Marcus Mumford Admits Mumford & Sons Never Expected Their Success

When an artist or band finally experiences success, it can be hard for them to believe. Such is the case with Mumford & Sons, whose leader and namesake, Marcus Mumford, admits he and his bandmates never thought they'd become a household name.

"Looking back and seeing what we actually wore at some photo shoots, the whole thing was a bit of a joke to us to start with," Mumford tells Billboard in a recent interview. "None of us thought this would go very far. We were just having a laugh."

Mumford & Sons began making their way in the folk-rock scene in the late 2000s, with their breakout album, Sigh No More, arriving in 2009. From their sound to their band name and stagewear, the group evoked an antiquated aesthetic, which some people judged as fake.

"I think we presented ourselves honestly, at least, at the time," Mumford reflects. "When you start off in a band, you're playing for fun with your mates. And then suddenly people are asking questions about them, and you have to talk about it. And then suddenly people are taking photographs, and that's not at all what you set out to do. And that's not that you set out to do -- you set out to play.

Mumford continues, "A lot of it was quite goofy -- like in interviews and stuff we were always quite goofy." But, he adds, he's glad they were: "There was an innocence and truthfulness to it," he says.

Success has brought with it a positive change for Mumford & Sons over the last decade, Mumford says: There's less competition and more trust within the band.

"In the early days, I think we felt very competitive. Songwriting was so deeply personal, and you felt like you had to get yourself heard in the studio with the lads," he shares. "Now, it's sort of like, 'Yes, I want to be heard, but I also really want to know what Ben has to say, what Win has to say, what Ted has to say.' Some days I trust their instincts more than my own. There's that trust that just grows and grows and grows, and we've gotten better at trusting each other."

Mumford & Song recently wrapped up an extensive tour. The Delta Tour, named for their most recent album, lasted from 2018 into 2019 and included more than 60 dates across the globe.

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