The Lumineers didn’t always attract big crowds whenever they played live. Back in the very beginning, when they were all living in Ramsey, New Jersey, they billed themselves as “Free Beer.” A lot of people were tricked into showing up with the promise of an open bar, which did not exist.
On the more serious side, the group came together when the brother of drummer Jeremiah Fraites died of a drug overdose. To help sort out his head, he started writing songs with his friend Wesley Schultz. After the Free Beer incarnation, they ended up calling themselves 6Cheek before settling on Lumineers. They ended up in Denver in 2009, where they began to work hard on becoming more than just a cover band.
It took about two years, but when “Hey Ho” came out, they were on their way.
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