But yewas

going to at the way, the way, you know, the lumineers music has so manys, you know, different phases. So it's, you know, it's not, they're clearly parts that are really introspective and dark and, you knowd and tell stories that are are hard to hear, in a good way, you know, there. They're there deep, and they, you tap into some emotions. A lot of people don't go to a but there's such joy in, you know, something likea a hey ho, or at least you know. So it's really interesting that coming out of the struggle that wyou know, from 14, 15 years old to when hey ho out, i guess that pride be about 11 years later. You no. Yo, a light that feels like, such, like a bright light at the end of a tunnel.

Yen, i think that it was interesting, because when west and i started writing music, west was actually friends with my older brother josh, a years prior. And en kno, they had lost touch. My brother lost touch with a lot of people, i think, through his addictions. And a, you not tens to happen. You kind of close off certain friend circles, and you embrace the ones that you use with er or do drugs with, or whatever. You know. I so when west graduate from university down in virginia, he actually came back to our hometown, ramsey. I was looking to start and with this other guy named justin, and that was a mutual friend of ours. And justin was like, yelit's do it. But he actually said, not without jeer. Cause me and, believe or not, at the time, me and justin a we were making, like, rap and hip pop beats. I was really enammored with, i was 19 at the time. I was really enamoured was like making rap and hip pop beats. I really loved a a lot of what producers were doing. And a, i love all kinds of music, but i really love, like, trying to make rap and hippop beats. I love, like, timberlin. I think he's one of the best, you know, writers in that regard. And i just sort of loved that idea. But so that's a side tangent. But west wanted to start this band, and juston said, not without jar then that's how i got pulled into it. And i could play drums and a little bit of piano at the time. But i guess where i'm going with this is, west i it became clear that we were, you know, writing a lot of songs. Like west that had already had a handful of songs that he brought in. And then i was very, like, a green n terms of song writing. I didn't really have a lot of, was the word, a lot saa,

lots of experience doing it.

And still to this day, i'm really bad with lyrics and words, but i would try to show him stuff and he could embellish it, cause he's a great writer, and he writes all the lyrics for the band, so he's an exceptional, you know, profound and talented writer. And, but i think where i'm going with this is that we were really enamoured, i think, at the beginning of our career writing music. I think we really tapped into the darker side of stuff. I remember, like, i was like, i wont to write a song about my brother who died. And then a, you know, again, tragically, in two thousand seven, west's father, he passed away of cancer. And, you know, we wrote a song, west wrote a song about that. And, um, i think that we were looking at things around us that were happening, and this was a really positive, cathartic way to make sense of the things that were happening, and they happened to be sad. And i think, too, that, like, in terms of song writing and creativity, if you have a really great day, i've kind of thought about any sort of joy you feel or positivity, it seems like that amount of, like, if you were to translate that into like, gasoline or fuel for writing a song, it seems to be like a short, short lived, it burns up quickly. But like grief and depression and sadness, it gives you, like, tanks and tanks of fuel, youknow, it for better, for worse. And i think there's a lot more to draw from that. And i think that's just kind of we set out to do, is be a band that was talking about things. And i think, you know, just because s also, it felt good to be like, trying to make sense of these, at times terrible things that were happening. And i think that's what was interesting when hohe came out, it felt like people, it, maybe, maybe more than a few people had pegged us, is like, ah, this happy, go lucky band. And i think that happens, if you ask any band, you know, with a big song, any big song, even radioheaed with creep, i'm sure theyike, hated that song and the shadow it cast over them, because you're like, we have so much more material, and you don't want to be known for one song. And i think thankfully, after, you know, we've put out three albums, i think that we've shown people ta or more than just that song. Of course, i really feel that. But i think at the time it was a little bit difficult because, you know, you're like, we have moe more songs. And ironically, it has this kind of happy, go lucky vi, but it's actually a break up song. And a lot of people used it for their wedding and their first da, first, you know, dance, or the walking down the aisle, whatever. And west has said many times in antyrviews, it's funny, because hes like, i hate to burst your bubble, but it's actually a break up song. So there's that even into that song. I think, tha, you

ended up graduating high school.