Pirate! Playground

The Lumineers
Hometown: Denver
Members: Wesley Schultz (vocals/guitar/piano), Jeremiah Fraites (drums, yells), Neyla Peckarek (cello, piano)
For Fans Of: The Head and the Heart, Ryan Adams, The Avett Brothers Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites forged their band from the sparks of pain and built upon that foundation with a persevering gleam of hope, so it’s fitting that the band’s name is an imaginary term for the shine that comes from porcelain veneers used in dentistry. Schultz and Fraites grew up in the same small town in Ramsey, N.J., but it wasn’t until Fraites’ older brother, also Schultz’s good friend, lost his life to a drug overdose that The Lumineers were formed. After a short stint paying their dues to the New York music scene, on a whim, the two of them decided to uproot to Denver. The first order of business was to place an ad for a cello player. That’s when they found their missing link, the charming Neyla Pekarek. The trio then went on to mix and master their own seven-track EP, an impressive at-home venture. Now, gearing up for the release of a debut album around the new year, they have a few wishes. “Get a bigger van—we’re in a soccer mom van with LUMINRS vanity plates,” Shultz says. “Make music that makes you smile, cry and stomp your foot simultaneously. Make music for years with these dear friends of mine. Be proud of our music. Play Letterman and Europe.”—Alexandra Fletcher