Blogocentric Formulations

Ho Hey

Written in response to "Note: 48-HOUR CHALLENGE : Media Prompt Deadl..."

                             

I've really liked this song since it first debuted in 2012. I can't say I ever really got into The Lumineers more than this one song, but hey, I guess that's what eventually makes some artists one-hit wonders, isn't it?

Not only was this song a legitimate hit on its own (18 non-consecutive weeks as a Billboard No. 1), but it got a lot of play by being featured in other media. It was featured on an episode of Hart of Dixie prior to its release, as well as on episodes of Bones and The X-Files. Perhaps most famously, though, Lennon and Maisy Stella, who play Connie Britton's daughters on Nashville, recorded a cover of the song that became incredibly popular and hit a few country charts itself! I actually like the fact that they redefined the song as a statement shared between two sisters, especially since Wesley Schultz and Jeremy Fraites from The Lumineers have mentioned that the original was intended as a "kiss off to disinterested concert-goers." Schultz even admitted in an interview that the song "was an effort to get under people's skin."

I don't know about you, but I'll take "sweet sentiment shared between sisters" over "let's troll the millennials in Brooklyn" any day.

My favorite story about The Lumineers is that, after struggling to make it in New York, they considered relocating to a variety of different cities including London, Philadelphia, and Boston. They eventually settled on Denver of all places (something about the vibrant "open mic" scene?). Anyway, while in Denver they met up with classically trained cellist Neyla Pekarek, who was just out of college and planning on becoming a music teacher until she saw Schultz and Fraites' posting on Craigslist looking for a cellist. Things apparently worked out well for them, because they've been a trio ever since.

Overall, I'm not sure The Lumineers are going to make it onto my "greatest bands of all time" list anytime soon. That said, "Ho Hey" (and its various covers) have prominently featured in my various playlists since it came out more than half a decade ago, so they clearly did something right with this song at least!