Mumford & Sons on New Album “Prizefighter”

Summary

Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist

Guest: Mumford & Sons

Episode: On New Album “Prizefighter”

Date: April 26, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this engaging episode of "Sunday Sitdown," Willie Geist sits down with the three members of Mumford & Sons—Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett, and Ted Dwane—inside Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg. They reflect on their roots while delving into the whirlwind process behind their new chart-topping album, Prizefighter, released just 11 months after their previous record, Rushmere. The conversation explores the spirit of spontaneity, creativity, lasting friendship, and the evolution of their sound, along with insights into working with high-profile collaborators. Memorable anecdotes—including gig memories, Grannies performances, and lessons in presence—fill the episode with warmth, humor, and candor.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Return to Their Roots & Live Performance Magic

• Setting: Band and Geist are seated at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, where the band first played in NYC years ago and just hosted a surprise unplugged gig.
  • Marcus: “We still have the nerves, like announcing something even with 600 people... I was like, is anyone gonna be there?” (05:20)
  • Ben: “It’s funny how, like, they kind of shrink as your gigs get bigger. But... they carry, like, a vibe, you know, that accumulates over decades. And they're important cultural spaces.” (06:20)
• Full Circle: Playing the same venue years later but now filling it instantly with social media, the band expresses gratitude and nostalgia.

2. The Spontaneous Creation of “Prizefighter”

• Rapid Follow-Up Album: Geist notes the unusual pace (“I will say it felt to me like you put out an album about five minutes ago”—07:07). Band dives into how the creative spark hit at Electric Lady Studios, catalyzed by producer Aaron Dessner.
• Marcus: "We just right there and then started making another record… it ended up being my favorite thing we’ve done.” (07:24)
• The freedom and lack of “task-oriented” pressure made recording joyful and organic.

3. Freedom, Curiosity, and the Role of Producer Aaron Dessner

• Marcus: “I think it feels the most free, you know, it feels the most unconsidered in a good way. And Aaron really helped us to chase that vibe.” (08:33)
• Ted: “There’s like a kind of like, why not? Why not go there? Why not make that sound? Why not say that thing?... it does kind of feel like we’re starting a band, which is crazy because we’re 18 years in.” (09:26)
• Ben: “The thing that attracted us to it, I think, was the freedom in that music. It was spontaneous. It wasn’t overly complicated, it wasn’t overthought. It was just really emotionally engaging…” (10:56)

4. Navigating Industry Expectations & Trusting Instinct

• The band recounts “a couple people” advised them to wait before releasing a second album so soon (12:03), but they always trusted their own instincts.
• Ted: “We’ve always been in control of our destiny... it’s been enough to kind of corral our own thoughts and set our own path.” (12:07)

5. Collaborations: Crafting the Album’s DNA

• Chris Stapleton: A genuine “long-shot” cold-call collaboration.
  • Marcus: “Chris Stapleton’s My Roman Empire... No pressure, but can I send it to you? And within a week, he’d sent it back and sung on it… I really had a clear creative vision for his voice on that song.” (12:59)
  • Notably, it's their "first pretty traditional country song" (13:49).
• Gracie Abrams: More serendipity than strategy; Gracie was at the studio and quickly became involved.
  • Marcus: “She became like a kind of fairy godmother on this record. She’s been really sweet and cheerleading and supportive...” (15:50)
• Brandi Carlile & Others:
  • Brandi contributed lyrics via text; Kevin Garrett, Gigi Perez, and others joined via spontaneous sessions and backstage moments.
  • Marcus: “There were lots of moments of sweet serendipity like that… it’s lots of like making music with your mates again, which just feels like a relief…” (16:18)

6. Perspective, Growth, and Comfort in Identity

• With age, families, and success, the band shares they’re more secure and less anxious about reactions but still feel familiar jitters.
  • Ted: “We really have welcomed in our audience into a pretty like, yeah, transparent relationship… there’s a trust there…” (19:20)
• Ben: Jokes about being “very British about it,” apologetic about success (20:55).
• Marcus: "This is the first record I haven’t looked up a single thing online. All I know is that I’m really happy with it. ...most artists tell you they don’t and they’re lying… but on this one, I haven’t felt the need." (21:31)

7. The Thrill and Privilege of Touring

• Excitement for upcoming tour: three sold-out nights at MSG, firsts at Fenway and Wrigley, and more.
• Ted: “Part of the reason we did this in the first place was to play gigs... This is our first time taking the stage in a lot of those spaces. So it's a big one in that sense of newness…” (23:08)
• Marcus: On fans singing songs back: “It’s a magical feeling, and it is a drug. Like, what it does to your brain chemistry... It’s a magical privilege.” (24:35, 25:13)

8. Band Milestones, Longevity, and Staying Present

• Reflect on nearly 20 years as a band (“That’s wild... 20 years... for Mumford and Sons.” —26:34)
• Ben: “So much of it feels the same...the feeling between us is only getting more intense and more loving and... I feel more energized and interested in this thing than ever before." (26:48)
• Ted: “I really believe that the reason we stick together is for exactly the same reason we got together in the first place, which is probably the rarest thing.” (29:04)
• Marcus candid about staying present, including giving up drinking to enjoy the experience fully (33:30).

9. Grammy Moments and Mainstream Breakthrough

• Recalling their 2011 Grammy performance with Bob Dylan, and how it changed everything:
  • Ben: “The whole thing was like a dream, you know... The Grammys is a sort of an island of an experience.” (37:57)
  • Ted: “My stand up bass was in front of Bob Dylan at one point... he had to step over it…” (36:30)

10. Band Transitions and the Value of Happy Accidents

• Acknowledge the shift from four to three members and that coming back together was about returning to joy and music, not forced strategy.
  • Ted: “The question answering itself was through those songs... getting in a room... It was the making that gave us the answers…” (40:29)
• Marcus: “We just love it, man. There’s nothing else I’d rather do. There’s nowhere else I’d rather do. No one else I’d rather do it with.” (41:48)

11. Legacy, Influence, & Community

• Geist probes on Mumford & Sons’ role in popularizing folk and Americana for a new generation.
  • Marcus: “I think we absolutely love being part of the tapestry of some of those stories and some of the, you know, shared DNA… But I don’t think we ever take any direct responsibility for anyone else’s career…” (42:23)

12. Looking Ahead

• No hard plans but an intent to sustain the creative momentum and embrace more dynamic release schedules, thanks to a more direct fan relationship.
  • Marcus: “We screwed up the whole album cycle thing by doing two records in a year. You’re not supposed to do that by the book, but, like, creatively, we want to be led by and led by the art that we’re making.” (43:54)
• The “tap” of creativity is still on—there will be more to come.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments (With Timestamps)

• On the spirit of New York & spontaneity:
  • Marcus: “This is New York, you know? That’s the spirit of this record.” (06:08)
• On Chris Stapleton Collaboration:
  • Marcus: “Chris Stapleton’s My Roman Empire... I really had a clear creative vision for his voice on that song.” (12:59)
• On being present and enjoying success:
  • Ben: “I’m like a butterfly.” (21:24)
• On the addictive joy of live performance:
  • Marcus: “It is a drug. Like, what it does to your brain chemistry… It’s a magical privilege.” (25:13)
• On nearly two decades as a band:
  • Ben: “It’s a really magical journey... I feel sort of more energized and interested in this thing than ever before.” (26:48)
• On breaking industry cycles:
  • Marcus: “We screwed up the whole album cycle thing by doing two records in a year. You’re not supposed to do that by the book, but… we want to be led by the art.” (43:54)
• On the “cold call” with Chris Stapleton:
  • Marcus: “Luckily he said yes. That was the only cold call. I think the rest of it was all mates, really.” (13:39)
• On not checking the reaction online:
  • Marcus: "This is the first record I haven’t looked up a single thing online. All I know is that I’m really happy with it." (21:31)
• On sticking together:
  • Ted: “Bands sticking together is like a beautiful thing. It’s a hard thing. ...the reason we stick together is for exactly the same reason we got together in the first place..." (29:04)
• On musical influence:
  • Marcus: "It always takes you Yanks, a few Brits to come and remind you who you really are and what you should really be doing, you know?” (42:23)
• On embracing the moment:
  • Marcus: “…we want to take the art seriously, but not take ourselves quite as seriously because it’s a bit silly, isn’t it, really?” (30:37)

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Important Timestamps

• Venue & gig reflections: 04:12 – 06:20
• Prizefighter album origins: 07:07 – 08:33
• Aaron Dessner’s influence: 08:33 – 10:56
• Collaborations stories: 12:42 – 17:12
• On being more comfortable/secure as artists: 18:55 – 22:21
• Live performance excitement: 23:08 – 26:01
• 20 years together reflections: 26:34 – 29:04
• Grammy’s performance & breakthrough: 34:05 – 37:57
• Band transitions and rekindling spirit: 38:33 – 41:58
• Thoughts on folk/Americana influence: 42:00 – 42:23
• Future plans & release strategies: 43:13 – 45:08

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Summary

This episode is a rich, heartfelt portrait of Mumford & Sons at a creative and personal high-point—reflective without nostalgia, energetic without rushing, and grounded in both gratitude and ongoing ambition. From tales of surprise gigs to Grammy stage nerves, the episode highlights their joy in creation, the fun of musical camaraderie, and the unique thrill that performing live—and living together as a band—continues to bring. They close with a commitment to staying present, breaking industry molds, and keeping the creative “tap” running, ensuring fans that their best music (and best times) may still be ahead.

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Transcript

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Oh, you did not just cut me

[Marcus Mumford]

off and make me spill my coffee.

[Willie Geist]

Ugh.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

There's no way I'll make it to work on time.

[Ted Dwane]

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[Unknown Speaker 2]

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[Unknown Speaker 3]

Foreign.

[Willie Geist]

Hey guys, Willie Geist here with another episode of the Sunday Sit down podcast. My thanks as always for clicking and listening along. Got a great one for you this week with one of the biggest bands in the world, Mumford and Sons. Their latest album is called Prize Fighter. It's already gone to number one across the world, crack the top 10 on the US Billboard 200 as well. Doing big business. A really cool album with lots of great collaborations including with Hosier, with Gracie Abrams and with Chris Stapleton. It's a great album and it's their second album in less than a year. It came out 11 months after their previous album of 2025 called Rushmere. I'll let the guys tell you the story, but basically what happened was they were recording at Electric Lady Studios, the Fame Studio started by Jimi Hendrix in New York City. And they just got inspired to keep going. And there were other artists around there, including a guy you'll hear about in the interview named Aaron Desser. He is from the band the national, but but also just one of the great producers in all of music. Has worked with Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran. The list goes on and on. And they just kind of got cooking with him and got to work on another album that became Prize Fighter. So the guys and I, it's the three guys just I'll give you a visual. We're inside a place called the Music hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. It's a small venue where Mumford and Sons used to play way back in the day before they were the Mumford and Sons that we know now, before they broke out with their debut 2009 album, nominated for a couple Grammys, had that crazy performance on the Grammys in 2011, performed with Bob Dylan that night. And everything changed after that. But before that they were playing Music hall of Williamsburg and they just love it. It feels like home to them. Very small venue where they had just the night before we talked, played a popup gig. They posted on social media a couple hours, said, Hey, 8 o' clock tonight we're going to be at the Music hall of Williamsburg. Come if you can. Of course the place sold out and they played an unplugged gig. They had no amplification, nothing. They just got on the stage and started playing. So we are inside that venue. Sitting left to right is Ted Duane. On the left, he is the stand up bass player with a deep voice. In the middle, the lead singer, founder of the band, Marcus Mumford. And then on the right is Ben Lovett, who's an incredibly talented keyboard player and vocalist among many other things. So that's your crew left to right. Try to use their names so you can keep track of who's talking as we go. I think you'll find the story of their journey to this album and their journey together fascinating. So I will get out of the way and I will let you list now to Mumford and Sons from the Music hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn here on the Sunday Sit down podcast.

Thanks for doing this, boys. Good to see you again.

[Marcus Mumford]

Thank you.

[Willie Geist]

How's everybody been? We feeling good?

[Marcus Mumford]

Very well, Very well. Having a lovely time in New York,

[Willie Geist]

especially last night because you were in this room in New York, I think with two hours notice you posted on Instagram and the place filled up by 8 o'. Clock. What do you love about this room? What do you love about this building, this place?

[Ted Dwane]

This was one of our first big shows in New York and it's still, you know, I can kind of remember the feeling of that gig. I remember we would. Ted and I were doing an interview across the street. Cause I remember some of those early interviews. Like it was so strange that people wanted to hear anything about us. And then we came in and did this performance as a part of a series. I think Temper Trap were doing that show with us, if you remember that band, great band, touring again, I believe. And it's just really intimate to the point where you feel like you can hear someone whisper, you can feel someone blink. And it's great to be able to come and enjoy these rooms again. And We've been doing it quite a lot recently as a part of this album and Rushmore as well, which we released last year. We've been playing a lot of smaller rooms, but this is one of the great spaces of New York City.

[Willie Geist]

Marcus must feel a little bit, I don't know, full circle is the right term, but to think about that show and then the show last night where you can kind of go like that and fill this place up because of everything you've done since then.

[Marcus Mumford]

Yeah, I mean, we still have the nerves, like announcing something even with 600 people. I still, you know, an hour before we came, I was like, is anyone gonna be there? You know, but it was full, and it was amazing. And we didn't use any amplification. I saw that play completely acoustic, unplugged. And it was, it was, it was really fun. But, yeah, it does feel like a massive, massive privilege being able to just be like, let's go play that. Yeah, this is a really iconic venue. You know, the idea of just. I literally googled it, actually, and just to see if there was a show on, and there wasn't a show on. So I texted everyone, was like, jack, and we can go and show. And then three hours.

[Willie Geist]

It was really that spontaneous.

[Marcus Mumford]

Yeah. Yeah. Wow.

[Willie Geist]

That's incredible.

[Ben Lovett]

Incredible.

[Marcus Mumford]

It's fun. This is New York, you know?

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, yeah.

[Marcus Mumford]

That's the, that's the spirit of New York, I think. The spirit of this record.

[Willie Geist]

They'll show up for you as well. Ted, what do you love about rooms like this? Because now you've played everything. You've played stadiums and arenas and theaters and everything. But what do you like about the intimacy of being in here?

[Ben Lovett]

Well, I mean, firstly, last night, we could come in and not plug in. So I think this is about reaching the kind of limit of a space that you can perform in without any amplification. Just singing, fill the space. I, I, I do remember really viscerally, the first time I came here and being blown away by its size. You know, I'm thinking, you know, venues get any bigger. You know, I thought it's so big and enormous, and the fact we were playing, it was so exciting to me. So it's funny how, like, they kind of shrink as your, you know, as your gigs get bigger. But they're just. This place has been here a long time, and it is closing, I heard, which is really sad. But they carry the kind of atmosphere, they carry, like a vibe, you know, that accumulates over decades. And they're important cultural spaces, you know, I love rooms like this.

[Willie Geist]

Playing songs off of Prize Fighter, the new album. Congratulations. It's fantastic. Getting great reviews. I will say it felt to me like you put out an album about five minutes ago. It was a little bit less than a year ago. So Marcus, what inspired you guys to move so quickly onto the next.

[Marcus Mumford]

It's that spirit of New York again, man. I think we were at Electric Lady Studios, we were mixing Rushmir and Aaron Dessner was upstairs and national from the national. He's produced Taylor Swift Records and National Records and does a lot of work with Bon Iver. Justin Vernon, that was working with Gracie Abrams and he came downstairs to see us, we played him some of the stuff we've been working on. He played us some ideas he'd had, which included a couple ideas for us and we just right there and then started making another record. Chased him across Europe for a little while and then eventually ended up upstate New York with him at Long Pond his. His studio and made this record in a really sort of instinctive, kind of joyful way that just went back to the basics of making music with your mates, which is really what we're in it for and how we started. Certainly it can become a bit more worky as you go along and obviously you have kind of task oriented things and this one, because we just made a record, felt like a freebie. It was just, it was just fun, it was extra and it ended up being my favorite thing we've done.

[Willie Geist]

So yeah, I heard you say that this is your favorite album. What is it about? Yeah, you love so much?

[Marcus Mumford]

I think it feels the most free, you know, it feels the most unconsidered in a good way. And Aaron really helped us to, to chase that vibe. I think we'd done great work with Dave Cobb and we've done some work with Pharrell Williams. Those two guys really helped open us up, open us up and then. And then give us a bit more confidence in ourselves and in our band and our relationships as well with each other. So that by the time we got in with Aaron, we felt like we were match fit, you know, and then the songs just fell out the sky. That's just luck, I think.

[Willie Geist]

Well, certainly magic a little bit more than luck. I mean, is there anything to the idea that you all hadn't done music together before Rushmere for I think seven years, that you just were excited and energetic and full of ideas and full of songs that could fill a couple of albums?

[Ted Dwane]

Yeah, there was definitely a fizziness in the room. You know, I Don't think with such a long rest there wasn't any kind of latent fatigue or anything from tour album, tour album. And instead, I think we were quite curious. And I think that curiosity is something that, like, breathes youthfulness into the relationship and also into the music. There's, like, poking questions in ways that maybe we were missing them with Blind Spots before. And there's a fun to that. There's like a kind of like, why not? Why not go there? Why not make that sound? Why not say that thing? And I think Aaron was, you know, we feel like he was such a huge part of the record because he was bringing that out of us and encouraging it when he saw it happen, like, he would, like, like, grab and stick, grab and stick. And it was like, assembled through this kind of search of curiosity and youthful, like, vigor that we still have. It doesn't. Even though we started making this record a year ago, it hasn't dissipated that energy. It's the same reason why we popped up last night. It's like, it does kind of feel like we're starting a band, which is crazy because we're 18 years in, but there is, like, a bit of a feeling like we've just started. Mumford and Sons has Ted, the process

[Willie Geist]

of making these songs changed much since you started in 2007. As Marcus said, it just this album felt like the boys getting together to make music to still feel that way to you.

[Ben Lovett]

Definitely. You know, each record that we've made has been unique. Each song that we've written has been unique. There's not really like a formula, but when you get in with a producer, there's always a bit of a plan of, like, what kind of record you're going to make. Not necessarily like a sonic brief or very specific destination, but kind of a plan. And you can play music to each other and get excited about stuff and get a feeling for Fina what this is going to be. And when Aaron played us those first few songs, we were just like, yeah, this is exactly, you know, what we want to be doing. And the thing that attracted us to it, I think, was the freedom in that music. It was like, it was spontaneous. It wasn't overly complicated, it wasn't overthought. It was just really emotionally engaging and really present in its ideas. And, you know, so with that as the genesis of this album, you know, when we got together to make more songs of him, that was this sort of. That's why it happened so quickly, you know, there was just like, a lot of freedom And a lot of, like, joy in the room, really.

[Willie Geist]

Was there anyone telling you guys to wait a beat for the next album, let people absorb the previous one before you come out?

[Ben Lovett]

Yeah, maybe. Couple. Couple people. Maybe you didn't.

[Ted Dwane]

We've always. We've always been in control of our destiny. It's actually something that we set out pretty well at the beginning, and it's been nice to not have too much influence. I think we've. It's been enough to kind of corral our own thoughts and set our own path. And, yeah, of course, people were like, you guys are crazy, and this is not necessarily what you should be doing on a traditional basis. But we're like, you know, I think we go with. We allow things to lead us sometimes and we try and follow that instinct, and it's got us here. So.

[Willie Geist]

The collaborations on the album are phenomenal. Some of them serendipitous. It sounds like some of them were. I'm thinking of here with Chris Stapleton, where I think you've said, marcus, you didn't really know him that well. You admired him from a distance and you said, let me shoot my shot.

[Marcus Mumford]

You know, he's my. Chris Stapleton's My Roman Empire, you know? So I. I called him out of the blue and said, look, man, there's this song. I think it's the first song on the record. I would love to hear you sing it. No pressure, but can I send it to you? And within a week, he'd sent it back and sung on it, like. And I. And I really had a clear creative vision for his voice on that song because of the words and the world it lived in, and the fact that, genuinely, I think he's one of the great voices of our generation. He's. Yeah, he's a generational talent and. And just. I really love the way he carries himself in the world. He's a bad.

[Ted Dwane]

Yeah.

[Marcus Mumford]

So luckily he said yes. That was the only cold call. I think the rest of it was all mates, really.

[Ben Lovett]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

So you kind of wrote Stapleton a proper country song, too. Right.

[Marcus Mumford]

It's our first pretty traditional country song. It always felt like it had to be the first song on the record. Aaron really helped us finish that song because it was a demo we had for before we made Rushmere. It's like the first song we wrote together. When we got back together, it was like a confession and a statement at the same time. And then we couldn't finish it. And then Aaron came in. Sometimes it just takes, like, an outside influence to be like, hey, you should finish it. And I had the weird guitar sound at the front that I was obsessed with, and he was like, cool. And let's do cowboy chords. So cowboy chords plus the weird west coast guitar made it into something that then we could finish. And sometimes it's just about the sound, getting the sound right. And then the bridge came and we wrote it all, and then Chris sang on it, and it came together really fast once we had had that conversation.

[Willie Geist]

Beautiful song.

[Marcus Mumford]

Yeah, it's a cool song. I like having a country song. You know, we've kind of flirted with obviously traditional Americana instruments and structures, and certainly singing together with acoustic instruments has an association with Americana, despite, like, global roots in that music. But to have a pretty straight out country song is a dream come true for me.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, so that's the cold call. The serendipity I was thinking of is with Gracie Abrams, who happened to be at Electric lady when you all were working on Rushmere and you sort of talked your way into a collaboration with her. Is that the way it worked?

[Marcus Mumford]

I'd known Gracie for a really long time, you know, since the beginning of her career, actually, and followed it very closely. And obviously with Erin working on those. That music with her all the way through that, just following. And when she was on tour with Taylor Swift and just following, her career, just go bananas. It's been such a joy. And she was there that first day, and we'd been in touch, and then she heard one of the demos that Aaron was going to play us and said, you guys should really do something with this song. And so that day I sent her a bunch of lyrics for. I think it was the banjo song. And sent her a bunch of lyrics like, well, what do you think of this?

[Willie Geist]

And she was like, yes.

[Marcus Mumford]

And there was like an AB moment. It was like, should we take the blue pill or the red pill on this lyric. And she was like, blue every time. And became like a kind of fairy godmother on this record. She's been really sweet and cheerleading and supportive right the way through.

[Willie Geist]

Another beautiful song. I mean, the list goes on and on and on. But I'm also thinking about your friend Brandi Carlisle.

[Marcus Mumford]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

Who I guess texted you about a dream she had or something for a

[Marcus Mumford]

song that might be a lie. I can't remember. I think I was the one that said it.

[Willie Geist]

You know, we'll just check with Brandy.

[Marcus Mumford]

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story. Anyway, yeah, she texted me me some lyrics and said, I think had I had These for you? Yeah. And I happened to be sat with Aaron in Paris at the. At that moment, playing around with rubber bandman chords. And it just became the verse. And I remember thinking, saying to Aaron something like, I don't know, man, it doesn't quite rhyme or whatever. He was like, don't touch it. It's exactly what it should be. And then, yeah, there were lots of moments of sweet serendipity like that. Like, run together with Phineas at Electric lady again. Kevin Garrett, who's a friend of ours, amazing songwriter who helped with Icarus, Gigi Perez, who came to one of our shows in Saratoga Springs and played. And we played her the demo of the song backstage. We rehearsed it. Once we got on stage, she sang it. It sounded so good. We put her on the record. We were like, could you possibly? And she's just, yeah. So it's lots of like making music with your mates again, which just feels like a relief, you know?

[Willie Geist]

Hey, guys, thanks for listening to the Sunday Sit down podcast. Stick around to hear more from Mumford and Sons right after the break.

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[Willie Geist]

Welcome Back now, more of my conversation with Mumford and Sons.

We were just talking earlier, Ben, about sort of reaching a point in life that I think some. We all have maybe here where you're a little more comfortable in your skin and maybe you have kids and it gives you some perspective. Does it change the way you feel when an album is going out? In other words, maybe at the beginning of your career you're going, let's see if they like it. I hope this goes well. But now you can kind of just trust your audience that they're going to receive what you put out there and be happy with the result.

[Ted Dwane]

I think yes and no. Like there's definitely some, some very familiar jitters and insecurities that have been there every single time. It's funny, like the patterns of behavior. I was actually thinking about it yesterday and noticing how we all react during this, this week of release. And we kind of are the same people that we were when we were 19, but in the same breath, I think that we, when you kind of talk about the audience, I think we feel a lot more connected and aware than ever of the people that listen to our music. It's like we can see people more clearly than ever at the shows. Our levels of communication are better than they ever have been. We really have welcomed in our audience into a pretty like, yeah, transparent relationship. So I just think that's there's a trust there. There's a trust there that I think that we know that we're giving them songs that we're not worried about what they're going to do with it. You know, Like, I think that. And that means that you don't have to kind of second guess it in the studio or be too worried about the day it comes out, whether or not they're going to like it. Because I think that we've started to learn that maybe people like what we do, which is a bit of a prize fighter attitude. Honestly, it's like it's okay to be okay with, you know, people liking our work. And that's always been a little bit like, oh, is that, is that weird to kind of admit that?

[Willie Geist]

And that's interesting because it feels too commercial or something or just self aware

[Ted Dwane]

or like vain or.

[Ben Lovett]

I don't know, we're just very British about it. I think, you know, in England you're generally very apologetic about any kind of form of success or anything like that. So we've never sort of accepted it or looked at it. And I think, you know, you were talking about being more comfortable in your skin or whatever. And I think, yeah, like Ben was saying, we've traveled enough, we've done enough shows now. I think we can start to believe that perhaps we're getting the hang of it and that it's okay for people to. To like it.

[Ted Dwane]

What.

[Ben Lovett]

I mean, so you can become a full now.

[Willie Geist]

That's.

[Ben Lovett]

That's really what this week's all about.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, he's liberated. Yeah.

[Ben Lovett]

I'm like a butterfly.

[Willie Geist]

Do you still get those jitters, Marcus, on albums, John?

[Marcus Mumford]

This is the first record I haven't looked up a single thing online. So, you know, so, yeah, I'm anxious for it to be out in the world. And the word release is a good word for the process of putting an album out because you are letting it go. But, like, we're so not in control or responsible for the reaction. All I know is that I'm really happy with it. We. I know the feeling we had in the room when we finished it with Aaron. Well, I was totally happy. And I listened to it again six months after we finished it, and I wouldn't have changed a note. And so I don't need to go online and look at comments or reviews, but this is genuinely the first. First time we've ever put anything out where I haven't, because I think most artists tell you they don't and they're lying.

[Ben Lovett]

Sure.

[Marcus Mumford]

But on this one, I haven't felt the need to because I know I like it. And also I know we're going to make another one, you know, and another

[Willie Geist]

one and another one.

[Marcus Mumford]

This is what we do now. And I don't think we're in denial about that anymore, because we were for a while. I was certainly for a while. And now it's like being happier with my identity as an artist in a band. Like, that's a good lot. Happy with that.

[Willie Geist]

Well, I've been online. The news is good. I can share that with you.

[Marcus Mumford]

Every now and then, I do check in with the team. I'm like, how's it going? Yeah, it's going all right.

[Ben Lovett]

I was like, cool.

[Marcus Mumford]

Don't need the detail. That's great. Tell me where you need me next. Let's go.

[Willie Geist]

There's also this amazing tour coming up. I mean, you're going all over the world. You just added a second and then a third night at Madison Square Garden selling out that place. You're gonna be at Wrigley Field and Fenway park and all these iconic buildings. Does the thrill Ben of touring ever go away? When you get to Go out and share these songs with people.

[Ted Dwane]

I think it's the greatest thrill of all. You know, there's amazing moments in the creation of the music and what we share behind closed doors. But part of the reason we did this in the first place was to play gigs and these. This is our first time taking the stage in a lot of those spaces. So it's a big one in that. In that sense of newness, in that sense of unknown and the fun that comes with kind of walking out on stages that are less familiar. It's our first time playing three nights at msg, but, you know, Fenway and going out to Folsom Field and Boulder, and it's just going to be. I think we don't know what it will hold, but there'll be a lot of energy. And, yeah, we can't wait to get out there, really. It's going to be such a fun year ahead of us. And we're already starting to think, what does 2027 hold?

[Willie Geist]

You're already there.

[Ted Dwane]

We're starting to talk about it, because you have to start thinking that. And it's going to be like, we're just going to have the best year already. It's so nice to have it all announced now so you don't have to feel like you're, like, clogged up with information. It's like everyone knows the plan, so now it's like, what's next?

[Willie Geist]

I love hearing Marcus from Artists describe the feeling of writing a song in a room. The three of you being in this small room, a quiet room, and then a year or maybe longer, walking out into Madison Square Garden and playing it for those people, but also hearing them sing it back to you.

[Marcus Mumford]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

What is that feeling?

[Marcus Mumford]

I mean, we had it here last night. It's. It's. It's a magical feeling, and it is a drug. Like, what it does to your brain chemistry

[Ben Lovett]

is.

[Willie Geist]

It's.

[Marcus Mumford]

It's pretty impactful, you know, because you take these really private thoughts and moments, and then you make them as public as they can be, and you talk about them and you promote them and you sing them every night. And it's a strange thing, but it's also an ancient form of communication and human connection. And so those moments of human connection from something that you were involved in the creation of, that's like a massive privilege. And it's a magical.

[Willie Geist]

It's a drug.

[Marcus Mumford]

Yeah. And we can't get enough of it. You know, we'll just keep doing it, but certainly with these songs, I don't think I've ever been more excited to go on tour because, you know, when we, like, we headlined Glastonbury after two albums, and I remember coming off stage and being like, laz is not enough.

[Ben Lovett]

That was all of our songs, that

[Marcus Mumford]

we ain't got any more songs. We gotta write more songs. And watching a Springsteen show and being like, how on earth does he put together a set list?

[Ted Dwane]

Yeah.

[Marcus Mumford]

With all the songs that he has and feeling so envious. And now starting to get to the point in our careers where we have enough songs to make a competitive set list. Not like, you know, like ringing out the towel to just get those last drops of songs into a set list. Now it's going to be genuinely difficult to write because we want to play all the prize fighter songs, but we also don't want to keep people for too long.

[Willie Geist]

Right.

[Ben Lovett]

So.

[Marcus Mumford]

And we. And we also just love the old tunes as well, so it's fun writing a competitive set list that's, you know, just competition between songs.

[Willie Geist]

It's a nice problem to have. You have so many songs that people want to hear. You have to go.

[Marcus Mumford]

So being able to do, like, multiple nights in the same venue is fun because you can change it every night.

[Willie Geist]

But you mentioned Springsteen, that your backup performance that night was fantastic.

[Marcus Mumford]

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

[Ben Lovett]

Thanks.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah. Next year. You mentioned 2027. Next year will be 20 years as a band.

[Ted Dwane]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

That's wild for you guys. For Mumford and Sons. When you hear that number, Ted, and you think about where you are today versus where you were when you were first playing those quiet gigs, how does that hit you?

[Ben Lovett]

Well, it's funny, you know, because it's. So much of. It feels the same. Like, obviously a lot's happened, but it's. There's, like a feeling between us that I think is, like, only. Only sort of getting more intense and more. More sort of fruitful and more loving and more. You know, it's just like a. It's a really magical journey. I don't think we've ever sort of appreciated it more than we do right now. So 20 years. It's a. It's a number.

[Marcus Mumford]

It's.

[Ben Lovett]

You know, it's obviously a significant amount of time, but in terms of, like, what it's done to us and what it's done to this band, it's. It's just making us kind of stronger, you know, I feel like I feel sort of more energized and. And interested in this thing than ever

[Willie Geist]

before, you know, that's amazing because that's not always the case, is it?

[Ben Lovett]

No, I think it's really rarely the case. And I saw 6th record right price Fighter and I just, you know, I can't really. I can't really believe it. I can't believe it. Like the last time was a great example.

[Willie Geist]

We all went.

[Ben Lovett]

We're on our way back to the. Our hotels or whatever and texting each other, just being like, this isn't. This is such a privilege. This is like the best. You know, we just feel very lucky.

[Willie Geist]

Brimming with gratitude. You don't take it for granted. No. You're not jaded by the success, Right?

[Ted Dwane]

Yeah. And I think there's a kind of a leaning in and an opting in. And actually the break that we took before Rushmore gave us the real option to do that. Like that optionality wasn't just kind of like a figment of our imagination. There was a time when, you know, let's do this and that re upping I think does.

[Marcus Mumford]

And it was lucky none of us had like terrible cocaine habits or really expensive divorces. So there wasn't like a fiscal reason to get married.

[Ted Dwane]

Yeah, no. Right.

[Willie Geist]

And.

[Ted Dwane]

And I do think bands are historically, historically tricky.

[Ben Lovett]

You're awfully quiet over here. Hey, we've stayed out of jail and

[Ted Dwane]

that's the main thing.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Right?

[Ben Lovett]

Yeah. Is that not enough for you people?

[Marcus Mumford]

Sorry, I interrupted.

[Ted Dwane]

No, no, no. I think bands sticking together is like a beautiful thing. It's a hard thing. And I think that a lot of the time people stick together, but not necessarily for the same reasons that they got together.

[Willie Geist]

Right.

[Ted Dwane]

And I really believe that the reason we stick together is for exactly the same reason we got together in the first place, which is probably the rarest thing. I don't know any other band, you know, I guess with the exception of maybe you too, frankly, you know, I. I haven't had conversations with anyone who is sort of so purely in that space, you know, so we're very lucky.

[Willie Geist]

Marcus, what do you think the 19 or 20 year old Marcus Mumford in 2007 would think if he knew you were about to go play? He had a total square garden three nights.

[Marcus Mumford]

He had a total inability to look ahead, that lad.

[Ben Lovett]

So.

[Marcus Mumford]

But I mean, yeah, yeah. The idea of three nights at the Garden is totally bonkers. It's totally bonkers. And we just wanna make the most of it, you know. I think there were times a few years ago where I certainly was not making the most of it. I didn't feel like super present. And I've worked on that a bit. And I just don't think we wanna miss a moment of this ride because it does feel like we're in a particularly good spot. Just internally. I don't. I don't understand the external so much, but just internally we're in a really good spot. And I don't want to because in a few years we'll look back and be like, that was a really good moment for our band. And if I'm. If I feel like I. No regrets, but if I feel like I wasn't as present as I could have been, I think I'll be disappointed or feel like I didn't get the full potential out at the moment.

[Ben Lovett]

So.

[Marcus Mumford]

So we are really enjoying it. So three nights of the Garden is. It's not lost on me what a joy and privilege that is. And I think we'll try and, yeah, just make the most of it and have a laugh, you know, I think for a while I think you could just take this stuff too seriously. Do you know what I mean? And actually we want to take the art seriously, but not take ourselves quite as seriously because it's a bit silly, isn't it, really?

[Willie Geist]

Stick around for more of my conversation with Mumford and Sons, right after a quick break.

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[Willie Geist]

back now to the rest of my conversation with Mumford and Sons.

Was there something that woke you up, Marcus, to be present?

[Marcus Mumford]

He was running next to you at the New York Marathon. Oh.

[Willie Geist]

Why would you raise the day?

[Marcus Mumford]

The day you dusted me, I was looking behind at you.

[Willie Geist]

I was hoping I could escape this interview without.

[Marcus Mumford]

No chance, mate.

[Willie Geist]

I was just telling Ben when I went past you guys on the Verrazano Bridge and I said, well, I guess they're just taking it easy today. And then somewhere in the Bronx, I'm wiping the caked salt out of my eyes like this, and Mumford and Son sprints past me going, oh, they had a plan.

[Marcus Mumford]

You're an eager bunny. That day I was.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, you clipped me. You clipped me that day. I'll be back for more.

[Marcus Mumford]

Have you done another one since then?

[Willie Geist]

No.

[Marcus Mumford]

No.

[Willie Geist]

You have done a bunch, though.

[Marcus Mumford]

London. Yeah. We're not quite Harry Styles level where we build our tour dates around marathons. And that guy runs fast.

[Unknown Speaker 5]

I know.

[Willie Geist]

He's in the two hours.

[Marcus Mumford]

We just make sure we don't book shows on the same day as England games at the World Cup.

[Willie Geist]

That's smart.

See, that's about everyone.

[Ben Lovett]

In case we get the call up.

[Willie Geist]

Kick a ball.

Yeah.

Was there something, though, that woke you up to be more present and appreciate this?

[Marcus Mumford]

I think it was. I know. I think it was a gradual process. I mean, like, I stopped drinking a few years ago. Like, that was a big part of it.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Marcus Mumford]

Just feeling like I wanted to be able to wake up and feel. I just feel better every day. So it's not for everyone, but certainly for me right now it is. And that's. That's helped. Yeah, for sure. I think at certain times during our career, I would like get excited and so have another beer. And that might be. I think it's quite simple math now, but that might be why I didn't feel quite as present as I do now. So I enjoy that. Yeah, yeah.

[Willie Geist]

Thinking about milestones for you guys. Ben, we were talking a minute ago about the Grammys performance, which is 15 years ago right now, in February of 2011. And I remember as a viewer, I've heard of you guys, but I hadn't seen you perform. Just leaning in and going, who is that? When you were stomping on the stage and we were talking about you hunched over the keyboard doing your thing, how much did your lives change after that night? After that Grammys performance?

[Ted Dwane]

Yeah, I think a lot changed, especially in the States for us you know, we had. Before that moment, we had been incredibly well received in Australia of all places. That's where, like, the band kind of blew up. And then back home in the uk, we had built like up through the pubs and clubs and theaters, like a really solid foundation. But that performance, I guess, because we were like so scrappy and it wasn't just what happens on stage and in front of the camera. Like if you had witnessed us off camera, like, we basically approached that entire thing like the circus that it is, and we were all over the place.

[Willie Geist]

And there was a moment in the

[Marcus Mumford]

lift with Justin Bieber that I won't forget. There's also only one room. In the old days, there was only one room where you could smoke cigarettes back there.

[Ted Dwane]

Oh, we found that.

[Marcus Mumford]

And it was like a secret. It was like a secret room.

[Willie Geist]

And was everyone in there?

[Marcus Mumford]

That was lovely.

[Ben Lovett]

So wonderful.

[Marcus Mumford]

I watched Whitney Houston from that room.

[Willie Geist]

Did you really? Yeah, yeah.

[Ted Dwane]

I mean, it was amazing. I think again, like the naivety, but really what happened transpired like 24 hours later is like suddenly people knew who we were and we were actively on tour and suddenly our shows were selling more tickets and people were buying our records. And yeah, I think the kind of the platform that is the Grammys is still a great place for discovery for so many people, like, who don't have time to follow exactly what's going on with music at all times. You know, it's a celebration of all the things that have been going on and we got to celebrate alongside one of the most important musicians of all time, you know, playing Maggie's Farm. So that was like, that was a good way to introduce ourselves to kind of the main consciousness of the us, you know?

[Ben Lovett]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

Ted, that had to be surreal to be with your stand up bass behind Bob Dylan.

[Ben Lovett]

My stand up bass was in front of Bob Dylan at one point. And we'd like practiced it so many times and Curtin went like that. We walked out and someone had moved my bass to like the middle of a stage. So Bob walked out and he was like, all right. And he had to step over it.

[Marcus Mumford]

Did he really?

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Ben Lovett]

It was like the worst thing. I was like, wow, is my base.

[Marcus Mumford]

Can you imagine? You had tripped, Mr. Dillon.

[Willie Geist]

That'd be the end of it. Never hear from Mumford again.

[Marcus Mumford]

Yeah, exactly.

[Ben Lovett]

Yeah, yeah.

[Willie Geist]

Did that feel massive to you though, that next day something had happened.

[Ben Lovett]

Yeah. I mean, it did. I. You know, talking about taking it in and being present to everything, you know, I think when, you know, we started very small, we Very much start at the beginning. And we do still sort of have the opinion that we, we didn't miss many rungs out on the ladder. You know, we played a lot of pubs and then, then they filled up and then we started getting some half empty clubs and then they filled up and we got the way up to the arenas, everything. But at the same time it did happen sequentially quite quickly. We recognize that. And I think when you're in your early 20s and with all of the, you know, sort of traveling and you know, the exhaustion of it and the excitement of it all, there's no way you can really absorb it all. The Grammys is a sort of an island of an experience. It's a bizarre environment for people, you know, from England at that age to wander into. The whole thing was like a dream, you know, it was. It's probably taken me since then to,

[Willie Geist]

to process it, I'm sure. Yeah, I'm sure, yeah.

[Ben Lovett]

Now I'm like, wow, that was great. But you know, for the years that followed it directly, I was like, like that was weird. Bob Dylan was there and then two

[Willie Geist]

years later you're there, winning album of the year.

[Ted Dwane]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

For Babel. And then you go on this ride and then there's the Wilder Mind, everyone. It's a little bit like Dylan goes electric in 65, Mumford goes electric. And they're all these like steps along on your run up to when you, you're, you know, 2018 Delta and then you have that seven year gap in that window. Was there ever a chance that you guys were not going to make music together?

[Marcus Mumford]

It wasn't really seven years because we toured Delta Right. For a long time afterwards. Right. Right up until Covid. Like our Last show was March 8th, Okeechobee in Florida. And all the cruise ships were lined up off the coast like floating petri dishes. You know, when everyone had covert on the boats and they couldn't come.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, they wouldn't march eigth 20 something like.

That's right.

Because the world shut down in the 13th. Yeah.

[Marcus Mumford]

So actually it was. Was only three years.

[Willie Geist]

Okay.

[Marcus Mumford]

And a lot of that was covered. And then I made the solo record and talked to you about it. Then we got back together in January 23rd. So it might have been seven years between records, but actually we'd only been not playing music together, which three years is a long time in our, the history of our band. Normally we crank out a record in that time, but basically we skipped one record cycle.

[Willie Geist]

Right.

[Marcus Mumford]

And Covid was a big part of that. So, no, it didn't feel massively like the band was in jeopardy. It did just feel like we had a decision to make when we got back together in the same room. Like, should we crack on and do this? And we got to renew our vows. It wasn't just an automatic, like, show up for work on a 9 o' clock on a Monday morning because that's what you do. It was really much more of a choice than that, which I think has made the last couple years feel more like a gift. And we got back together in that little room in Los Angeles at the time and wrote songs like Here and Malibu. You guys had started Malibu in Malibu and. And Where It Belongs. A few ideas that have ended up becoming songs that we now really love, that we've now put out. And there's lots more to come. You know, feel like we're just sort of starting to heat up the engines again. And I know we put two records out in the last year, but it does feel like there's. Yeah, there's a few more to come before we take our next break, I think.

[Willie Geist]

Was part of Ben renewing the vows, going from four to three, did that change the way you all had to think about making music?

[Ted Dwane]

Yeah, I think the kind of. The question answering itself was through those songs that Marcus is just mentioning. Like, getting in a room without kind of two, like, philosophical, existential conversations. It wasn't like we sat and had a meeting. We sat with instruments in our hands and started making stuff. And it was the making that gave us the answers that we were looking for. And then we were like, well, this is great. This is going to be fine. But, yeah, we hadn't collaborated, just the three of us, and once we realized that we can write that way, actually, not only did we realize that, we also felt incredibly confident that we could write in that format, that we felt better about welcoming people in to collaborate. Like, actually, it weirdly had this inverse effect where we felt more open than ever to bringing in people, both playing and writing. So, yeah, like, I think the thing that's often misconstrued, certainly when we end up talking about what we do, is, like, a sense that we strategize. There's a lot of happy accidents that get us where we get to. You know, True Surf Music hall of

[Marcus Mumford]

Williamsburg is open in three hours. You know, there's no strategy to that.

[Willie Geist]

Well, it sounds like you just keep the spirit of who you were in 2007 with everything you do. A scrappy band. Right.

[Marcus Mumford]

I think we found it like, we've renewed it. We found it again as well. We just love it. We just love it, man. Like, there's nothing else I'd rather do. There's nowhere else I'd rather do.

[Willie Geist]

It's amazing.

[Marcus Mumford]

No one else I'd rather do it with.

[Willie Geist]

You know, there's a, you guys have heard this before, but there is this, like, school of thought that you guys didn't start Americana and folk and bluegrass and all that, but that you popularized it in a way that opened doors for Noah Khan and Zach, Bryan and Brandy in some ways, who are all talented in their own right. Do you accept that?

[Ben Lovett]

No.

[Willie Geist]

At all.

No.

[Marcus Mumford]

I, I, I think we, we absolutely love being part of the tapestry of some of those stories and some of the, you know, shared DNA. And we can list you 20 bands that had that kind of influence on us and that maybe we didn't even hear, but because they were around, that helped us, you know, gain some audience or whatever. But I don't think we ever take any direct responsibility for anyone else's career, for sure, because they're working so hard over there. A lot of those guys, and a lot of them are our mates, and we're really excited to see how they're doing. But it always takes you Yanks, a few Brits to come and remind you who you really are and what you should really be doing, you know? You know, you think about the Stones or Amy Winehouse or Adele. Yeah, you know, the Beatles for sure. Led Zeppelin.

[Willie Geist]

You've had a few. Okay, so you're talking about 2027. Do we have any idea what that looks like? Are we already working on another album? At the pace you're going, you very well may be.

[Ted Dwane]

I think we just want to be intentional about not pumping the brakes. That's all we know is what we're going to kind of. We're going to take this year in our stride, enjoy as much as we can, and not plan to hit things so fast and so hard that we need to take a break. It'd be nice to find a way that we can. Like, time is not necessarily the measure. It's just like the feeling of being in it, staying in the flow and just keeping on going.

[Marcus Mumford]

And also that's like, partly a product of the way music industry has changed and you can have such a direct relationship with your audience now. We had this thing called Agora, which is like our fan club thing that we just started last year, which has been totally magical. We can now, and because of social media, we can directly Communicate with these people who are amazing that make our lives work so you don't have to think of it so cyclically anymore. Like, we screwed up the whole album cycle thing by doing two records in a year. You're not supposed to do that by the book, but, like, creatively, we want to be led by and led by the art that we're making. And also, I think music, the way people consume music at the moment suits that. Like, just turn the tap on.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Marcus Mumford]

And then when it's done, turn it off. But we don't think the tap's quite off yet, so we want to keep chasing it. And I think the closer we can draw our audience into our process. You know, I like the idea of being able to turn out a song that you wrote last week and lots of artists are doing it, bang it out the next week, you know, and we've been playing catch up a little bit because of the break and. But I think going forward, I like the idea of. Of certainly not turning the tap off if the creativity's there and then stopping when it's the right time to just give people a bit of a break, you know?

[Willie Geist]

And no fan's gonna complain that there's more music coming from you. No one cares about an album cycle. They got new music from their favorite band.

[Ted Dwane]

As long as it's kids, as long as it's good.

[Willie Geist]

Well, congratulations, guys. Always a pleasure to see you all. I hope you stay busy so I can start out training you for the next.

I've gotta catch you.

I looked it up today. You beat me by five minutes.

[Marcus Mumford]

Was it fun?

[Willie Geist]

I'm gonna find you next time. And now that I know about your negative split scheme, I'm on to you. So thanks, boys.

[Ben Lovett]

Thank you.

[Willie Geist]

My big thanks to the boys of Mumford and Sons, Marcus, Ben, Ted, for a great conversation. You can see them now on tour and hear their album Prize Fighter, wherever you stream your music. And my thanks. Thanks to all of you for listening again this week. If you want to hear more of my conversations with our guests every week, be sure to click follow so you never miss an episode. And don't forget to tune in to Sunday Today every weekend on NBC to see these interviews with your own two eyes.

I'm Willie Geist.

We'll see you right back here next week on the Sunday Sit down podcast.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

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