The Lumineers: Writing Automatic and staying connected after 20 years

Ahead of their 6 May show at Rockhal, he sat down with Today Radio's Sam Steen to talk about the heart of the new record and how the band keeps their creative and personal relationship intact after two decades.

At the core of Automatic is something familiar, yet subtly redefined. "It's actually quite acoustic, even though to us it felt like a big departure," Fraites explains. "There's always been a stripped-back quality to our sound, but this one, it just happened naturally. We only realised after how acoustic it really was."

Written over just three weeks in the studio, Automatic was shaped by a new approach inspired by The Beatles' Get Back sessions. "We recorded in the same room together. There were mistakes, sure, but we were chasing that emotional, spirited take over perfection,” he says. “It made everything more immediate and alive."

Lyrically, the album deals with modern overstimulation, but also something deeply personal: the enduring relationship between Fraites and lead singer Wesley Schultz. "There's a song called You’re All I Got that started from this raw place, almost paranoid, but ultimately it's about appreciating the complexity and beauty of our long-time connection."

That relationship, 20 years strong in 2025, isn't always easy to navigate. "Being in a band is like being deployed in the military," he laughs. "You're tired together, you're happy together. It's intense. At the beginning, we'd do everything together. But that’s not sustainable. You’ve got to find space, so you still feel the admiration when you're on stage together."

The minimalist piano ballad “Better Day” echoes modern anxieties around tech addiction and consumerism, while album closer So Long, Fraites' personal favourite, brings a dramatic, near-rock catharsis. "My father-in-law heard it and just said, 'U2.' That was it. It hits hard."

Even the visual identity of Automatic, marked by the brightly coloured SMPTE test screen, reflects this sense of balance. "We've never put our faces on a cover. The test screen felt bold, but ambiguous, a striking symbol in a world of constant stimulation."

For Fraites, sequencing and flow still matter in the streaming age. "We design records to be heard start to finish. You're not supposed to skip around. If you're playing it on vinyl, you're doing it right."

And as for his take on the podcast-inspired Song 2 theory, that the second song on an album is the most important? “I totally buy that,” he says. On Automatic, track two is Asshole, a song he says they'll "probably be playing for the rest of our lives."

Want to see The Lumineers live at Rockhal on May 6? Today Radio has got tickets to give away. To enter, just answer the following question:

What is the name of the new Lumineers album?

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