incredible versatility without showing any signs of stopping. Ultimately, the band takes indie elements to the next level while capturing the magic of true lyricism.
Growing up listening to the likes of Elton John, David Bowie, Bob Dylan and Jeff Buckley, Odell developed a strong passion for music, a passion he followed after abandoning plans to study at the University of York, instead choosing to take a place at the prestigious Brighton Institute of Modern Music (BIMM). During his studies, he formed the band, Tom and the Tides, yet after finishing his studies at BIMM, he decided to pursue a solo career.
Attracting the attention of pop star Lily Allen, she signed Odell to In the Name Of, a subsidiary of Columbia Records. Odell soon got to work on his first recordings, releasing the EP, "Songs From Another Love" in October 2012. He made his television debut on the popular show, "Later… with Jools Holland," through which he impressed viewers and music critics alike.
His debut album, "Long Way Down," arrived in June 2013, capitalizing on media hype and achieving a number one record in the UK. The album was widely successful throughout Europe, breaking into the Top 40 in several countries.
Following the success of his debut, Odell embarked upon a national tour in the UK, helping to support his album. In 2014, Odell covered The Beatles' track, "Real Love," for John Lewis' annual Christmas advert, gaining further publicity for the artist. Upon its release as a single, the track debuted at 21 in the UK Singles Chart before rising to number seven.
First off, The Lumineers are one of my all time favourite bands. Watching them live was an amazing experience! The atmosphere they created in the small cozy venue made it feel like they were my friends playing up there, as if once they were done we could all sit and have a conversation. Their music in general makes me feel like this; it makes me feel at home.
Because they have only released one album, you could tell everyone knew every single song, which is always the best at a show because it felt as if the audience was so connected through it all. What was even better, was that the artists up on stage were feeding off of this community vibe to perform in a very honest kind of way with such passionate energy.
They were so comfortable with everything it made their music even more personal to me. At one point they even stopped playing to ask if everyone could put their cameras down and simply enjoy the moment and be with them in the music. And at another point during the show the lead singer (Wesley Schultz) stepped off stage, walking around the small crowd, to talk and sing acoustically with no microphones or anything electronic for a song. It was the most amazing experience I’ve had in any show, everyone crowded around Wesley listening to the purest form of music.
I’d highly recommend going to a Lumineers concert. Some seriously amazing band members who are very real, truthful, and down to earth. Not to mention, their music has the most balanced mix of instruments and lyrics that make you want to pay attention to every word. I’m really not just saying all this. I’m a real person who can honestly say the Lumineers’ concert was one of the best ones I’ve ever been to in my life.
Tom Odell’s youthful appearance is the first thing you notice about him, but as soon as the music starts playing and you hear his voice you forget about all of that. He’s got an amazing talent way beyond his years and a wonderfully captivating voice.
He draws inspiration from acts like Elton John, David Bowie, Radiohead, and Ben Folds, and you can catch elements from all of these artists in his music but Tom Odell’s music never comes off as derivative as he puts his own unique spin on it all. The crowd at the venue skewed heavily female, which is definitely a plus! The ladies were swooning over Tom Odell’s words the whole night and, well, to be quite honest I was too. I’m glad that my friends talked me into going because this isn’t my typical taste in music but he really won me over by the end of the first song.
The show was a great event to just chill and hang out with cool people at. And to be honest, I don’t think that categorizing Tom Odell as an indie-pop musician does him justice as his songwriting is on a higher level than you would typically associate with that genre. His lyrics struck a chord with me and I definitely get the impression that he and I would really understand each other. Highly recommended!