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Mumford & Sons facts for kids
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Mumford & Sons
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Mumford & Sons performing in 2015. From left to right: Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford, Winston Marshall, and Ted Dwane.
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| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres |
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| Years active | 2007–present |
| Labels |
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| Associated acts |
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| Members |
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| Past members | |
Mumford & Sons is a popular British folk rock band. They started in London, England, in 2007. The band's main members are Marcus Mumford (who sings and plays guitar and drums), Ted Dwane (who sings and plays bass guitar), and Ben Lovett (who sings and plays keyboards and piano).
The band has released four studio albums. These include Sigh No More (2009), Babel (2012), Wilder Mind (2015), and Delta (2018). Their first album, Sigh No More, became very popular. It reached number two on music charts in the UK and the US.
Their albums Babel and Wilder Mind both went straight to number one in the UK and US. Babel was even the fastest-selling rock album of its time. This success led them to perform at the famous Glastonbury Festival in 2013. Mumford & Sons have also released three live albums, which are recordings of their concerts.
The band has won many music awards. Sigh No More won a Brit Award for Best British Album in 2011. They also received six Grammy Award nominations for this album. A live performance at the 2011 Grammy ceremony with Bob Dylan made them even more popular in the US. For their album Babel, they received eight Grammy nominations and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. In 2013, they won another Brit Award for Best British Group. They also received an Ivor Novello Award in 2014 for their international success.
Contents
The Band's Journey
Starting Out: 2007-2009
Mumford & Sons began in late 2007. The original members were Marcus Mumford, Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, and Winston Marshall. They played many instruments like acoustic guitar, drums, keyboards, and bass. They also used traditional folk instruments such as the banjo and mandolin.
The band's name came from Marcus Mumford. He was the most visible member and helped organize the band and their shows. Ben Lovett said the name was meant to sound like an "old family business."
Around this time, other similar bands were also becoming known in West London. People started calling this the "West London folk scene." However, Marcus Mumford said it was more like a community of musicians. He explained that it was not a strict "scene" but rather friends playing music together. Their sound was often compared to artists like Noah and the Whale and Laura Marling.
In early 2008, the band started working with manager Adam Tudhope. He helped them connect with Louis Bloom from Island Records. Bloom watched the band grow, seeing them gain more fans at each show. He felt they needed time to develop before signing a record deal.
In February 2008, the band went on a big tour across the UK. In June 2008, they played at the Glastonbury Festival for the first time. They also toured Australia with Laura Marling. Marcus Mumford learned to interact with the audience during these tours. This helped him create a friendly atmosphere at Mumford & Sons concerts. Their first music project was an EP (a short album) called Love Your Ground. It took a year to make and was released in November 2008.
First Big Album: Sigh No More (2009-2012)
From 2008 to 2009, Mumford & Sons played in many small and medium-sized places. They shared songs from Love Your Ground and new songs that would be on their first full album, Sigh No More. They recorded Sigh No More with producer Markus Dravs. The band members did not even own their own instruments at first! Only one song from Love Your Ground, "Little Lion Man", was included on Sigh No More. The band paid for the album themselves. This helped them keep their artistic freedom.
Mumford & Sons performing at Dot to Dot Festival in Bristol on 23 May 2009
In August 2009, Mumford & Sons signed deals with different record labels around the world. Their debut album, Sigh No More, was released on 5 October 2009. "Little Lion Man" was the first song released from it. Radio DJs loved "Little Lion Man." BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe called it the "Hottest Record in the World."
The band performed "Little Lion Man" on Late Show with David Letterman in February 2010. They also played "The Cave" on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Mumford & Sons became very popular in Australia and New Zealand. "Little Lion Man" was voted the top song of 2009 on the Triple J Hottest 100 list. In November 2010, they won an ARIA Music Award. Sigh No More became number one on the New Zealand charts in January 2011.
In December 2010, Mumford & Sons were nominated for Grammy Awards. They were nominated for Best New Artist and Best Rock Song. Even though they did not win, they performed "The Cave" at the ceremony. This performance got a lot of positive attention. It helped Sigh No More sales go up by 99% in the US. The album then reached number two on the UK and US charts.
In December 2010, the band released an EP with Dharohar Project and Laura Marling. They recorded it in India with traditional musicians. Sigh No More has sold millions of copies.
The band continued to grow in popularity in 2011. They won several big awards and played at larger shows. In February 2011, they won a European Border Breakers Award. They also won a Brit Award for British Album of the Year for Sigh No More. While touring the US in early 2011, they started writing songs for their next album.
In April 2011, the group joined Old Crow Medicine Show and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. They went on the first Railroad Revival Tour. This tour was inspired by an old tour across Canada in 1970. The three bands traveled by vintage rail cars. They performed in six outdoor places over a week. They even wrote new songs while on the train. A documentary film called Big Easy Express was made about this trip. It won "Best Long Form Video" at the 2013 Grammy Awards.
Mumford & Sons played at the Glastonbury Festival in June 2011. Then they went on a North American tour. They often played new songs from their upcoming album. In June 2012, Mumford & Sons sang "Learn Me Right" with Birdy for the Pixar film Brave.
Babel and World Tours (2012-2014)
Mumford & Sons released their second studio album, Babel, on 24 September 2012. It had 12 songs, plus three extra songs on a deluxe version. The first song from the album, "I Will Wait", was first played on BBC Radio 1. On 29 August 2012, the band recorded a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. This concert was later released as "Road to Red Rocks." On 22 September 2012, the band performed "I Will Wait" and "Below My Feet" on Saturday Night Live.
Mumford & Sons performing at the 2013 Brit Awards held at the O2 Arena in London, 20 February 2013
Babel quickly became number one on the charts in the UK and the US. It was the fastest-selling album of 2012 in the UK. It sold over 158,000 copies in its first week. In the US, it sold 600,000 copies in its first week, and over a million worldwide.
The band started a world tour in 2013 to support Babel. During this tour, in June 2013, bassist Ted Dwane had to go to the hospital. Doctors found a blood clot on his brain and successfully removed it with surgery. Because of this, the band had to cancel some shows to let Ted recover. However, Ted recovered well. The band was able to headline the 2013 Glastonbury Festival on 30 June. Their performance received great praise.
The band also continued their "Gentlemen of the Road" tour. This tour involved two-day festivals in smaller towns. These festivals brought money and visitors to the towns. The band chose other groups to perform with them, like The Vaccines and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros.
After the Babel tour ended, Mumford & Sons took a five-month break. They returned to the studio in February 2014 to start working on their third album.
Changing Sound: Wilder Mind (2015-2017)
On 27 February 2015, the band released a video hinting at new music. On 2 March 2015, they announced their third album, Wilder Mind. It was released on 4 May 2015. The first song, "Believe", was released to radio stations on 9 March. The band also announced new "Gentleman of the Road Stopovers" festivals for Summer 2015.
Mumford & Sons played their first live show for Wilder Mind in London on 10 March 2015. They played new songs from the album. The second song from Wilder Mind, "The Wolf", was released on 9 April 2015.
The band announced they would headline the 2015 Bonnaroo Music Festival. They also headlined the Reading & Leeds Festivals in 2015. Many more dates were added to their 2015 UK & Ireland tour.
Mumford & Sons promoted their new album with many TV and radio appearances. They performed on shows like The Graham Norton Show and Saturday Night Live. On 13 April 2015, the band announced a 16-date North America tour.
For Record Store Day on 18 April 2015, fans could listen to Wilder Mind on vinyl record before its release. The band also released a special 7-inch record of "Believe"/"The Wolf." Wilder Mind was released on 4 May 2015. It debuted at number one in the UK, the US, and Australia. On 17 June 2016, Mumford & Sons released an EP called Johannesburg.
Delta Album and Live Shows (2018-2020)
On 20 September 2018, the band released a new song, "Guiding Light". This song introduced their new album, Delta. The second song, "If I Say", was released on 25 October. Delta was released on 16 November 2018. It featured guest artists like Maggie Rogers. The album was produced by Paul Epworth and recorded mainly in London. On 23 October 2019, the band released "Blind Leading the Blind". This song was recorded during the Delta sessions but was not finished in time for the album.
The Delta Tour was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. To mark its end, the band released a live EP called Delta Tour EP. It included live recordings from the tour. This release featured covers of songs by Nine Inch Nails and the Beatles. It also included guest artists like Gang of Youths. The band also released an early demo of the Delta song "Forever" on 8 May 2020.
Changes in the Band (2021-2022)
In March 2021, Winston Marshall shared a tweet that caused some discussion. He later apologized and announced he was taking time away from the band. On 24 June 2021, Marshall stated that he was leaving Mumford & Sons. He wanted to be able to share his opinions without affecting his bandmates or their families.
On 16 September 2022, Marcus Mumford released his first solo album, Self-Titled. In late November 2022, Mumford hinted that the band would be working on a new album soon.
New Music (2023-Present)
The band played a new song called "Maybe" live on 26 August 2023. On 16 January 2024, the band released "Good People". This song was a collaboration with Pharrell Williams. It is the band's first new music since Winston Marshall left.
Music Style and Development
Mumford & Sons are known as a folk rock band. They started by using instruments common in bluegrass and folk music. Their main instruments were acoustic guitar, banjo, piano, and a double bass. Their style mixed alternative rock and folk rhythms. Marcus Mumford has said that Old Crow Medicine Show helped him discover his love for folk and bluegrass music.
Many of Mumford & Sons' song lyrics are inspired by books. The title of their first album, Sigh No More, comes from a line in William Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing. The song "Sigh No More" uses other lines from the play. The song "Roll Away Your Stone" refers to Macbeth. "The Cave" has references to The Odyssey and G.K. Chesterton's book St. Francis of Assisi. Songs like "Timshel" and "Dust Bowl Dance" are inspired by John Steinbeck's novels, such as Of Mice and Men.
The band's sound changed on their third album, Wilder Mind. Ben Lovett said it was a "natural change." During the Babel tour, Winston Marshall started playing electric guitar. Marcus Mumford played more drums. The band began to jam on heavier songs. The banjo, which was a key instrument for them, is not on Wilder Mind. The band also used a full drum kit instead of just a kick drum. Lovett explained that they wanted to try new things. They felt it was time to explore different sounds.
Gentlemen of the Road
In 2009, the band started a company called Gentlemen of the Road. This company promotes live music and organizes "Stopover Festivals" around the world. These festivals often happen in smaller towns that bands do not usually visit. The goal is to bring money and attention to these local businesses. The band chooses other groups to play at these festivals. Some bands that have performed include Foo Fighters and The Flaming Lips.
Band Members
Current members
- Marcus Mumford – lead vocals, guitars, drums
- Ted Dwane – vocals, bass guitar, double bass, drums
- Ben Lovett – vocals, piano, keyboards, accordion
Former members
- Winston Marshall – vocals, banjo, guitars
Discography
- Sigh No More (2009)
- Babel (2012)
- Wilder Mind (2015)
- Delta (2018)
Tours
- Sigh No More Tour (2009–12)
- Babel Tour (2012–13)
- Wilder Mind Tour (2015–18)
- Delta Tour (2018–20)
- Summer Tour '23
Awards and Nominations
Mumford & Sons have won many awards, including:
- ARIA Music Awards 2010, Most Popular International Artist
- Q Awards 2010, Best New Act
- UK Festival Awards 2010, Breakthrough Artist
- Americana Music Honors & Awards 2011, Emerging Artist of the Year
- Billboard Music Award 2011, Top Rock Album (for Sigh No More)
- Billboard Music Award 2011, Top Alternative Album (for Sigh No More)
- Billboard Music Award 2011, Top Alternative Artist
- Brit Awards 2011, British Album of the Year (for Sigh No More)
- Billboard Music Awards 2013, Top Rock Album (for Babel)
- Brit Awards 2013, British Group
- Echo Music Prize 2013, International Rock/Pop Group
- Grammy Award 2013, Album of the Year (for Babel)
- Grammy Award 2013, Best Music Film (for Big Easy Express)
- Juno Award 2013, International Album of the Year
- Ivor Novello Awards 2014, International Achievement
- UK Americana Awards 2018, Trailblazer Award
Images for kids
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Mumford & Sons performing in 2015. From left to right: Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford, Winston Marshall, and Ted Dwane.
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Mumford & Sons performing at Dot to Dot Festival in Bristol on 23 May 2009.
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Marcus Mumford and Winston Marshall on stage in Brighton, 4 October 2010.
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Mumford & Sons performing at the 2013 Brit Awards held at the O2 Arena in London, 20 February 2013.
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The band members play multiple instruments in live performances. Here Marcus Mumford sits at a drum kit.
See also
In Spanish: Mumford & Sons para niños