![]() ![]() This time around, they took a more beat-led approach. Back then, when they were part of London’s booming indie-folk scene alongside Noah and the Whale, Laura Marling and Johnny Flynn, they would write acoustically and later flesh the songs out. Mumford And Sons had previously followed the same MO since forming in 2007. We followed each other’s ideas, and there wasn’t a set sound. “With this one,” Marcus says, “we said, ‘Everything is kosher’. This time around, they indulged in a free-for-all at super-producer Paul Epworth’s north London studio, swapping ideas with open minds and never ruling anything out. Their previous record, 2015’s ‘Wilder Mind’, saw them ditch the banjos that made them famous, instead heading towards expansive, electric guitar-led arena rock. Right now, they’re obliged to experience these things, as Mumford & Sons are promoting their eclectic fourth album, ‘Delta’. When you start out as a musician, you never expect that it’s gonna be part of your job to have your photograph taken, for people to look quite carefully at what you say or to look at how you dress.” The hurdle is that, as Marcus explains: “It’s funny when you start a band, man. It’s not that Mumford & Sons have no opinions, you see. If you can maintain your stamina, you may be rewarded with quotes on politics (Marcus reckons Donald Trump “is a prick”), religion (Marcus: “I really like Jesus”) and Jordan Peterson – the right-leaning reactionary who shared an Instagram snap with the band, inciting a backlash they’re still dealing with – all of which will be explored later. ![]() It feels like maybe I should limber up too interviewing Mumford & Sons, you’re best advised to take the approach Muhammad Ali took when boxing George Foreman in 1974: just keep going, and hope they eventually let their guard down.Ī globally colossal band, they’re used to issuing well-worn platitudes (for instance: they say that Mumford & Sons’ music is almost always “autobiographical”, but appear loathe to reveal the real-life events behind their often opaque lyrics), and an interviewer must withstand long silences when they’re landed with questions not directly about the music. He huffs and puffs, his overcoat levitating as he heaves himself toward the ceiling. ![]() ![]() Marcus Mumford is doing pull-ups on a wooden beam in the pub. ![]()
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