The Lumineers' sound is characterized by its authenticity, simplicity, and rawness. They blend folk, indie, country, and rock, creating a unique sound that's easy to love and difficult to replicate. The key to singing like The Lumineers lies in creating a sound that's emotionally charged, honest, and relatable while still polished and controlled. In this article, we'll explore The Lumineers' unique vocal technique and the songs that showcase it. Then, we'll offer practical advice and relevant Singing Carrots resources to help you develop your vocal skills and sing like The Lumineers.

The Lumineers' unique vocal technique is characterized by its simplicity and authenticity. Lead singer Wesley Schultz often employs a soft, conversational tone in his delivery of the lyrics, making each word feel intimate and meaningful. He sings with a gentle rasp that gives his voice texture and character, expressing the emotions and stories of each song with sensitivity and vulnerability. Schultz also emphasizes his natural vibrato, which adds depth and warmth to his voice, particularly in the slower and more intimate songs.

Another aspect that sets The Lumineers' vocal style apart is their use of harmonies. Schultz blends his voice with bandmate Neyla Pekarek to create powerful and memorable harmonies, often using call and response techniques that add texture and depth to their songs.

The Lumineers' entire catalog showcases the unique vocal sound that they have crafted, but some songs stand out in their delivery and offer excellent examples of their technique. The following songs are some of their most popular and showcase different aspects of their sound:

• "Ho Hey": This song is the most popular by The Lumineers and features a catchy melody, energetic strumming of guitar chords, and a refrain that everybody loves to sing along to. The song showcases the band's signature vocal harmonies and Schultz's distinctive vocal rasp, making it an excellent starting point to explore their unique sound.


• "Ophelia": This song features Schultz's vocal rasp and a catchy refrain, with the added layer of Pekarek's backing vocals creating an engaging chorus. The song is uptempo, upbeat, and an excellent example of how The Lumineers' vocal style creates a sense of fun.


• "Stubborn Love": This song is slower and features Schultz's vibrato prominently, adding depth and pathos to the song's emotional lyrics. The harmonies are gentle and beautifully layered, creating a haunting and melancholic melody.

To develop your vocal skills and sing like The Lumineers, consider the following practical advice and relevant Singing Carrots resources:

• Vocal warm-ups: Before beginning any singing session, it's essential to warm up your voice properly. Vocal warm-ups help to prevent injury, increase vocal range, and improve overall vocal quality. Singing Carrots offers a variety of resources to help you with your vocal warm-ups, including the Pitch Training Educational Singing Game.


• Pitch accuracy: The Lumineers' vocal sound is characterized by the emotion they bring into their delivery. To replicate their sound, you'll need to practice your pitch accuracy, to ensure it's spot on and carries the emotion necessary for each song. The Pitch Accuracy Test offered by Singing Carrots is a great tool for assessing your pitch accuracy and helping you improve upon it.


• Harmony: One of the most prominent features of The Lumineers' sound is their use of harmonies. To create harmonies, it's essential to practice singing with others, particularly those who are taking on different parts and creating alternate harmonies. The Singing Carrots Songbook is useful for finding songs by pitch range and the bands you're singing along with.


• Singing with emotion: To sing like The Lumineers, one must also put in the emotional energy to convey the meaning behind the lyrics. To do so effectively, one must articulate well, be in tune, and be aware of voice type and range. Singing Carrots offers useful resources such as articles on how to analyze your voice, breath support and technique, and articulation.


• Vocal health: To keep your voice healthy and strong, it's essential to maintain good vocal health. This includes proper breathing, hydration, and vocal rest. The Singing Carrots resource for vocal health is incredibly helpful.