If you’re a longtime fan of Harry Potter, you undoubtedly remember the Wizard Rock phenomenon. The musical trend found artists teaming up to create original music inspired by J.K. Rowling’s beloved series, with bands names that recalled famous scenes and characters: The Lovegoods, The Whomping Willows, The Mudbloods, and so on. But the first and most famous of them all was Harry and the Potters, comprised of brothers Joe and Paul DeGeorge, who cast a spell on the fandom world when they formed back in 2002. In the time since, they’ve put out three studio albums, toured libraries across the world, founded the independent record label Eskimo Laboratories, and co-founded The Harry Potter Alliance. Their music and their work have always been in tandem with Rowling’s message: That love is the greatest weapon of all, and that sticking up for the marginalized is the most important work you can do.
Harry and the Potters provided so much quality content through the years, but it’s been 13 years since their last full-length album. Luckily, the dry spell is almost over: The band’s fourth studio album, Lumos—inspired by the seventh book in Rowling’s series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows—will finally be released on June 21, and Nerdist has an exclusive preview.
Lumos may be outright political, but it’s also full of the wonder and magic that made Rowling’s world so desirable. There are dragon rides and magic spells, and even a special guest appearance from Kimya Dawson, who plays Hermione Granger in Track 10, “Where’s Ron?” You can watch the music video for the song—which also features the Potter Puppet Pals—below.
We’re so excited to have the musicians that created the Wizard Rock explosion back in the spotlight, right when we need them most. Lumos is a magical achievement, and hopefully the first of many new and exciting things for Harry and the Potters.
Images: Kim Newmoney, Eskimo Laboratories
