The Lumineers Band Bio

May 27, 2013

Denver-based folk rock band The Lumineers are known for their sweet nostalgic Americana sound, and they shot to the top of every radio play list with their heartfelt ballad "Ho Hey." Find out more in their Kidzworld Bio!

The Lumineers put out their self-titled debut in 2012

The Lumineers found their cellist in Denver Courtesy of Rolling Stone

"Ho Hey" was featured on Hart of Dixie Courtesy of NY Times

Jersey Jam Sessions

Although the band is now based out of Denver, Colorado, The Lumineers got their start in New Jersey. Vocalist Wesley Shultz and percussionist Jeremiah Fraites met in New Jersey in 2005, and founded the core of the group, writing songs together and playing gigs wherever they could in New York City - although they were going by the much less catchy name Wesley Jeremiah at the time! In 2008 they gained Jay Van Dyke on percussion and back up vocals, but deciding that New York wasn't the scene for them the band members took to the road and headed for Denver, Colorado.

Craigslist Cellist

Once they hit Denver, the band truly started to fill out, after posting an ad on Craigslist looking for a cellist they found Neyla Pekarek, and the group began to play small venues in the Denver area and eventually began recording some of the songs they had written in Jeremiah's attic. Despite playign shows, it was the internet that eventually landed them a record deal. They posted a video of themselves performing their now-hit single "Ho Hey" and two record execs saw the band and were blown away! In Spring 2011 The Lumineers signed a record contract and were able to record their debut album in a Seattle studio.

Ho Hey

There was no denying the instant likeability of "Ho Hey," and in December 2011 the single was used in the final episode of Hart of Dixie, which started nation-wide social media buzz. After that everyone was on the board with the song, and their self-titled debut album was released April 2012. "Ho Hey," shot to the top of the charts, and critics praised their debut album and loved their rustic, nostalgia-steeped sound. Since then The Lumineers have been selling out shows all over the world, and were even nominated for 2 Grammy Awards!