Cleopatra

The Lumineers took the world by storm with the release of their first album in 2012, which propelled them from appearing in small venues as relative unknowns, to playing sold-out nights at Brixton Academy and headlining the 10,400 capacity Alexandra Palace as household names. It was their show-stopping performance on the Other Stage at ‎Glastonbury in 2013 that cemented their position as one of the biggest breakout bands in the world.

But 'Cleopatra' proves original members Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites - who founded the band in Ramsey, New Jersey back in 2002 - along with cellist/vocalist Neyla Pekarek, are neither taking their good fortune for granted, nor sitting back on their laurels.

With the help of producer Simone Felice (The Felice Brothers, The Avett Brothers), the band ensconced themselves in Clubhouse, a recording studio high atop a hill in rural Rhinebeck, NY, not far from Woodstock. The Lumineers then set about trying to make musical sense of their three-year-plus rollercoaster ride. Their skill at setting a visual story to music comes through amidst the delicate, deceptively simple acoustic soundscapes.

"We took the same approach this time as we did with the first album, recording demos in a small house we rented in the original Denver neighborhood where we first moved," explains Wesley, contributing the lyrical ideas while collaborating on the music with Jer, who tackled a variety of instruments, including guitar, the very prominent piano and trademark tribal drums.

There is something timeless about this band that links their songs to 18th century pastorals, 19th century work songs, 20th century folk narratives and 21st century post-modern cinematic soundscapes. Success hasn't spoiled The Lumineers; rather, it's inspired them to follow their muses even further.