It's All In The Telling

The Lumineers' followup to their Platinum debut four years ago is full of stories -- stories of the pitfalls and seduction of fame, of characters' pasts and of moments from songwriter Wesley Schultz's life.

"There's a lot of good writing out there, but not a lot of good storytelling in popular music right now. A lot of the popular music is action movies -- it's 'Fast and the Furious.' What we're doing is indie house," Schultz says by phone from the road on the "Cleopatra World Tour." "We're trying to say the most with the least. That's kind of the thesis. [Phrasing it that way] sells it short, but that's kind of the point. More than the instruments, though, we're just trying to have the depth to [the music] and the minimalism."

The Americana -- or indie rock, depending on who you ask -- group released a highly anticipated sophomore effort "Cleopatra" on April 8 and have been playing sold-out shows since its release. Schultz says their breakthrough with the single "Ho Hey" from the first album was a good introduction to the world and allowed a lot of people to discover their music. But even after a hugely successful single -- followed by two more from the album -- there comes a time to turn the page and start something new.

"It cast a big shadow. I think for a lot of artists, you want to make sure the rest of [your work] is heard because you put just as much work, sometimes more, in the other songs," Schultz says. As a songwriter, that work includes very personal stories from Schultz's own life. "That's important for me, to go inside and try to be as honest as I can. The deeper that you go, that's the burden and the gift of the people who do that. You're trying to be really forthright with your music, and it is uncomfortable for everyone, but it's worth going there because that's what you're trying to do is connect with people.

"At the heart of it, that's the funniest part about indie rock is [it] embraced the humanity in the space and the 'flaws in all' kind of approach," he continues. "Americana is that humanity, that touch. We're full of that."

For their stop at the Walmart AMP in Rogers, the trio will be joined by Rayland Baxter -- "It's the kind of music you put on in the background when you're with your friends" -- and BØRNS, who Schultz describes as "unapologetic, big pop music."

"Rayland is kind of folk-derivative -- songs with a lot of power and dynamics," says Garrett Borns, better known by the stylized version of his last name that serves as his stage name. "Then we play, and it's kind of like this weird interlude. It's a very new audience for us so it's like introducing yourself every night to someone who's never met you. It's a fun coming to fall tour -- an end-of-summer jamboree. [The Lumineers] put on a really captivating show every night. Whoever's going, you have no idea what to expect -- it's a really eclectic show."

Some in Saturday's audience may have seen Borns at the Washington County Fairgrounds just a few short months ago when he performed at the University of Arkansas's Springtime of Youth Festival. He says he enjoys having the workload of a frontman on a tour though, because it keeps him from getting too comfortable. Looking to make an impression on an audience who came to see an Americana band, Borns admits with a laugh that he tries to ease into the (sometimes) weirdness of his performance.

"I don't want to freak them out too bad, just enough [to be memorable]," he says. "I always look at music in almost a Taoist mindset -- almost like a kind of yin and yang energy to music. What gives you chills and what makes you feel music so viscerally is because it's neither male nor female. I like to be ambiguous in presenting music and art to the world. I don't want people to judge [something] based on preconceived notions. It's easy to find so much information [now] -- there's not much of a discovery process. I love the mystery in music."

NAN What's Up on 09/30/2016