Nourished by the Music

$ February 5 - February 12, 2020 Vol. 3 -64 NEWSSTAND PRICE: 2.00 THE LUMINEERS Nourished by the Music GRANT-LEE PHILLIPS : Talkin’ Exile Follies DIRTY HONEY : New Fashion Rock ‘n’ Roll $2.00 $2.00 THE ADICTS • JAKE CLEMONS SLEEPING WITH SIRENS • THE ONES YOU FORGOT and THE WOMAN IN BLACK Gives NYC a Fright! PHOTO BY DANNY CLINCH e r u t a e f THE LUMINEERS Nourished by the Music by Katherine Yeske Taylor the bills and still work on music. Sea.Hear.Now Festival last 10 in that same chart. Thanks make that disappear.” Many musicians, dreaming It seemed like I was being fed summer in Asbury Park, and to all that success, they’ve The Lumineers learned how of making it big, move to the this idea that you had to be we felt the love,” Schultz says. embarked on a globe-spanning to do this from U2, for whom broader New York City region. there [to be a professional “People remembered we were headlining tour, including dates they opened on that band’s It makes sense: from The Bronx musician]. And so when we from New Jersey. That actually at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, massive The Joshua Tree 30th down to the Jersey Shore, the moved to Denver, everyone meant a lot. I'm honored that NY on February 13 and 14. anniversary tour in 2017. “I think area has spawned some of the thought we were crazy or giving people even care. It was really Schultz, calling from a tour every band that goes on tour most famous and influential up. But actually, we were just touching that there was a stop in North Carolina, says with U2 is profoundly affected,” artists in rock, hip-hop, and trying to go somewhere where reaction like that.” that the band is taking a very says Schultz, still sounding a beyond. Unfortunately, this we had more opportunity. But Since that festival, The careful approach to playing bit awestruck at the memory. legendary music scene can we've defended New Jersey Lumineers have released their these major venues. “It's a The experience was “a big eye- also prove to be an opener. We got to ride on their overwhelming and cutthroat plane with them between a place for a fledgling band. Such “I remember my dad talking about music—he always listened couple of shows. I was really was the case for The struck by how genuinely in love Lumineers, who found it difficult to Billy Joel and The Cars and Bruce Springsteen and Tom with music they were, even at to gain a toehold here for their this part of their career, having heartfelt folk rock. So, after five Petty and Talking Heads and Leonard Cohen. I just remember done it so long. They were very years of struggling, they finally curious about each show and moved to Denver in 2010—and watching him listen to music and seeing him in such awe of how it was translating into promptly began a meteoric communicating to the audience. career trajectory that, a decade it, and it made me in awe of it. To me, music has become They weren't that band that just later, finds them headlining said, ‘Well, if you don't get it, stadium shows around the such an outlet that it's hard to imagine my life without it.” then F you.’ There's a lot of care world. that went into their music and Still, even though the Big their show. So realizing that, it Apple didn’t originally welcome everywhere. People like to make third album, simply titled III , mixture of trying to treat it as made me think, ‘Wow, these The Lumineers, vocalist/guitarist these jokes about it, but I grew which reached the #2 spot on any ot her gig, but also trying guys remain humble.’ That's Wesley Schultz wants to make up in a beautiful town, Ramsey, the prestigious Billboard 200 to make the room feel small,” part of what makes them really it clear that there are no hard and I cherish that childhood. chart. But that was nothing he says. “You're trying to bring good at what they do, is that feelings: “I don't have bitterness I've got a lot of love for it.” new for this band—their 2012 the intimacy into the room and they never stop striving. toward New York or New Jersey,” And, apparently, that feeling self-titled debut album, and a get rid of that barrier between “I remember bringing some he says. “I just thought it was is finally being reciprocated 2016 follow up release, you and the person in the last of the most jaded people to a really, really hard place to pay here. “We just played the Cleopatra , also made the Top row—the best performers those shows, friends of mine, THE LUMINEERS WILL PLAY BARCLAYS CENTER IN BROOKLYN, NY ON FEBRUARY 13 AND 14! 10 ARTS WEEKLY FEBRUARY 5, 2020 www.theaquarian.com and they would come away blown away. I side. It's not like we want to write with other Interestingly, Schultz feels that this popularity think that taught me a lot about how cynicism people full-time. We just find each other's may be due to the band’s deliberate has always been kind of fashionable, but perspective really interesting.” avoidance of anything trendy. “We're trying it takes something transcendent to break By now, Schultz has seen how destructive to make it timeless, not ‘of an era,’ so that it through that wall. And those guys do it. It it can be when bandmates don’t have this has some lasting effect to it and it's not this was fun to watch people with their arms bond of friendship and creative spark. “I've fleeting, sugary high and then it's over.” crossed in the beginning of the show, and seen certain bands who do project a certain Schultz also believes that it helps to be then by the end they were feeling a lot of [bad] energy, and I'm like, ‘So why are you very careful and specific about the types of things, and sometimes crying. That's the doing this? There are easier ways to make lyrics he writes, and how they mesh with magic of music.” a living.’ It's weird.” In those cases, he’s not the music itself. “I think the best kind of songs Schultz admits that even learning from a surprised when these bands break up. “The tell stories,” he says. “That, as human beings, master front man like Bono hasn’t is what we thrive on. So I was exactly made it easy for him to always really interested in telling take on that role himself. “I'm the the stories. At the same time, I opposite of someone who just realized very quickly that my loves being onstage. I had to learn story could be what I thought how to perform. I'm more of a was great, but if the melody songwriter.” But, he adds, “I'm wasn't strong, no one would care. starting to enjoy that part of it a So it was trying to bring lot more.” That’s fortunate, substance to popular music and because after this U.S. tour, the tell stories, instead of it just being band will go on to play throughout this line that you thought sounded South America, Australia, Asia, cool.” and South Africa before this year After this world tour is finished, is done. the plan is to do a fourth As they work their way through Lumineers album, although the these tour dates, Schultz says it extensive tour dates this year helps that he’s sharing the stage will probably mean it will be a every night with drummer/pianist while before any actual recording Jeremiah Fraites, whom Schultz can be completed. However, calls “my writing partner and Schultz confirms that he and musical brother.” After playing in Fraites will start the songwriting a few bands together in the New process while they’re still on the York City area, they formed The road, so there will likely be sneak Lumineers in 2005, and then both made ones that go away, it seems that they just peeks of the new material at upcoming that infamous move to Denver. They have get distracted by things or they weren't really shows. In any case, he says with a laugh, remained the only constant members across in it for the right reasons. I think the ones “Hopefully, it won’t be three or four years the band’s entire history (they currently hire that stick around are the poets and the before the next album!” touring members to help them for the live writers, who are able to stay curious and Regardless of when that next album shows). It is this partnership that Schultz stay hungry about music.” appears, Schultz is certain that it, like the specifically credits for the band’s longevity. For his part, Schultz says he felt that first three Lumineers releases, “won’t be all “There's been a lot of growth and ups and creative pull early on in his life. “At a very slicked out to the point where there’s no downs. We've had to spend an inordinate young age, I was very into writing poetry. I mistakes in there. All my favorite recordings, amount of time with each other, and that felt like music was such a beautiful vehicle I remember pointing out to different people, can put a strain on any relationship.

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