
Hey friends, we found a guest and his name is Marcus Mumford. Costner calls it Neat. Kendrick's in his undies. Vocal straws, penguin noise, and the lovely tutelage of Bible Camp. It's a season of gratitude on an all-new goshdang pod-party we lovingly recognize as a purple symbol that spiritually signifies: SmartLess.
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Jason Bateman
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Sean Hayes
what do they do?
Jason Bateman
You may ask hotels on the Internet. And a lot of them like hundreds of thousands. I don't know why I just turned into Sean Hayes. Plus, if you join for free, you can save up to 20% instantly with member prices. And you earn rewards every time you book. So your next trip goes basically starts paying for itself. It's simple and you get more out of every stay. Sign up for free and book today. Hotels dot com. It's all in the name.
Sean Hayes
The place you call home is important to you, so it's important to Allstate. Because home is where you make all your memories. Like forcing your grown siblings to wear matching PJs in front of the fireplace for your annual photo. It might not be a memory they cherish, but it's one you'll never forget. If it's important to you, it's important to Allstate. Switch to Allstate and you could save hundreds on home insurance today. Not available in every state. Potential savings vary subject to terms and qualifications. Allstate North American insurance company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. SmartLess is presented by Amazon. Guys, we gotta talk about your secret late night Internet searches. You know the ones. Bumpy leg rash, hair loss, itchy bum. Trying to figure out your body by endlessly searching for answers. We all do it and it never works. Thankfully, there's Amazon Health AI. It can connect your symptoms with your medical history and it can even get you care 24 7. So call off the search. Amazon Health AI is here. Healthcare just got less painful. Is everybody keep and cool today? It's really hot outside.
Jason Bateman
Super hot. Sticky.
Sean Hayes
It's really hot. You kiss. You just sweat looking at it.
Will Arnett
I'm just so hot right now.
Sean Hayes
It's so gross.
Jason Bateman
Hey. What? Is there a back end to your jokes? You started Ch. Just want to say hi. It's hot outside. What kind of cold open is this?
Sean Hayes
It's a hot open. Welcome to Smartless.
Will Arnett
Smart.
Jason Bateman
Less.
Will Arnett
Smart.
Sean Hayes
Lar.
Will Arnett
Smart.
Jason Bateman
Let us.
Will Arnett
Jb. I'm across the street from you.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, no, I know. I see. So wait, so you're up top, right?
Will Arnett
Yeah, all the way up top. I'm up top. Did you ask. What was the question?
Jason Bateman
Sorry. Yeah. Okay, so I think I can. I can. I can see you. You can see me? I. My window.
Sean Hayes
Wait, are you being serious?
Will Arnett
You can see the sc. Can you see the scaffolding?
Jason Bateman
Yeah. What's going on up there? Are we doing.
Will Arnett
You see like a bag on the Scaffolding that's blowing in the wind?
Jason Bateman
No, because I'm on the south side of the building. South side of your building?
Will Arnett
Yeah, that's what I'm saying. It's on the.
Marcus Mumford
On the.
Will Arnett
On the south side of the building. Way up there. There's like a little black bag.
Jason Bateman
No, because the whole building is netted, so I don't see that.
Will Arnett
Oh, you don't see through the netting?
Jason Bateman
No, I don't. Anywh. Who. So we're neighbors. We've never lived closer to one another, actually. No, that. When you lived in my house with me and my wife.
Will Arnett
That was so fun.
Jason Bateman
Why does my youngest daughter look so much like you?
Will Arnett
This is before the kids and the. God, your floors are so creaky. And I was just always like at night, just like. I didn't want to make a sound as snuck around cigarettes.
Jason Bateman
I was smoking back then too though, wasn't I?
Will Arnett
You sure were.
Jason Bateman
Hey, why is your hair so cut?
Will Arnett
Yeah, I just had a little trimsky.
Jason Bateman
Is Eli with you right now?
Will Arnett
No, I didn't see Eli. I went to see my boy. My guy, Kevin. Woon. Do you get.
Jason Bateman
Are you in a fight with Eli?
Will Arnett
No, no, I just haven't seen Eli and.
Jason Bateman
What happened to Eli and you?
Sean Hayes
No.
Will Arnett
Well, I love Eli. You know, I feel like.
Jason Bateman
So wait now Sean. Sean also has a personal hairdresser.
Will Arnett
Sean, who's your. You've got a new person. Who's your person?
Sean Hayes
Yeah, his name is Marco.
Jason Bateman
Hashtag relatable. You both have personal hairdressers?
Sean Hayes
No, it's the.
Will Arnett
No, it's not personal. It's like full time employment, you jerk.
Sean Hayes
Kind of not on the payroll. No.
Will Arnett
Who. Who cuts your hair?
Jason Bateman
Whoever is heading the hair department on whatever project I'm working.
Will Arnett
That's such a lie.
Jason Bateman
As a matter of fact, she just left the apartment. She is the key hairdresser on the.
Sean Hayes
Oh no. Yeah.
Will Arnett
And she came over to the house.
Sean Hayes
Yeah. So that's.
Will Arnett
She did. You're not even in the cast this time. You're the director. So she had to come. The director said I am doing.
Sean Hayes
That's so icky.
Will Arnett
Who's high polluting? I'm doing.
Jason Bateman
I'm doing one small scene.
Will Arnett
The directorifies his legs are broken so he couldn't come to me. So I had to go to the director's apartment down in Fancy park to Manhattan.
Sean Hayes
Okay.
Jason Bateman
So Sean, you're enjoying your new hairdresser?
Sean Hayes
I am. He's really, really good. Marcos.
Marcus Mumford
Yeah.
Will Arnett
So much so that you. You won't take Your hat off?
Jason Bateman
Yeah, take your hat off. Let's see what it's doing.
Sean Hayes
Well, it's just, you know, look back on.
Jason Bateman
Back on.
Sean Hayes
Like Will said, I look like a page boy.
Will Arnett
I didn't say that. I just said it.
Sean Hayes
Look, on Saturday night, you said I look like a page boy. And I said. And I said. Were you going for what? Scientist? Mad scientist. Because your hair.
Will Arnett
My hair. When my hair was longer, because it was sticky, it was all sticking out. And you said. Did you say. You said. Did you just say to them, give me the mad scientist?
Sean Hayes
Yes.
Jason Bateman
And so, Will, you've got a.
Will Arnett
That's why I cut my hair. Because Sean shamed me.
Jason Bateman
Is that true or is it just like a summer sort of. Or you. Is it swim team?
Sean Hayes
It looks good short like that.
Jason Bateman
Will, you know what? I can't believe that you would habitually chew gum on a podcast.
Will Arnett
I know. I mean, I'm nervous.
Jason Bateman
Just. He just.
Will Arnett
It wasn't. But by the way, it's not loud the way I'm doing it.
Jason Bateman
You've gotten better at that, but it still sneaks through. And I'll bet you I'll speak for Robin Bennett right here. It's getting annoying having to mute your microphone every once in a while.
Will Arnett
Bennett. Rob, tell me, is it true? We tidy it up.
Jason Bateman
You know what?
Will Arnett
You know what?
Jason Bateman
Nicotine addiction.
Will Arnett
I have a special relationship with Bennett
Jason Bateman
Rub, who may love me and nicotine.
Will Arnett
You know what?
Jason Bateman
Our coffee chat's real hyper today. I. I think it's my fault.
Sean Hayes
It is. I love it.
Will Arnett
I'm having one now, too. I'm having the rare 1pm coffee.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, we're in the real Regis and Kathie Lee areas.
Will Arnett
We're lucky. Lucky to be associated.
Jason Bateman
All right, do you want to get on with it?
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Will Arnett
I mean, I don't know. Do you want to tee up your intro?
Jason Bateman
Yeah. How about you guys? How about. Let's have. Let's have an official guess session here.
Sean Hayes
Okay?
Jason Bateman
You guys can guess it. All right.
Will Arnett
Okay, great.
Jason Bateman
Joining our nonsense today is a fellow who's not yet 40, but is already approaching the 20 year mark with his band. Okay? They are Grammy winners. They are known and loved worldwide. He was born in California, but raised in England. He's got three children with his wife who has been a guest on this very podcast.
Sean Hayes
I know who it is.
Jason Bateman
Let's fucking hear it.
Sean Hayes
It's Chris Martin.
Will Arnett
No, no, It's Marcus Mumford.
Jason Bateman
Bingo. Get out.
Will Arnett
That for guessing.
Sean Hayes
How did you know that?
Jason Bateman
Because he's a smart person, Marcus. I Liked my hints. Can I. Can I get on with my.
Will Arnett
Were terrible. I didn't know he was born in California.
Jason Bateman
Well, but I said his band sounds like a family law firm specializing in personal injury.
Sean Hayes
You didn't even say personal injury.
Will Arnett
It does sound like. It sounds like a plumbing company does.
Jason Bateman
But that was. That was on purpose, right, Marcus?
Will Arnett
No, But. But Marcus, I knew. I was just talking about. I'm so excited for the doc, and I was just talking about you 10 minutes ago. So excited to come and see it.
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Marcus Mumford
Are you gonna come?
Will Arnett
Yeah, man.
Marcus Mumford
Are you gonna come? Oh, sweet.
Jason Bateman
Just down the street. I might. I might. I might be working, but I might be able to make it. I think my wife will be there, which. That's all anybody ever cares about.
Will Arnett
She's my date.
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Marcus Mumford
Have you ever guessed a guest from their laugh before they've done the reveal? Because I was really. They freaked me out, man. Your guys freaked me out. They were like, don't breathe.
Jason Bateman
Oh, really?
Marcus Mumford
Until the reveal.
Will Arnett
Wait.
Marcus Mumford
And I wanted to laugh because you're very funny.
Jason Bateman
Did they make you think that we're like, that we're. That we were prone to rage, like, if we hear.
Marcus Mumford
No, they just. No, they made me feel, you know, in a very polite way, like I would ruin the entire show if I. If I squeezed.
Jason Bateman
The whole surprise thing is so. It's such a waste. It just saves us from doing homework. And the audience already knows who it is. We're the only two dicks that don't know who the guest is by the time the episode is up.
Will Arnett
How dare you refer to me as the dick. But listen, it's fun. We're having fun. Okay, Jason, look into it. Okay, Marcus, welcome to Smartless.
Marcus Mumford
It's time. Yeah, I'm so. I'm genuinely so on. I was early on Smartless. I was very early.
Will Arnett
You came. You came to the show in la. I remember you and I, we went to an early screening of Maestro together. I did.
Marcus Mumford
Yeah.
Will Arnett
And you said. And it was right after our show. And you said. I came to the show and I said in. I was so surprised.
Marcus Mumford
It was the night you guys were filming, and it was really hectic.
Will Arnett
Wait, was it.
Jason Bateman
You mean, like, show? Oh, oh, oh, in the. In the dock.
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, yeah, yeah. The one. The one downtown. Yeah, yeah. At the theater. I can't remember what it's called.
Jason Bateman
Orphan.
Marcus Mumford
And I didn't want to bother you because it was super hectic. But, yes, I came to the show, and I've been. But I've been listening to your show for a very long time.
Will Arnett
It's crazy.
Jason Bateman
We're ready for notes. Do you have any notes? What would you have?
Marcus Mumford
Coffee notes. Yeah.
Jason Bateman
How would you change?
Will Arnett
We're looking to improve.
Marcus Mumford
Well, the hair shit was a low point, I think.
Will Arnett
Yeah. It's all low points. What we do is we establish the bar low early. Right.
Jason Bateman
Just to make the gas.
Will Arnett
Everything feels like a win.
Sean Hayes
The only way is up.
Marcus Mumford
I love it. It's just very cozy. I love it.
Will Arnett
I tell you something, Marcus. What's interesting, you brought up something, and we're about to tap into a runner thematically, is that you told me that you were at the show. And I vaguely remember at the time sort of saying, I wish you had said hi. And then you just mentioned it was hectic and you didn't want to say hi, you to our show and didn't come backstage and say hi. Jason has thoughts on this.
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, hold on, hold on. This is. We're not talking Broadway theater.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, let's do it.
Marcus Mumford
Right.
Jason Bateman
I need your opinion on this.
Marcus Mumford
It's adjacent. I went to see. Do you know who I went to see last week in Exeter was Tim Key. Now, do you know Tim Key? He's one of my favorite comics of all time. I think he's a genius. And I went and watched his show and was about to leave and thought to myself, now he knows I'm here. He helped with the tickets. It is rude to leave.
Jason Bateman
Well, that's different.
Marcus Mumford
If someone has helped you with the ticket.
Jason Bateman
Amen.
Marcus Mumford
Without saying a great show.
Jason Bateman
But so how about this, right? So you are a musician, and you are in live venues and theaters, and
Will Arnett
so you got it set up.
Jason Bateman
There are some famous people that come see your shows a lot. Here we go. Does the same rule apply there? Do you. Are you aware who's in there? Are you offended if they don't come back and say, hey, great show.
Marcus Mumford
Culturally, very different in music.
Jason Bateman
Very different.
Marcus Mumford
Very different.
Jason Bateman
See, so more of a. I'm more of a rock and roll guy at heart, guys, than.
Marcus Mumford
Wait, what's your position, Jason? Are you a no show? Are you a no show at the show?
Jason Bateman
I think it's presumptuous for people in the audience who are famous or even pseudo famous to think that, oh, they'll be welcome backstage just because you share fame. That's also my idea to, like, come say hi. It's like. It's so arrogant. Like, just get the hell out and let the.
Marcus Mumford
It's more like, you probably want to see me. Cause I'm really famous. So I'll bless you with my presence
Jason Bateman
and let you know how great I think you were.
Will Arnett
Well.
Marcus Mumford
Or not. Or talk about how great the program was or the light. Or find something polite to say.
Sean Hayes
There's that. There's that famous clip from the Madonna documentary Truth or Dare, when Kevin Costner comes backstage. Did you see that? And he goes, yeah, I thought. And she just spent three hours, you know, she's drenched in sweat, you know, performing for 5,000 people. And he goes. He says, yeah, we thought it was really neat. And she turns to the camera, she goes, anybody who calls my show neat has got to go right in front of him. No, he left. And she goes, ah. Like that on camera.
Marcus Mumford
My favorite backstage moment like that, when I was invited, very explicitly invited backstage, was after Kendrick Lamar played Bonnaroo. And there was this sort of message that came down from on high that Kendrick would. Kendrick would like to see you. And when Kendrick calls, you come.
Jason Bateman
Right.
Sean Hayes
Because he's the girl. Yeah.
Jason Bateman
I learned that lesson the hard way.
Marcus Mumford
And. And it was. And it was like, you can go in now. And. And. And he took off almost all of his clothes as I walked in. It was amazing.
Will Arnett
Sounds more like bonerous.
Jason Bateman
We'll be right back after these messages.
Marcus Mumford
Well, it was. It was amazing. And I thought, like, the gump. The gumption, you know, the gumption to be like, yeah, come on back after the show. And it'll be the very moment when I take all my clothes off and I'm just down to my undies.
Will Arnett
It's confident.
Marcus Mumford
We'll have a chat.
Sean Hayes
I don't know. I have real confidence, but aren't you comfortable with that? Like, even on a TV set or a film set or whatever, people knock on my trailer door. I'm like, come in. I'm dressing. I don't care.
Jason Bateman
It is a dressing room.
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Will Arnett
You know, Marcus, you bring up Tim Kee, whom I also adore, and he did that incredible film with your wife, the Ballad of Wallace island, which I love that film.
Marcus Mumford
I did, too.
Will Arnett
Brilliant, Brilliant film. Wasn't it? We're not gonna get into Carrie's career, but it.
Marcus Mumford
I mean, good, because I haven't seen a lot of it, but that one, I've seen three times. I love that one so much.
Will Arnett
So. Me too, you guys. I urge anybody to see the Ballad of Wallace Island. It's such a beautiful little film. It's so funny and poignant and just amazing, beautiful, beautiful film.
Marcus Mumford
Well, I got so into Tim's podcast. He's got, like, a Radio 4. It's not a podcast. It's a radio show in the uk on public radio. And I got so deeply into it in Covid that when he wrote to Cary with a script, I was like, you absolutely have to do this movie. He's. Him and Tom Basdon together are phenomenal.
Will Arnett
Tom Basdon's amazing, too.
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, amazing.
Sean Hayes
And just for my sister. Your wife is Carey Mulligan. Just so for Tracy, my sister, in case she's.
Marcus Mumford
Yeah. Hi, Tracy.
Will Arnett
Yeah, Tracy almost crashed. She was trying to look cool, you know.
Jason Bateman
Hey, Siri.
Will Arnett
Who is Marcus pulling into Kohler, Wisconsin, with her phone in her head.
Jason Bateman
Wait, so Marcus, getting back to that for one quick second. She can't possibly see all your shows because you. You're playing almost every night.
Marcus Mumford
No, she actually broke her record.
Jason Bateman
So are you allowed to not see all of hers?
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, yeah, she came on tour, I think she. In one year maybe, was at 48 shows and watched two. Not the whole thing. Top and tail. Yeah, she really, you know, she says she likes our band, our recorded music. There's some caveats. The first time she saw our band play, she thought we were quite shouty. And to be fair, I think she's right about that. But then, you know, she's put up with it for a long time. But then. Yeah, she. She doesn't feel like if she's on the road, she has to come to every show.
Will Arnett
Wait, Marcus, did you guys meet at summer camp? Am I right about that?
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, we met at Bible camp. Yeah.
Sean Hayes
Really?
Marcus Mumford
I was. I was 10. She was 12.
Will Arnett
What? Nice. Ah, yeah, nice.
Jason Bateman
So they were. So you guys. Now she started to tell some of the story. I think I remember.
Sean Hayes
That's right.
Jason Bateman
About how they were pen pals, right?
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, we were pen pals. Yeah. And her. And she still has the journal entry from the day we met where I. My cousin was there, who was two years older, who was age appropriate for her, and he got a eight, eight and a half out of 10. But I, who was definitely not underlined, boyfriend material, got a nine out of ten.
Will Arnett
Wow.
Marcus Mumford
Go figure.
Jason Bateman
So then what made you not boyfriend material? Because you were.
Will Arnett
You were just 10.
Marcus Mumford
I was two years younger and I was also a foot shorter.
Jason Bateman
Oh, that was. It wasn't because you were some. It wasn't because you were like. Wasn't because you were a monster running around and being a pain?
Marcus Mumford
No. Well, she did write in her journal that I was a bit aggressive on the soccer pitch.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, sure.
Marcus Mumford
That I'd gone in a bit heavy on some of the tackles, which would be which. Which lines up. But then we stayed in touch as kids, I guess, and then we reconnected in our. Our 20s and I just love.
Will Arnett
And did you lighten up? Are you still a heavy tackler or. I mean, let's it.
Marcus Mumford
Well, yes. Yeah.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Marcus Mumford
It's one of the few times I'll drop a C bomb in earnest. Is co ed soccer in the States particularly. I lived in Denver and I used to play co ed soccer. And you know, you can't retaliate. At least where I come from, you know, a woman tackles you really hard, you can't retaliate. So, yeah, I get. Yes. The rage comes out on the football field sometimes.
Sean Hayes
Oh God.
Jason Bateman
It's a big, big game on right now, Willy.
Will Arnett
I bet you're too. I know, I know.
Marcus Mumford
And guys, whoever organized this.
Will Arnett
I know.
Marcus Mumford
I can't believe we've done this.
Will Arnett
I know, I know. I've got it too.
Marcus Mumford
Have you got it?
Will Arnett
Okay. I just.
Jason Bateman
Don't spoil it, right?
Will Arnett
Are you?
Jason Bateman
Yeah, because I haven't. I'm gonna watch it after.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Will Arnett
It's really intriguing right now, by the way. It's really intriguing. Right. And they've just come out.
Marcus Mumford
I haven't got a live feed because I was thinking about. And then I didn't press record, so.
Jason Bateman
Should we take a break?
Will Arnett
Are you in the uk, Marcus? Are you in the UK or are you here?
Marcus Mumford
Yeah. And so I thought. I thought on Champions League final day we'd be safe to do a. Do a chat at 5 or 6. Turns out it was an early kickoff, 5 o'.
Jason Bateman
Clock. But do you. Do you honestly want to take a two second break and go hit record so you can see the second half?
Marcus Mumford
I'll do it on your phone.
Will Arnett
Yeah, for sure.
Marcus Mumford
No, no, no, no, no. Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. It's fine if it was an England game. So we have a. We have a new man, fairly new management team, last couple years and who's we? They haven't managed us. They haven't managed. Sorry, band management. Oh, okay. They haven't managed our band through. Through a World cup summer. And it's a big deal trying to manage our band during a World cup summer because if there's any kind of. We can't. We tend not to play on England days because they're big days. I take this stuff very seriously. And I sat them all down for the third time in about. We delayed the announcement of our tour because they hadn't yet announced what dates and days the group games were going to be. And so business wise, it was almost a disaster. But we waited for so long because we waited to announce the tour so that we knew we weren't going to be on stage when England were playing. Right. And I sat everyone down, I said, look guys, management's going great. You're doing a really good job. But just so you know, we've had this conversation now three times on Deadly Serious. If you double book us when England are playing, everyone is fired. Everyone is fired. And I think they've got the message pretty clear now. And I think I'm going to manage to sneak to a couple of games. But it's a big summer. It's a big summer.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, go. So let's, let's, let's go back to being a kid. Yeah. And we're right in there around summer camp.
Sean Hayes
And where did you grow up? Jason said you grew up in California.
Marcus Mumford
No, I was born in California.
Sean Hayes
You're born.
Marcus Mumford
Okay, but evacuated. Evacuated to England at six months old.
Sean Hayes
Oh, so not even.
Marcus Mumford
I grew up in London.
Will Arnett
What were the conditions under which you were born in California? Why is that?
Marcus Mumford
My parents were working there for a couple years. Down in Anaheim? Yeah, for a church. So I was bought, I popped, I popped up along the way and then they came back home to plant a church in London from the Californian one.
Will Arnett
God.
Jason Bateman
And then, at what point then was music introduced to you?
Marcus Mumford
Yep. I mean, it was the kitchen. My mum listened to a lot of music and had a vinyl collection that I was allowed access to quite early on. And then we would listen to music.
Sean Hayes
And what were some of those vinyls?
Marcus Mumford
Well, it was a lot of classical music and a lot of choral music because she was in a choir at university and stuff.
Will Arnett
That's cool.
Marcus Mumford
And then the only two kind of pop records she had or non classical records were Blood on the Tracks, Amazing. And House of the Rising sun by the Animals.
Will Arnett
Wow.
Sean Hayes
Wow.
Marcus Mumford
And so I played them to death. And then, and then, and then we leaned heavily into the Greatest hits by Bruce Springsteen. That was like the Family Car record.
Jason Bateman
But then. So that, that explains that you don't have an aversion or rather you have an attraction to or an ability to incorporate these other instruments and instrumentation around your music. Some people call it folk. I know that that's not really accurate, but the fact that you can work in all these different sounds and your music, your sound, the band sound is so full and varied. Does that have some roots in the classical music that you Were all the multiple instruments?
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, maybe. I think that's partly a reflection of the taste amongst the band members. Like me and Ben and Ted all have real different tastes in music, and it covers most genres. Ben, Ted's the best guitar. He's the bass player. He's the best guitarist in the band by a long way. Plays jazz and blues and kind of studied it, but plays the bass in the band, which is very kind of. Kind, actually. And then Ben grew up playing lots of classical and jazz on piano and saxophone. He was a better drummer than me at school and. And then. And then I, you know. Yeah, we cover most of the genres together. And I think we've always felt like whatever instruments suit the song that we're writing at the time.
Jason Bateman
Right.
Marcus Mumford
You know, so we leaned heavily into like electric guitars and stuff on the third and fourth records. And now I've kind of come back more to the acoustic stuff. And it's. It's just fun, man. Yeah, we love it.
Jason Bateman
We'll be right back,
Sean Hayes
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Jason Bateman
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Sean Hayes
And now back to the show.
Jason Bateman
What about you? Playing so many different instruments. That's not super common, right?
Will Arnett
I mean.
Marcus Mumford
Well, the key is learning three chords on lots of instruments.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, but I mean, there I'd be playing drums is so not the same as playing a guitar is. What's more difficult? Seems like the drums would be very difficult to master. Or is it just.
Marcus Mumford
Well, I mean, that was my instrument at school and I took it fairly seriously and, you know, did the grading system and. And that started with pots and pans in the kitchen with mum and dad. And then, and then I played all the way through high school. I played at college just for the year that I'd lasted at college and then got hired as a drummer in a band for Laura Marling. So I quit college for Laura Marling.
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Marcus Mumford
So I quit college to go play for Laura.
Jason Bateman
Well done.
Marcus Mumford
And that was my first job in music. And that's really nice. And so I got hired as a session drummer and I still like to play drums for people when I get the chance, honestly. Cause I love it. But then. And so. And then I learned open tunings on the guitar so that I could play it like a percussion instrument really, without having to read. I can read drum music. I can't read, you know, Other music.
Will Arnett
Oh, really?
Jason Bateman
What does drum music look like?
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, drum music.
Sean Hayes
X's.
Marcus Mumford
It's still on a stave. Yeah. There's X's and there's noughts and crosses, basically.
Jason Bateman
And so like the snare is an X and the kick drum is a. Yeah, the kick.
Marcus Mumford
The bass drum goes at the bottom and then the snare is like two down. You know, where the C would normally be. And the hi hats are on top. And they're normally X's. And then the symbols are on top of that. They stack it.
Sean Hayes
So, you know, you know the, you know the note. Like there's this. A line.
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Sean Hayes
And then the black dot. Instead it's a line with an X.
Marcus Mumford
And that's percussion for cymbals. It's an X. Yeah.
Jason Bateman
Huh.
Sean Hayes
Wait, Jason and Will, did you guys ever. Did you ever try to learn an instrument or.
Jason Bateman
No piano. I played as a little kid, and then when I got too big to be pushed around, I said, I'm out.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, sure, I understand that.
Will Arnett
So you always had a great attitude, Is that what you're saying? You're consistent? No, it was.
Sean Hayes
It was.
Jason Bateman
It wasn't. It wasn't.
Will Arnett
Like, I wish I had. I wish I'd stayed with him.
Jason Bateman
But, you know, it's like my parents, like they said, you know, it's like, it's a form of discipline. You're gonna have to do your practice for an hour every single day.
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Will Arnett
So they made it fun.
Jason Bateman
Exactly. Like that was a problem. Like, you know, they should have made it fun. Like any kid. You're gonna try to cheat and not practice. And so they set up a tape recorder that I had to put on the. On the piano and press record during my. During my one hour practice to prove that I was practicing. Of course, it was the same music that I was practicing each and every week.
Will Arnett
So you just played the same.
Sean Hayes
So you record it once and just turn the.
Jason Bateman
Record it once and they bought it. You know, you're not getting any better by Friday each week.
Will Arnett
That was your audition for it's yous Move. That sounds like the thing your character
Jason Bateman
and it's yous Move would have done.
Will Arnett
The show Jason did when he was like 15 was so funny. Marcus. I played over here. It was a brilliant show where he just played a kid who did shit like that all the time. I wish. Yeah, I wish I had. I. I did a couple instruments here and there during school and I wish. I just wish I'd stuck with it. It's one of those, like, I wish I'd. I can play four chords on a guitar really sloppily. I just.
Sean Hayes
But let me ask you this, Marcus, to Will's point is like, once you learn and become proficient as you have in so many areas of music, and not only music, singing and all that is, you don't listen to other music the same way.
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, that's true.
Sean Hayes
Whereas somebody like Will or Jay, who.
Will Arnett
I love music.
Sean Hayes
Yeah. You have a different appreciation for it. Not that you don't, if you know it, but, you know, it's just a different ear.
Marcus Mumford
We had this conversation the other day. We had a podcast party at home. It was Carrie's birthday and. And someone came and they were like, there's no music. And I was like, yeah, we. We don't really play music. Music as back. We don't. I can't do background music cuz if music's on, I want to like lean in and listen to it and.
Sean Hayes
Right.
Marcus Mumford
I can't switch that part of my brain off. So then Carrie doesn't like having music in the house because I just. I just stop having a conversation. Like if music comes on, I'll just. And she'll be like, you've gone. I was like, oh, sorry, let's turn off then.
Sean Hayes
And then when you listen to it, do you. Do you analyze it? The chord progressions, the melodies?
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, yeah, normally, you know, and. And if. And a lot of the time then they'd sort of store it to try and copy it, you know?
Sean Hayes
Yeah, right, sure.
Will Arnett
Who. Do you listen to a lot of new music at all?
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, yeah, I listen to probably mostly new music actually. And if I'm on my own, that's when I listen to music.
Jason Bateman
And how. How are you finding the new stuff? Are they. Is somebody. Is somebody giving you tips on like, oh, you should check this or. Or how about this? You know all those streaming services, they like, they figure out what you like and then they send you suggestions, stuff. Do you find that helpful? Do you. Do you follow some of those?
Marcus Mumford
Sometimes. Some of my favorite music I found on. On TikTok when I was on it.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Marcus Mumford
And now I'm not on it. My new music has dried up a bit, actually. I was enjoying that. There's an amazing British band called Divorce, great band name, who became my new favorite obsession. I was completely obsessed with them. We got them to come on tour with us, which is fun. Well, I just found the algorithm, fed them to me.
Will Arnett
So you found them and said, hey, let's get these guys come on tour with us.
Marcus Mumford
Yeah. And Then we ended up recording a song together.
Will Arnett
Yeah, I love that.
Jason Bateman
Wait, you had to cut yourself off from TikTok? Is that what I'm sniffing out?
Marcus Mumford
I did, yeah. I just. I just. Well, I did it ahead of putting out the new record because I just wanted to be insulated from how other people felt about it, because I knew how I felt about it and I didn't. And I didn't need some, like, comment somewhere spoiling my experience, because I was happy with it.
Jason Bateman
Good for you.
Marcus Mumford
And I couldn't change it. It was done. And this is the first time I've ever put a record out where I genuinely have not read a word about it. And I feel.
Sean Hayes
Feel free. I love that. That's really cool.
Marcus Mumford
It's cool. I mean, it's a privilege, obviously, but it's. It's. It's cool. So other people do our socials and stuff, and, you know, we send stuff over and we think about it, we're intentional about it, but I don't have to do any of it or be on any of it, which is cool.
Will Arnett
You must come across. You must come across bands and stuff. When you're. When you're touring too, or if you do a festival, do you, like, all of a sudden, do you find yourself going, oh, wait, what is that going on over there? And like. And here's somebody that way. Does that ever happen?
Marcus Mumford
Yeah. Yeah. And a lot of the time it's just recommendations from mates. You know, they're like, you should listen to this. And sometimes when we're discussing who to come on the road, one of us will pipe up with something we've been listening to, you know? Cause we're very intentional about who comes out and supports us on tour. Because those are the shows I go to now.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Marcus Mumford
And I'll go. And every night. I don't like playing a show without watching the support band first. Cause it just gets me in the mood and it makes me feel what the room's like.
Will Arnett
Yeah, of course. Yeah. There's a new English band that I've been obsessed with. West side Cowboy. Have you heard these?
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Will Arnett
So fucking good, man.
Marcus Mumford
Didn't they support Geese on their. Oh, did they run. And I think they support. Yeah, them and DAV Ellis. So. So that I found. I found DAV Ellis through Geese, because I knew he was on the road with. With them. And I'm like, you know, the rest of the Internet obsessed with them. And. And, yeah, that's how I found D. So a lot of the time it's just like who's playing with who? And these little communities that pop up, you know, which we were part of when we first started as a band. And that's really how people discovered us because they'd come to a Laura Mar. That's how Carrie found out about band. She booked a ticket to a Laura Marling show. And then we started shouting sort of an hour before Laura went on. And then she was like, oh, Mumford. I knew a kid called Mumford. And that's so.
Jason Bateman
I love that.
Marcus Mumford
Those little community build, you know. Yeah, yeah. She left a note with our tour manager.
Will Arnett
She didn't come backstage.
Marcus Mumford
She. No, she left a note. See, that's classic. That's really classic.
Jason Bateman
Well, wait, so she. I've been buried. She probably told us this. I apologize for forgetting. But so what on the note did she say? Hey, so I did know this guy named Mumford. I forget his first name. Is his name.
Marcus Mumford
No, you know what? We were both, I guess on Facebook for a, what, like a six month window when I was still at college. And we connected there. And then this was like a couple years after that when we'd started the band and I was still playing in Laura's band. And so she left a note with our tour manager with her email address on it, I think.
Sean Hayes
Wow.
Jason Bateman
But so knowing that it was you, once she saw you on stage, maybe.
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Will Arnett
You know what's great about this, Marcus, is she. But also email. Not the phone number, just another layer,
Marcus Mumford
you know what I mean?
Will Arnett
Slow play, real classy.
Jason Bateman
She's got skills.
Marcus Mumford
She's a classy broad.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, a classy broad. When did you know that music might actually be a path towards a living for you as opposed to just fun?
Marcus Mumford
Still not convinced. Still in some state of arrested development.
Jason Bateman
Now that was a band for Sean.
Will Arnett
For Sean. That's a TV show that was on for Sean, not for Jesse. For Sean.
Sean Hayes
Is it Playing now was also a good band.
Marcus Mumford
I think it was like. I think it's like I was at college. I got offered a job playing music. I wasn't having a great time at college, so I stopped and took a sabbatical.
Sean Hayes
Where'd you go to college?
Marcus Mumford
I think Edinburgh.
Sean Hayes
Okay.
Marcus Mumford
And I think in my head I'm still on my. Until quite recently, I've been on my sabbatical from college.
Will Arnett
Sure, sure.
Jason Bateman
I think you mean thinking that you would probably go back.
Marcus Mumford
Yeah.
Jason Bateman
And what would you have studied if you'd gone back?
Marcus Mumford
I was doing classics. I was doing Greek and Latin.
Jason Bateman
What literature to do What?
Marcus Mumford
Unclear. You know, it's not a vocational.
Jason Bateman
No, it isn't just.
Sean Hayes
Just reading. Reading.
Marcus Mumford
It's what. It's what a lot of lawyers, Classics in the UK particularly, is seen as like a good, honest old school degree to do if you're doing something.
Sean Hayes
But what do you do with that? Like, I don't understand.
Jason Bateman
He says lawyer. Lawyers, yeah.
Sean Hayes
Oh, lawyer.
Marcus Mumford
Well, what's cool about it as a. Become a member of Parliament? Yeah, A lot of those. A lot of prime ministers do it, but I wasn't on that track. What's cool about it is it gives you access to poetry and philosophy and storytelling and language and linguistics, anthropology, ancient history, all these things that you study through the original languages.
Will Arnett
Jason, you're drooling, your mouth is open.
Marcus Mumford
So it's really geeky and you get your geek goggles out when you're.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, I bet it helps you when you write lyrics.
Marcus Mumford
And then if it's windscreen and it's. And it's how I got introduced to poetry, it's how I fell in love with words, honestly. And then I started reading T.S. eliot really pretentiously as like a 17 year old.
Sean Hayes
Yeah. And.
Marcus Mumford
And suddenly words had a new depth to them. And, you know, he was a classicist too. And the references, a lot of classical references. And I'd sort of read a bit of Homer and then switch over to Elliot and be like, ah, cool. Look at the way they've joined. He's joined up and referred back to this.
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Will Arnett
Can't you just see 17 year old Marx just riding a bicycle through some field and then just like dropping into a field and reading poetry?
Sean Hayes
Yeah. With a baguette and a basket on the bike.
Marcus Mumford
I was that guy. I was sat on the train to Edinburgh with a thick fabric and a collar that I cut the collar off my shirt because I'd seen the assassination of Jesse James and just got deep into. Deep into poetry. And it's until. And honestly, until this last record, I've been in denial about that too. Like, you know, I've been in this process of being like, this is kind of who I am now. This is what I do. So for prizefighter, I'd go and sit in the coffee shops in Hudson, New York. Cause we were recording with Aaron Destin at Long Pond. And I'd sit in the coffee shop for two hours every morning I'd do my artist sway like morning pages. And I'd sit and read poetry like a real twat. And just really lent in to, I guess, my identity at this point, and it helped me write lyrics. You know,
Jason Bateman
let's hit babble for a second here. So what did the incredible success of that album do for you as far, like, personally? Like, was it jarring to sort of have that. That next step of success and recognition and treasure and, like, was it. Did you adapt well to that? Was it. Was it a fun thing, or was it a bit disruptive?
Marcus Mumford
That's a great question, actually.
Jason Bateman
Thank you.
Marcus Mumford
Finally, for once, I don't. I don't think anyone. Unless you're maybe one of Simon Cowell's projects, I don't think you're trained, you know, to have that kind of level of success. We started playing music. Cause we loved playing. We loved each other, and it was just fun. And we got free beers. And then suddenly we were playing 250 shows a year. And then suddenly, you know, the first record starts gaining some pace. We took six weeks off tour to make Babel, which our producer at the time was really frustrated about. He's like, why do you have shows booked on the other side of a recording process? That's really dumb creatively. But we rushed it, and I think we got it right. But it was pressurized. And then the success of that record around the world, really, and particularly in the States, just opened us up to a world we weren't ever anticipating or planning for. And, yeah, I mean, I don't think. Unless you're a kind of pop. What project, you're. You're. You're even imagining it. And then suddenly the shows are all selling out and you're moving into bigger spaces and. And fulfilling lots of your dreams as a kid. Like to headline Glastonbury. Yeah, we only did on two records. You know, I remember getting at the end of the set, we basically had to play the whole of both records to fill the time. And I can remember getting the end of the set and just being like, we just need more songs, man. That's all we got. We need more songs. Cause you watch Springsteen play for three hours, and he's playing like, just hit after hit after hit.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Marcus Mumford
So, yeah, I wasn't really prepared for the success of that record. And I think we reacted to it a bit by making a record on the third one that no one was expecting from us. No one particularly wanted, but we loved it, and it took us into bigger rooms as well. And that was. It went widescreen. And then the fourth record, and then we had a long gap before the fifth and sixth records.
Will Arnett
Yeah. How long was that gap?
Marcus Mumford
That was like, on paper, it was seven years. I mean, we were touring for two of those after Delta came out and then Covid happened.
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Marcus Mumford
So we were apart as a band for maybe three years. Yeah, that's a lot.
Jason Bateman
What was that biggest adjustment there when that. When that first wave of big success came in? I mean, obviously most notable would be the bigger crowds and the sellouts and probably nicer hotels. And you're flying from city to city instead of the buses, maybe, or like, just silly things like that. It must have been pretty heady, too, right. You're watching people, you know, sing your songs en masse and probably getting some feedback as to how you're affecting people and changing their lives a bit. And, you know, probably a weaker, more insecure person would probably buy into that a lot and kind of own a lot of that. I'll bet. I'll bet you sort of deflected a bit of that and tried to keep it all about the music and keep it simple and.
Sean Hayes
I mean.
Jason Bateman
But you. You tell me.
Marcus Mumford
It drove a bit of my shame narrative that was already there that I've looked at a little bit. I drank a bit more than probably I should have.
Jason Bateman
Like, imposter kind of stuff.
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, a bit of that. Yeah, a bit of that, for sure. And I. I did. I went in a bit.
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Marcus Mumford
And on stage you'd be very out, you know, give yourself completely. And then I. My. My friendship circle shrunk a bit, I think. Yeah. I did use booze, particularly, as a bit of an escape. And then really throughout it all, honestly, my marriage has just been the best thing about everything.
Jason Bateman
But I think as we get older, it's sort of naturally and in a very healthy way. I think most people, that circle gets smaller. You figure out more accurately who you are and what the proper fits are for you. And that usually equates to a smaller, more specific, more precise experience with people. Right. You're not out there shopping as much for.
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, And I think I recognized the idea of capacity because for a few years there particularly, I was spread really thin. I mean, you guys must find this with your jobs as well. You meet so many people, and a lot of them you love, and then you want to be friends with, and then you connect with other people. And then I found myself getting spread really thinly and not being very good friends to my friends. And then that shrinking happened a bit. So in a kind of healthy way, I think. So, I guess. Yeah, I think you're right. It's partly growing up, but. Yeah, I suppose I Dealt with it all in a bit of unhealthy ways. Then I stopped drinking booze. More out of choice than necessity, although we could debate that. And then replaced it with ice cream for a while until I was told, you know, I wasn't losing any weight. I was really confused about that.
Will Arnett
We have, we have similar paths in that way. I, I did the same. I, I did that route too where I was. It was like an ice cream based diet after I quit.
Marcus Mumford
Quit boozing? Yeah.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Jason Bateman
Well, because you missed the sugar. I remember that.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, I miss it too. Wait, Marcus. You know, I'm always kind of interested. Probably been an hour at least. I'm like, I'm starting to shake. You know, I'm always interested when people like you who have bands and you, I mean, you tell me, have you. Did you have vocal training or know any or how to use your voice or. Because when I go, for example, I'm a massive Depeche Mode fan. They came on the podcast and it was really wild. I'm also a huge fan of yours and I love all kinds of music too. And I went to go see Dave Gahan sing and I can tell right away, oh, he didn't warm up. And then after the first couple songs, his voice kind of opened up a little bit and then it was great. And it was great from the beginning too, but just kept.
Will Arnett
Reach out and touch.
Sean Hayes
Faith bump, badoo doom. And then do you do. Did you have any kind of training or did you realize when you were touring, like, oh shit, I don't know how to take care of the kind of athleticism of my voice.
Marcus Mumford
I was convinced for years that whiskey and cigarettes really helped.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, right.
Marcus Mumford
And then just recently I've started actually Brandi Carlisle introduced me to her vocal coach, guy called Rob Stevenson, who's totally changed my world and given me some education on stuff like it's a muscle and you have to warm it up. And I've been lucky. And I watched friends around me get affected by the polyps thing and losing their voices. We've never, I don't think we've canceled a show for my voice in the past, which has been cool. Like the only couple of shows that I remember canceling were. Cause Ted had a brain hemorrhage.
Sean Hayes
Oh geez.
Marcus Mumford
Which wasn't funny at all. No get up. But now it's quite funny. Cause he had to wear a hat for a while. He headlined Glastonbury two weeks after getting that surgery like a legend. And we only, I think we cancelled two shows. For that. But we've just been lucky. And my voice has been resilient, amazing. But I think recently I've realized it's a muscle. Now I start and now I have a full routine and I look after it and I quit smoking and all that stuff.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, Good, good, good.
Jason Bateman
And we will be right back.
Sean Hayes
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Jason Bateman
What does that mean about the polyps? Because I had polyps removed from my vocal cords.
Marcus Mumford
But. But it means you're weak psychologically.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Jason Bateman
Oh, damn it.
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, it's the piano lesson thing. It's because it's a piano. Your parents were right. It was character development.
Jason Bateman
No, but I. I think the. The.
Will Arnett
The.
Jason Bateman
The doctor did say that I wasn't using my voice correctly because I was like, screaming in bars, you know, and smoking cigarettes and stuff. And he said that's. I just. I wrecked it that way. Is that what. Is that what happens to. To musicians or to singers that don't know how to warm up correctly? Or user like you can create polyps on your.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, I don't know.
Marcus Mumford
I honestly don't know.
Sean Hayes
I think the wear and tear a bit call not. Is it. It's true.
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, I know that. I know that. Like going out after show. I just don't ever do that anymore. Because. Because talking in loud rooms after shows is the thing that is worse for your. Yeah, yeah.
Jason Bateman
Right.
Marcus Mumford
So after a show, I don't go on voice rest. I'm not like, precious about it.
Sean Hayes
Right. But.
Marcus Mumford
But I. I don't go out and I stay away from loud places.
Jason Bateman
Well, you also have a wife you love and three kids that you got to go spend time with too, you
Marcus Mumford
know, Also, I've just become quite boring and monkish, you know, on the radio.
Will Arnett
Jason, Amanda ever develop polyps?
Sean Hayes
Oh, boy. I'm screaming, that's your date.
Jason Bateman
That's your date. And she may cancel on you now.
Will Arnett
I love her. I love her more than anything in the whole world. Hey, so I lost my voice two days ago, actually, a little bit.
Sean Hayes
Really?
Will Arnett
Yeah. Too bad.
Jason Bateman
You found it.
Sean Hayes
Wait, Will, have you ever checked in it? Go ahead, Jay.
Jason Bateman
I lost mine two weeks ago. Yeah, it's still. It's still weak. I still, like, if I ever did theater, I'd have a real. I need. I would need to take real lessons about how to use.
Marcus Mumford
Have you not done theater?
Jason Bateman
No. I mean, tiny, small room stuff. But, like, if I ever did it, you know, here in New York, I'd leave. Help.
Will Arnett
Jay, I was thinking the same thing when I. Yesterday, I didn't fully lose it, but I was really close and I thought. I was just thinking about you, Sean, and about how you've been. You've been basically on stage for the last three years. Yeah, kind of straight.
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Will Arnett
And Marcus, you must have the same thing. And I've thought I'm going through this thing of like, nice. Like I would. If I were.
Sean Hayes
If.
Will Arnett
If I were in a play right now, I'd be fucked. I wouldn't be able tonight.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You really have to take care of it.
Marcus Mumford
And Sean, do you do like a full hour every night before you.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, I. And there's songs that I'll sing to warm up. Like if I. I know if I'll sing all by myself and if I can hit that high note.
Jason Bateman
Let's have it.
Sean Hayes
Oh, by myself. Then I can do the whole show.
Marcus Mumford
Oh, sick.
Will Arnett
Yeah, it's funny. And you do it usually do it through tears. Right, right.
Sean Hayes
No, that's the song. Because that was a one man show. So I would sing all by myself.
Jason Bateman
Marcus, do you have a go to little thing that you do for. For warm up, Like a little scale thing or something like that?
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, I do. It's called the penguin noise. There a lot of this.
Sean Hayes
That's good.
Jason Bateman
Really?
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Marcus Mumford
And then vocal straws. I use straws. This is about like. I mean, we could get tekkers if you want, but it's about getting your larynx to drop back down. Like putting your tongue at the back
Sean Hayes
of your throat and opening your palate with a straw.
Jason Bateman
Literally with a straw.
Marcus Mumford
And then the straw. The straw helps with back pressure. So you blow bubbles into a. Into a bottle through a straw.
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Marcus Mumford
And then the back pressure helps open that up and ease all that out. It's like a little reverse massage.
Jason Bateman
Do you ever actually. Do you ever accidentally throw up? Do you ever accidentally throw up when you're doing.
Marcus Mumford
I, I can't eat like four hours before we go on stage because then bits come up. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, because it's all quite shouty, you know.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, yeah.
Marcus Mumford
That's why.
Will Arnett
Jason, you accident. You accidentally threw up after a lot of big meals, don't you? Yeah.
Jason Bateman
Oh, darn it.
Sean Hayes
But I hold his hair. I hold his hair.
Jason Bateman
I've got to get it out inside 10 minutes, otherwise it starts to absorb the fat. So, Marcus, Marcus, we're a month into your tour. What is the.
Will Arnett
What.
Jason Bateman
What will have been the most important part of your prep to go on some long tour? Like, do you have to get, you know, your family stuff all in order so that it can withstand you being gone so long? Do you have to get your body in order so it can withstand the hours and the, like. What, what, what, what is prep for a long Time.
Marcus Mumford
I have been trying to approach. I got to a point a couple years ago, I was like, there is an element of physicality to my job that requires me to train a bit more. So I have been working on that and trying to approach it more like an athletics program, and everything else will follow if I can do that stuff.
Jason Bateman
Well, what are we looking at? Cardio. We pushing weight? What's our training?
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, all that stuff. Stuff, yeah, all of it. Yeah. Yeah. And then we have a little gym on the road that helps. There's a lot of card, like singing. It turns out that singing, playing guitar and stamping like this with your feet, which you.
Jason Bateman
You.
Marcus Mumford
You must remember Jason from that video that.
Will Arnett
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Sean Hayes
Jay was in the video.
Marcus Mumford
I forget that stuff. Turns out is some sort of cardio. I used to think it was enough to.
Will Arnett
Yeah, it's exhausting talk about, how did that happen? How did Jason. How did Jason Bateman end up. Less disdain. No, I. Spit it out. How the fuck did Jason Bateman.
Marcus Mumford
It was. It was Sam Jones, wasn't it? He called you.
Jason Bateman
Oh, yeah. Or was it Sudeikis? I think maybe I was doing Horrible Bosses at the time. Maybe it was. I'll bet you Sam contacted. I didn't know Sam, so he wouldn't have contacted me. So it would have been Fabi Sudeikis or Ed or Will. Yeah. And then they. I don't. I don't know how they got to me. Must have got a lot of passes before they got to me, but, God, that was so fun.
Marcus Mumford
Probably my favorite music video we've ever done, because I don't have to do anything, really, and I just got to watch you guys do it. Absolutely amazing.
Jason Bateman
Forte killed me on that.
Sean Hayes
Oh, yeah. Well, Forte was the Kiss. The Kiss.
Jason Bateman
The Kiss. The hard kiss. All right, so. But. So that brings us to Sam. That brings us to the doc. Let's talk about the dock. Let's talk about the train tour. Let's talk about you arranging for those other. Other groups. And. And, you know, because you spoke earlier about picking, you know, the. The bands that you guys are interfacing with. So just. Well, let's go in order. What's it like traveling on a train that long with that many people?
Marcus Mumford
It's really exhausting. It's not. It's. I don't recommend it.
Sean Hayes
It's.
Jason Bateman
Right.
Marcus Mumford
It's very confined. It's like being on a submarine. It's worse than a tour bus.
Jason Bateman
Right.
Marcus Mumford
And I mean, it was. It was.
Will Arnett
So tell.
Jason Bateman
Sorry. Tell the audience what the Basic concept of this thing, and it was inspired by the. This happened. This Woody Guthrie and. And gang. Right, Right.
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, I think they did it. Basically someone came to us, you know, I don't know, 2011, and said, we have access to a bunch of vintage rail cars. Do you want to go on tour on a train?
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Marcus Mumford
And we at that point were like, we just done a tour of India. Yeah, well, before we had any reason to do a tour of India, you know, we toured on a narrow boat. We like putting up our own festivals. It was just like fun ways of. Of like making the ships feel slightly different and discovering bits of the world that you might not otherwise. So we were feeling adventurous and we said, yes, we did it with Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros, Great Britain with Old Crow Medicine show. And it was the best week on the road we've ever had. And we made a film and it won a Grammy and we were all very happy. It was great. And so we thought, let's run it back slightly differently. Let's hire, like, let's. Let's get all of our favorite musicians together as a house band, and then every night we'll get special guests to come on stage with us. So we had Lainey Wilson, Daris Rucker, Maggie Rogers and Noah Kahn, and we learned their songs the day before.
Sean Hayes
Wow.
Marcus Mumford
And performed like the house band for them. And it was really fun. And we did it. Yeah, we traveled by train. But that's not really the audience participation part because obviously it was just us and crew that went on the trains, but it was. And it was only five days, so it's manageable, but it was exhausting.
Jason Bateman
But you've got Sam and his gang with the cameras in there documenting the.
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, yeah. So Sam made this film for it, which I really love. Actually. I don't enjoy the process of making music films. I think in general they're quite boring and I don't really watch them for pleasure.
Jason Bateman
But this one feel like a reality show, right?
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, a little bit. And. And yeah, it's. I find it quite hard to relate to a lot of them. I'm obviously get the Beatles one is my favorite of all time, and I've watched that many times. And. But other than that, I don't get a huge amount of enjoyment from watching this one, especially not our ones. But this one I actually think he did something really beautiful with. And the people involved were unbelievably kind with their time, and we made it kind of like a socialistic enterprise where everyone got paid the same and whatever cash there was left in the pot after very expensive trains, we just shared out. And then our friends really gave us their time, you know, and they're phenomenal musicians. And we had a little.
Will Arnett
I was gonna say so for Tracy, but she knows because she met Sam when we were on tour. Sam Jones is the same guy who did the Smartless on the Road special that we did, so that we all know Sam through the process. Yeah.
Sean Hayes
That's so cool. I didn't know he. I didn't know he did this, and I didn't know anything about this. When can we.
Marcus Mumford
And I'd made a film with him. He made the documentary about the new Basement Tapes thing that we did with Elvis Costello and Jim James and Tony.
Will Arnett
I don't know about this.
Marcus Mumford
We took old Bob Dylan lyrics that T Bone Burnett had, like, pilfered off Dylan and asked if we could record music for them. And Dylan, amazingly, said yes. They were literally from shoeboxes in the Big pink from the 60s. And so we wrote music to all these unused used lyrics, which was really fun. And Sam made a documentary that. So I'd worked with him before, and obviously he. He shot our Rolling Stone cover, which I hate. But he also made that Hopeless Wanderer video that Jason was in. So we'd worked with him a bit before, and. And he came on and did it, and it was.
Sean Hayes
It was sweet.
Will Arnett
And he also made the Wilco Duck. I'm trying to break your hearts.
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Will Arnett
Which is also amazing.
Jason Bateman
So great.
Sean Hayes
It's. Wow.
Will Arnett
That's. I want to see that doc you're just talking about. I want to see that one where you guys with the dill.
Marcus Mumford
Oh, it's sweet.
Will Arnett
Yeah, it was good.
Sean Hayes
It's a while ago, actually.
Jason Bateman
Go ahead, Shoney.
Sean Hayes
I was just gonna do my standard, like. Do you have any, like, one show or one fan interaction on stage that just went horribly wrong or something that went horribly wrong on stage during a tour?
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, yeah. Recently we started the Prizefighter tour in Australia.
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Marcus Mumford
And we played a song for the first time, and it went so badly wrong. We stopped halfway through and we didn't start the song again.
Will Arnett
No way.
Jason Bateman
I bet the child loved that, though.
Sean Hayes
Oh, my go. I love that.
Will Arnett
What did you say?
Marcus Mumford
I said, that's live music, folks. And we moved on. And I wanted to fall through the floor so badly. It was the worst. I think it was the worst moment I've ever.
Sean Hayes
Wait, why did you stop?
Marcus Mumford
Oh, it was just a disaster. Everyone was in the wrong key and wrong time, and it was just A disaster and would have required a full rehearsal to do it. And I thought that was probably pushing it. So we just stopped and moved on to one there.
Sean Hayes
And you just thought, ah, well, we'll get this, we'll get this. Watch this. Six, seven, eight.
Marcus Mumford
Awful. It was awful. It was so horrible.
Jason Bateman
I'll bet you the audience loved it, though, like, kind of, you know, like, like, like a blooper, you know, so cool.
Will Arnett
Like.
Marcus Mumford
Yeah, I think, you know. Yeah. My wife says things like, because I forget lyrics a lot when I get nervous, my memory goes. And I'll forget a lyric sometimes and she'll be like, that's the bit people love. That's the live bit as different to the record.
Sean Hayes
And I, I, I toured with Kenny Rogers when I was a, when I was in my early 20s as a Christmas elf in his tour.
Marcus Mumford
Amazing.
Sean Hayes
And, and he would forget the lyrics all the time. And whenever he did, he would just hold the microphone out to the audience. Audience.
Will Arnett
Oh, you got to know, Sean, I thought you'd go, hey, Santa.
Jason Bateman
The lyric is shuffle over like a little helpful elf.
Marcus Mumford
Hey, have you ever done that on stage, though? Because that terrifies, especially with a one man show. Have you ever forgotten your loss?
Sean Hayes
Yeah, yeah, there's one. I just did it. It was absolutely terrifying. There is one part where the line is, you know, I say to one of the characters, I say, are you gonna be here? How long are you in town for? And he says, the Weeknd. I say, can we get together and discuss this one thing? He says, sure. And then I say, your last name is Dupain. And then one night I go as one of the characters, I go, how long are you in town for? He goes, the weekend. And I go, can we get together? And I go, And I go, and then I go to myself, I go, wait, how long are you in town for? To the character. And I go, I just told you, I'm in town just for the weekend. And it bought me time to think of what line was next.
Marcus Mumford
And did you get there?
Sean Hayes
Yeah, thank God.
Marcus Mumford
And do you think people noticed?
Sean Hayes
No, they don't know.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Jason Bateman
And certainly the stage manager that was asleep in the wings not throwing you the line didn't notice either.
Sean Hayes
Right, Right.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Marcus Mumford
It just scares the living daylights out.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, it is pretty cool.
Jason Bateman
All right, before we let you go, because we're too minutes over here, I want to know how being a parent has changed the way that, that you, that you, that you listen to music or, or write music. Yeah. I'm assuming they go with you a little bit, but does it. It's got to change the way you are as an artist, as a musician. Yes.
Marcus Mumford
Yeah. Yeah. I think it's. I think it's been a healthy. I think it's been a wonderful antidote to my narcissism. Because you, like, just. You can't just be the center. I mean, you probably can, but I found it difficult to remain the center of my universe with these little ones around. And it puts everything else in perspective in such a helpful way for me.
Jason Bateman
Amen.
Marcus Mumford
I found it. Yeah. Like, so if you're asking about how it's affected my work, it makes me more intentional when I go to work. And actually, scheduling wise, like, I just want our team to pack as much as they can into as short a period of time as possible. So I'll go away and I'll work really, really hard for whatever period of time I'm away, and then I come home. And sooner than I would have if the schedule had been more easy, you know?
Jason Bateman
And I would imagine when you do come home, that that is. That is the thing you are most addicted to. Completely indulging in. Right. I rationally excited to just, like, dive headfirst into family.
Marcus Mumford
Yeah. I want to get home, you know, like, one of the guys really likes during the day. I just want to get home as soon as possible. I don't care which flight it is.
Sean Hayes
Right.
Marcus Mumford
And then hopefully be there for the school run the morning after. Because. And that's why. That's why dropping booze for me has been so helpful. It's just made my life more functional.
Jason Bateman
Get up earlier because I get home,
Marcus Mumford
I'm not dusty, you know, I'm like. Yeah, it's just being, like, present as fast as you can. An accelerated manner, it feels like. So it's made me more. More present, I think.
Jason Bateman
Yeah. Yeah.
Marcus Mumford
And then more grateful. When I get to go and do my work and go and play these shows, I just feel grateful for it. I'm in this season of gratitude with the band that I'm just really enjoying because I'll go away and be like, I've got to make the absolute most of this because. Because it's awesome and it's amazing. It's such a privilege. And our audience have been so kind to us and continue to grow and. And that's just felt, like, wild. And so I wanna. I wanna be really good. I wanna be really great at that. And that takes time and attention. That obviously is a cost balance, you know.
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Marcus Mumford
But I'm just attacking It. And I'm.
Jason Bateman
Well, you are.
Will Arnett
Well, yeah. You start to value. Well, sorry. Sorry, Jay. I was just gonna say, like, I've gone through that, too, in the last couple years. It's like when you. If you are gonna do something that's taking you away from home and the kids and all this stuff, it's gotta be value. Valuable, you know?
Marcus Mumford
Exactly.
Will Arnett
It's. And. And. And if you're going to do it, you do it wholeheartedly, and then. And then you go, because you. Because you really just want to be home.
Marcus Mumford
Right.
Will Arnett
You know, so it's got to be. It's got to be meaningful.
Jason Bateman
Well, we're grateful of the time you do spend away from them because you are incredible at it. Keep going at it and. And maybe we'll see you for. For the. For the. For the dock down the street.
Will Arnett
I will. I will see you.
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Will Arnett
Jason with my wife. Okay.
Jason Bateman
The woman he'll be with is my wife. And I want a full report. Take some pictures.
Marcus Mumford
I'm really excited to see you guys. Yeah. Thanks so much for having me.
Jason Bateman
Oh, thank you for doing this.
Marcus Mumford
Privilege.
Will Arnett
Oh, man.
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Marcus Mumford
Thank you.
Will Arnett
Such fans.
Jason Bateman
Enjoy the rest.
Sean Hayes
Enjoy the game.
Marcus Mumford
Thank you. See you guys.
Jason Bateman
Yeah. Okay, bye.
Marcus Mumford
Peace. Bye.
Jason Bateman
That was double M, as I like to call him. I call him Eminem.
Sean Hayes
He loves grand, by the way. Isn't that crazy that at the beginning, we were talking about our hair, and you said, what's the name of your new hairdresser? And I said, marcos.
Jason Bateman
No, it's not Marcos.
Sean Hayes
Marcos Mumford.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Jason Bateman
I just don't think.
Sean Hayes
And then the guest name was Marco. Well, it's M A R, C O, S, So it's the same. It's spelled the same.
Jason Bateman
I get where you're going with this, Sean, but, you know, it's not.
Sean Hayes
It's not crazy.
Jason Bateman
It's not crazy. No.
Sean Hayes
I think that's really wild. I mean, what are the odds of that?
Jason Bateman
What are the odds?
Sean Hayes
He's great, though. I mean, what are the odds? He is great that I didn't. You know, I never knew anything about him.
Jason Bateman
I like. I really like his flavor of British accent.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, me too. I noticed that, too. And I like that, too.
Will Arnett
They're melodious. Yeah, it's nice.
Sean Hayes
It's calming. They're.
Jason Bateman
They're different. Definitely different regions of.
Sean Hayes
Oh, there are.
Jason Bateman
Accent.
Sean Hayes
Oh, which ones are there?
Jason Bateman
Oh, there's.
Sean Hayes
There are.
Jason Bateman
There is sort of the aristocratic sound. There's the Liverpudlian. There's the slightly Scottish. There's the Welsh. Right. Will Will. Will. You're. You're the guy over there.
Will Arnett
How dare you? How very dare you.
Jason Bateman
Right? And like, I wouldn't be like, if ever.
Will Arnett
Liverpool. You're okay. You're right. You're right, Jason.
Jason Bateman
Yeah. See, you can't just do a regular British accent. If you're gonna play a character, it's gotta be region specific.
Sean Hayes
Yep. There's. Yeah.
Will Arnett
He's such a nice dude. I'm really excited for the. For the doc. I can't wait to see it.
Sean Hayes
Yeah. I didn't know anything about it.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Will Arnett
It's gonna be really.
Jason Bateman
What time are you gonna pick my wife up? And what are you gonna wear?
Will Arnett
Well, she's spending the night, so I think that we're gonna.
Jason Bateman
Hang on.
Will Arnett
We're gonna be. We'll just get ready together, you know?
Sean Hayes
By the way. By the way, I was just talking to her right before this. She says, hello, Jason.
Jason Bateman
I've not spoken to her yet today. You guys really do.
Will Arnett
Can I tell you some? We could decide if we want to cut this. I said, are we doing dinner Sunday? And she goes, I'm not sure. And if we don't do dinner, I go, well, we could get dinner. She goes, no, if we're not doing dinner with all of us getting together, I'm doing a full moon women's circle. Lol. Hold your tongue.
Jason Bateman
There is some kind of a full light bulb up in the sky coming up here soon.
Sean Hayes
How about that? Wait, and what do you do in the circle? I'll call it $. I don't know. Maybe I'll. Maybe I'll do that.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, we'll trim this. All right, who's got a buy? Anybody got a buy?
Sean Hayes
Oh, wait.
Marcus Mumford
Well, there's.
Jason Bateman
Wait, didn't we. Didn't I try to.
Will Arnett
You know what?
Marcus Mumford
You know what?
Will Arnett
If we ever. If we ever did a week where we didn't. We didn't throw out a buy, we. We would have to call that the bye week.
Marcus Mumford
Need to keep saying it.
Will Arnett
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Sean Hayes
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Jason Bateman
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Sean Hayes
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Hosts: Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett
Guest: Marcus Mumford (Mumford & Sons)
Date: July 27, 2026
This episode’s central theme is a warm and thoroughly entertaining exploration of Marcus Mumford’s musical journey, creative process, personal growth, and the delicate balance between fame, family, and artistry. The trio (Bateman, Arnett, Hayes) unspool Marcus’s backstory, probe the realities of life in a globally successful band, and digress into candid talk about marriage, parenthood, vulnerability, and the ever-present perils (and joys) of live performance, all while maintaining SmartLess’s trademark blend of irreverence and intimacy.
Will: "No, no, it's Marcus Mumford."
Jason: "Bingo. Get out."
Early musical inspiration:
Varied tastes among bandmates create Mumford & Sons’ expansive sound:
Marcus’s path: original school instrument was drums, leading eventually to being Laura Marling’s session drummer and dropping out of college for music.
Marcus’s habit of finding new bands through TikTok and recommendations while on tour:
Marcus staying off social media during album releases to insulate himself:
Experience of massive success post-“Babel” (Grammy win, headlining big festivals, etc.):
Dealing with fame’s pressures and its effect on mental health:
On vocal technique and preserving the voice:
The athleticism of performing:
Behind the scenes: pre-tour training, gym routines, body prep for long tours.
| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------|-------------| | Mystery Guest Reveal | 07:15–08:05 | | Backstage Etiquette | 10:04–13:20 | | Marcus & Carey Mulligan Story | 15:41–16:48 | | Musical Influences & Instruments | 20:01–22:00 | | Music Appreciation for Musicians | 29:04–29:40 | | Finding New Music, TikTok | 30:18–31:14 | | Handling Success (“Babel”) | 37:21–40:49 | | Coping with Fame & Booze | 41:00–42:59 | | On Voice Care & Warming Up | 44:02–45:33 | | Parenting & Artistic Perspective | 61:25–63:34 | | On-Stage Flubs | 58:29–59:11 |
The episode maintains SmartLess’s signature casual and comedic rapport, blending behind-the-scenes insights with genuine affection and self-deprecating humor. Marcus’s British wit and openness complement the hosts’ banter, creating a cozy, honest, and inviting vibe throughout.
This episode is a rewarding listen for both Mumford & Sons fans and listeners interested in the crossroads of artistry, vulnerability, and family. Marcus Mumford’s humility, candor, and deep love for music—and his family—shine through, as do the moments of laughter, insight, and mutual respect among the group.
Highly recommended segment:
The discussion of backstage etiquette and the Madonna/Costner story is a quotable highlight ([11:54–12:29]), as is Marcus describing how family has profoundly grounded and refocused his life ([61:25–63:00]).
For listeners who missed it, this summary offers the essential wisdom, warmth, and wisdom of a stand-out SmartLess episode.