Biography

As the pioneers of "wizard rock" (family-friendly indie rock that draws most, if not all, of its inspiration from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series), Harry and the Potters quickly became cult stars among readers and rockers alike after releasing their eponymous debut in 2003. EPs with titles like Scarred for Life (2006) and In the Cupboard (2008) followed suit, as did special releases like the 2010 collection A Wizardly Christmas of Wizardry. Still going strong in the Fantastic Beasts era, the band's fourth full-length, Lumos, saw release in 2019. In addition to their musical aspirations, the brothers also co-founded the Harry Potter Alliance, an organization of wizard rock bands that benefits a number of charities and encourages fans to participate in social activism. Formed in Norwood, Massachusetts in 2002, Harry and the Potters' genesis was improvised by brothers Paul DeGeorge and Joe DeGeorge at a casual backyard concert hosted by Paul, who had intended to showcase some of the bands from his independent label, Eskimo Laboratories. When the groups all canceled, he quickly wrote some Potter-related songs and recruited Joe to perform them with him. The act was an unexpected hit, and the DeGeorge brothers decided to develop the project. They created on-stage personas -- in keeping with their respective ages, Joe depicted Harry during Year 4, while Paul portrayed Harry Potter in Year 7 -- and began dressing in the manner of Hogwart's students, with crewneck sweaters, ties, and glasses. Confined initially to local and regional performances, Harry and the Potters released their self-titled debut album in 2003. They embarked on a tour of the United States and Canada the following year in addition to releasing a second album, Voldemort Can't Stop the Rock. In 2005, Paul and Joe traveled to the U.K. to play a number of dates, and in 2006, they issued both third album Harry and the Potters and the Power of Love and the EP Scarred for Life. Another extended play, The Enchanted Ceiling, arrived a year later, with the In the Cupboard EP following in 2008. The year 2009 brought Priori Incantatem, a two-disc compilation of rarities, remixes, and unreleased songs, as well as the live EP Harry and the Potters at the Yule Ball. The latter was issued on both audio and video formats. The holiday collection A Wizardly Christmas of Wizardry was available in time for Christmas of 2010. With the franchise's final film of the original book series hitting theaters in 2011, Harry and the Potters returned with Live at the New York Public Library that June. That same year, the group recorded the two-track Hedwig Lives with Mike Bridavsky (Lil BUB, FAWNN), though it didn't see release until April 2015. Featuring songs inspired by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, they re-emerged with their first studio album in 13 years, Lumos, on Charming Records in 2019. It included an appearance by Kimya Dawson as Hermione Granger on the duet "Where's Ron." ~ Katherine Fulton & Marcy Donelson