Ho Hey, The Lumineers Are Back
Photo courtesy of The Lumineers Facebook page
With their 2020 North American Tour underway in January, The Lumineers have much to prepare for. Their new album “III”, released back in September, tells a story of alcoholism and mental illness from the perspectives of the three fictional Sparks family members- “Gloria” (a title to one of their songs), the mother, Jimmy, the son, and Junior, the grandson. The story depicted sonically is loosely based off of personal experiences the leading band members, Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites, faced with alcoholism and mental illness within their families. Furthermore, this is their third studio album, producing a symbolically stunning masterpiece.
The folk rock band began their journey in 2005 in Ramsey, New Jersey, but were not recognized until their hit single “Ho Hey” reached number 3 on Billboard 200 in 2012. Their debut album “The Lumineers” reached number 2 on Billboard 200 later that year. Within the same time period, they were nominated for Best Americana Album and Best New Artist at the 55th Grammy Awards, but lost to Bonnie Raitt’s album “Slipstream” and the new and popular band at the time, Fun. They played their hit song “Ho Hey” as their Grammy Artist Debut that same night, but have yet to make another appearance since then.
Will the same band who cowrote “The Hanging Tree” in the 2014 film “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” rise to the challenge to perform “Gloria” on a stage with other critically acclaimed artists in February 2020?
I discovered The Lumineers at the same time that everyone else did and to the same hit song- “Ho Hey”. I was sitting in the car with my mom after a rough day. I had recently moved away from my hometown and was struggling to adapt to my new surroundings. Then, I heard the opening beautiful instrumentals of the guitar serenading my mind with reassuring lyrics of love. My mom and I began to hear the song repetitively on the radio- when she picked me up from school, when we went on grocery runs, or when we decided to escape the madness of reality through driving. We constantly sang it together until it felt like it became ours. Flash forward seven years later and we continue to text the lyrics, “I belong with you, you belong with me,” to one another when we miss each other, when we’ve had a rough day, or when we check in on each other.
It’s cheesy, I know, but the allegory holds a personal message in my heart, as does any musical connection you have with a moment in your life. It is truly magnificent how music, any music, evokes the unconscious emotions within us.
The Lumineers are not only harmoniously inclined, but are cinematically involved as well. Their music videos are coming of age, producing stories that have you convinced you are watching a film. They incorporate the same actors across multiple music videos, telling you stories from different perspectives. In their most recent album, music videos for “Gloria”, “Life in the City”, and “It Wasn’t Easy Being Happy for You” are continuations of the fictitious Sparks family- that’s why each music video concerns itself with the inclusion of “part 3 out of 10” in the title. Previous albums like “Cleopatra” sneakily incorporate their piano piece “Patience” into music videos, including for “Sleep On The Floor” and “Angela”, to create a wildly cunning piece of artwork. In the music video “Cleopatra”, the two lovers from “Sleep On The Floor” and the homesick woman from “Angela” make their appearances. Their stories are encapsulating, and while they were number 2 on Billboard 200 back in 2012, it is time to address their status- undermined. It is almost 2020, and it is time to bring back pure melodic talent in the form of The Lumineers.
I continued to listen to the band throughout my high school experience. Their song, “Nobody Knows”, from the Disney movie, “Pete’s Dragon”, played in the background as I was told the words, “I love you,” for the first time. After undergoing a difficult heartbreak and generalized anxiety disorder, I played the gorgeous “Patience” on repeat loudly through my earbuds to overcome my troubles. I shared the song “Angela” with a high school friend, who, coincidentally, is named Angela. Most recently, I’ve begun to associate the oldy but goody “Ophelia” with my significant other. The Lumineers’ music is atmospheric- it helps you to escape reality and traces back the nostalgia in your life. It doesn’t take much to develop the catchy tunes inside of your head, let alone make connections to their music in your personal life.
So, while this article is so sadly coming to an end, a new tour begins. That’s right. They are almost here. Be ready for June 6th, 2020, as The Lumineers will be performing at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA for their final concert of their 2020 North American Tour. I leave you with a simple question- will I see you there?