Everybody wants to see ‘The Lumineers’

The Lumineers’ hit single, “Ho Hey”. Video uploaded with permission from MCA Music (Universal Music Philippines).

MANILA, Philippines—Perhaps some people are just plainly curious about what the buzz is. Or maybe a good promo team is backing this phenomenal folk-rock group act called The Lumineers.

The fact that tickets to their shows sell like hotcakes to every stop means that the interest is far from just the result of bandwagon phenomenon. The group has been capturing audiences as the successful release of their self-titled debut album last year proved they have what it takes to conquer and draw in more people.

As publicly stated, “A big part of The Lumineers story is the amount of concert tickets the band has sold,” with their early 2013 headline shows in the Northeastern US and tours of UK, Europe, Japan and Australia quickly sold out. It is said that they packed every US show they have performed in last year, with the tickets gone within hours.

Released by MCA Music for the Philippine market in late January, The Lumineers’ first album peaked at number 8 on the Billboard 200 chart on strength of the singles, “Ho Hey” and “Stubborn Love”. Critic Robert Copsey of Digital Spy rated the album positively, stating, “One act wholly deserving of riding the rustic folk-pop revival wave are The Lumineers. Since forming in 2005, the Colorado-based trios were largely ignored until word of their catchy banjo-pop spread with the help of the lead single ‘Ho Hey’, a number about smug love set to marching drums.”

The core members of the group are singer-guitarist Wesley Schultz, drummer Jeremiah Fraites, and cellist/vocalist Neyla Pekarek, a cute talent found on Craigslist. They are supported by two full-time touring members during tours. Fraites shed light on their style, “We’re not reinventing the wheel or doing anything that is different, the songs are super simple. The ideas themselves are very simple ideas. Anyone who can play an instrument can play a Lumineers song.”

The band’s music has, if asked to identify it in one song, has the impact and basic beauty of “Home”, that now famous piece American Idol winner Philip Philips sang the day he won over Jessica Sanchez. Some of their songs are infectiously simple you would wonder why none has thought of such melody and arrangement before.

The self-titled package also includes “Flowers in Your Hair”, “Classy Girls”, “Submarines”, “Dead Sea”, “Slow It Down,” “The Big Parade”, “Charlie Boy”, “Flapper Girl” and “Morning Song.”

The Lumineers sold out the 2,800-capacity Shepard’s Bush Empire, later adding an additional London date at the Brixton Academy that carries a crowd twice as many. Amazingly they have sold out every other UK, Irish, German and French show they were billed in.

The Lumineers are confirmed to perform on the upcoming Grammy Awards show from LA, this February 10^th

The Lumineers were last Saturday’s music guests on “Saturday Night Live”.

The self-titled album under MCA Music (Universal Music Philippines), is now available in CDs at Astroplus and Odyssey Music & Video and via iTunes and MyMusicStore.com.ph.

Watch The Lumineers hit song “Ho Hey” on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvCBSSwgtg4

To get The Lumineers sefl-titled album on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ph/album/the-lumineers/id552207874

To get The Lumineers sefl-titled album on MyMusicStore:

https://www.mymusicstore.com.ph/album/1042151/The-Lumineers.html