A few fans got lucky last week, as KROQ in Los Angeles hosted a special advance listening party featuring Mumford & Sons and their new album, 'RUSHMERE.' Inside the Helpful Honda Sound Space, not only did those in attendance get to hear the band's latest offering a week early, they were also treated to an interview with Nicole Alvarez.
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00:00Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of myself and K-Rock, please welcome Mumford & Sons!
00:05Yay!
00:23We did. You were on the phone. Yeah, you were on the phone.
00:26I wasn't on the phone.
00:27I have, so I'm going to start off by telling you guys these three quick stories.
00:32The three most unprofessional moments of my career have been Mumford & Sons adjacent.
00:37No, you don't even know the first one.
00:39So about a month or two ago, Rushmere, the song, had just come out.
00:43And I'm driving to work, and I'm blasting it, and I'm like in my own little world.
00:47In the morning, I take vitamins that are gummies.
00:49They're vitamins.
00:51They're vitamins.
00:53But anyways, I'm driving into work through the gate,
00:55and on the other side coming out, I see Marcus Mumford.
00:58And I panicked, because I was like, did I take the right gummies?
01:02Because I thought I was hallucinating.
01:04And so I drove over the curb and hit the gate.
01:08And I ducked, and then I got up, and by the time I put my head up, you were gone.
01:12And I straight up was like, that is the best song I've ever heard.
01:15It fucking manifested Marcus Mumford.
01:17That is a true story.
01:20Okay, so that's number one.
01:21And I geeked out, not because it was you,
01:23but because I was like, my girl crush is your wife.
01:25I'm like, is she in the car?
01:27This is my chance.
01:28Second one, okay, I have a bone to pick with you, Marcus Mumford.
01:33No, no, no, I'm going to let you have it in a second.
01:36This is wicked.
01:37I thought that one day, I went to interview them, and I said, don't curse.
01:42I know you're British.
01:43Don't curse.
01:44And then I cursed.
01:45I found the video.
01:47It wasn't you set it up by sitting down and saying, what if I say the C word?
01:52And that's how it started.
01:53Play the video.
01:55I was in the audience, and everybody was like, is that?
01:57Oops.
01:58Can I say that?
01:59Oh, cool.
02:01Hold on.
02:02She fucking swears.
02:03Unbelievable.
02:05There's a fucking lecture about it.
02:08I'm going to drop the C bomb any moment now.
02:11So when they sat down, he's like, what if I drop the C bomb?
02:15See, he set me up.
02:16He set me up.
02:17But okay, I'm going to let you do your interview now.
02:21I just had to share that with you.
02:22No, you said there are three.
02:23I'll tell that at the end, because the third one involves you and Chris Moss.
02:28Christmas, yeah.
02:30On Monday, these boys played the Sydney Opera House, arguably one of the most beautiful
02:34venues in the world.
02:37And it was their first headlining gig in seven years.
02:40And there's this picture going around of Marcus, where you put up the picture.
02:44You look genuinely touched.
02:46What were you feeling in that very moment?
02:48That's very sweet.
02:49I was feeling a depth of gratitude that I think we only feel on stage, that we get to
02:59do this job.
03:01And it's been a while since we headlined our own show.
03:04We did some festivals last year, and we've done some warm-up shows.
03:08This one was the first proper venue.
03:11And we went a very long way.
03:13There was a bunch of people that thought it was a very bad idea for us to go a very long
03:16way.
03:17But it was internationally started for us in Australia.
03:20A little Iron Man won a radio contest, shows the power of radio.
03:25You're welcome.
03:26It's never won one of your radio contests.
03:31And so we went to Australia, and it kind of launched our career outside of the UK, and
03:36then Ireland, and then the States.
03:38Really, that was sort of the order of the first dominoes to fall in our great conquest
03:44of the world.
03:47And so going back there, after this longest break we've ever had as a band from releasing
03:52music, and playing at the Sydney Opera House, which really...
03:56I mean, I had very high expectations for that place, because it's one of the most famous
04:00music venues in the world.
04:02And it did not live down.
04:04It was amazing.
04:05Look at Ted's face.
04:06He's looking at you so lovingly.
04:07At first, I was like, is Marcus feeling gratitude or heartburn?
04:10Look how bad my posture is, man.
04:13I'm working on this.
04:15So Ted, you're looking at him like...
04:17I kind of look a bit lost.
04:19I look like a little rabbit in the headlights.
04:23So that was the beginning of the next era of Mumford & Sons.
04:29Rushmere, I believe it was two years in the making, correct?
04:32No.
04:33No?
04:34Oh, I was wrong.
04:35We did it quicker.
04:36But you're right.
04:37We have been in the studio for two years, not just working on one album, though.
04:41That's cryptic.
04:42No, we were like playing checkers.
04:44Oh.
04:45Oh.
04:46Eating tacos.
04:48Oh, okay.
04:49So eating shit.
04:50Fiddlesticks.
04:51Messing around.
04:52Fiddling.
04:53Fiddling, okay.
04:54And writing songs.
04:55And writing songs.
04:56In the two years that you were in the studio with Rushmere,
04:58what did you learn about yourselves as far as where you were as musicians
05:02and maybe even humans that you put into this record?
05:06I think a lot of what you just heard was recorded together in a room.
05:13And it had been a long time since we had recorded that way.
05:16We spent the last couple of records kind of, we'd write together in the room,
05:21but then we would, in a kind of an effort to making things pristine and perfect,
05:26we would track each individual instrument like a hundred times
05:30and getting it that way.
05:32But Dave Cobb, as a producer, was very keen to try and get that little bit
05:37of essence that happens when you're actually in the same air
05:41playing instruments in that moment.
05:43So I'd like at least half of this record is pretty much just live to tape.
05:48Did you just listen to the whole thing?
05:50Yes.
05:51That entire front row has heard it like ten times.
05:55They sneak into listening parties.
05:58Sneaking.
05:59So you've heard it.
06:00It's old news.
06:01And watch.
06:02What's your favorite song?
06:03Surrender.
06:04They mostly agree on that song.
06:06Surrender.
06:07Yeah.
06:08I forgot about that song.
06:10Really?
06:11Ted, you said something really interesting about when you're done with a record
06:15and stress testing it by letting other people hear it versus a non-community,
06:19like where you just put it out without letting anybody listen.
06:23Where do you land?
06:24Like how important is it to test it first to all of you?
06:27And in your gut, when do you know that a song is ready or it's going to work?
06:32Well, we had the great fortune of just living on the road
06:36in the making of our first couple of records.
06:38So we could really road test songs at the very beginning.
06:41Literally.
06:42Literally.
06:43And I think that was a training that's probably quite sort of bedded
06:47into the architecture of how we continue to write.
06:50I think there is a part of us that is perhaps thinking
06:53how it might be performed or perceived live
06:56because we can't really do that anymore.
06:58We haven't really done shows.
06:59The only shows, as Marcus said, we've done lately were festival headlines,
07:03and that's not really the best time to try out.
07:06Here's a new one.
07:07Yeah.
07:08No.
07:09Exactly.
07:10So we kind of just really just faced each other
07:15and trusted each other's instincts, and Dave Cobb as well.
07:19We can't really thank him enough for the guidance he gave us on this record
07:24because his whole thing was putting this curtain back
07:27and letting everybody just see us three lads making music together.
07:31And I think over our life together as musical compadres,
07:36we've aligned.
07:39I think there's actually, if we get out of our own way in the process,
07:43it's actually certainly quite efficient and quite easy to make music together.
07:47How hard is it to get out of your own way?
07:49So delicious.
07:50Who's the most difficult?
07:51Who's the one that stands in his way the most of the lot of you?
07:54I don't even know.
07:58I think we take it in turns.
07:59We can all be obstructive in certain moments.
08:02Before we get to fan questions, one last thing.
08:04Correct me if I'm wrong, and I trust that you will.
08:06Look, I'm looking at you.
08:07Always.
08:08Oh, yeah, I know.
08:09Rushmere is a place from what I hear, and it's a pond where you formed.
08:14Like frogs.
08:16Like frogs?
08:17Something.
08:18We hatched.
08:19Like amoeba.
08:20Like amoeba.
08:21Primordial soup.
08:22But is that true?
08:24Is Rushmere a pond where you formed like amoeba?
08:29I hope that quote goes out into the world.
08:31I just want to leave it there.
08:32Yeah, I love it.
08:33And we get to talk about that.
08:34Same.
08:35We grew little legs and just crawled onto the land.
08:37Same.
08:38We're going to leave it right there.
08:39Immediately on Wiki, it's already got like a.
08:40We're going to leave it.
08:41We're going to leave it.
08:42We have fan questions.
08:43Postmaster Johnny, bring him up.
08:44This is Postmaster Johnny.
08:45Would you like to meet Mumford and Sons?
08:47Hey, good to see you.
08:48How's it going?
08:49Hi.
08:50No, why are you hugging me?
08:51Okay.
08:52I just thought you were cool.
08:53You haven't got a chair.
08:54Why haven't you got a chair?
08:55Do you want to sit here with us?
08:56You're too handsome not to sit.
08:58Okay.
08:59Just like for two questions, and then you know what to do.
09:03Okay.
09:04So this is from Marcy Fox in Long Beach.
09:06If you could.
09:07Oh, this could get spicy.
09:08Boy, the name like Marcy Fox.
09:10I imagine it does.
09:13That's a fake name.
09:14That's a porn name.
09:17I didn't name her.
09:19I'm so sorry.
09:22I never knew your last name.
09:28Marcy Fox.
09:29I'm sorry.
09:30I'm not.
09:31I'm not on Facebook.
09:32So I knew your name was Marcy.
09:34We go way back with Marcy, but I didn't know your last name was Fox.
09:37Nobody's on Facebook.
09:38It's a sick name.
09:40Nobody's on Facebook.
09:41Marcy's on Facebook.
09:42I know.
09:43Marcy.
09:44Okay.
09:45If you could ask your bandmates any interview question, what would it be?
09:48This is why it can get spicy here.
09:50Look at each other and ask something you've never asked.
09:58I'm not going first.
10:00I think it's your turn.
10:01We have to each ask each other a question.
10:03If one person wants to take one for the team, then I'll leave it at one.
10:06If not, if this takes any longer, then all three of you are going to have to do it.
10:09Okay.
10:10And that's the rules that you play by.
10:11Ted.
10:12Oh, you have a different question?
10:15It's Chris.
10:16Same question.
10:18Same question.
10:19Why don't you go and ask Chris Moss?
10:21Chris Moss is on the road with Sting.
10:23Yeah, Chris is out with Sting, which is sick.
10:27I mean, if I could go out with Sting, I'd stay out with Sting for a while longer.
10:32He's one of our best friends, so yeah, we're stoked for him that he's playing in a trio
10:37with Sting.
10:38That's sick.
10:39Okay, we don't have to do the uncomfortable one where it gets spicy, but think about it
10:42for the future so you can all ask each other questions.
10:44You're welcome.
10:45Okay, we'll move on.
10:46We'll move on.
10:48Okay.
10:49We'll have something ready for you.
10:51Vivian Hollenbeck from UCLA.
10:53Okay.
10:55This is long.
10:56How does it feel?
10:57What do you think when fans have their own interpretation of songs that wasn't what you
11:01intended?
11:02Set them straight or?
11:04No.
11:05No way.
11:06My least favorite thing in the world is when someone sits somewhere with an acoustic guitar
11:11and before they play the song, they tell you what the song's about.
11:14Because I'm like, if it's a good enough song, I should be able to interpret it however I
11:18want to and it should make me feel something before I even understand it.
11:22So I think over-explaining songs has become more fashionable, certainly over the last
11:3020 years, I'd say.
11:32And I'm not cool with it.
11:34Okay, no, I agree.
11:35I want some mystery and I want it open for interpretation.
11:38If I can feel something, then if I make you feel something, I've done my job.
11:42I don't need to make you understand everything about why I wrote something.
11:46I think good music should be able to convey feeling.
11:49Agreed.
11:50Anyway.
11:51Malibu.
11:52I get quite ranty about it, as you can tell.
11:53I see.
11:54Malibu is my favorite song on the record.
11:56Now that song's all about.
11:57Hold on.
11:58But this is funny.
11:59Malibu.
12:00And I went to do a little research.
12:01I'm like, did they write it in Malibu?
12:02I was just curious about the song title.
12:05And the first thing that comes up is an article in Premiere Christian Magazine where they
12:11claim that it is now the anthem of the youth that are embracing Christianity.
12:16I'm like, you know what?
12:17Let them have it.
12:18Let them have it.
12:19And that's why interpretation is great.
12:20That's one interpretation.
12:21Do you know what I mean?
12:22Like, if it's making the youth of Christianity feel something, like, thank God for that.
12:26Yes, there you go.
12:27Great.
12:28You've done your part.
12:29It got a feel as well.
12:30Okay.
12:31Kiana Morris from Corona.
12:32Which song from the.
12:33Kiana must be here.
12:35Hello, Kiana.
12:36Which song from the album is your favorite and why?
12:40From Rushmere.
12:41Is that the question?
12:42I assume.
12:43Yes.
12:44Yeah.
12:45Okay.
12:47I think I'm going to go with Caroline.
12:52Sorry, Ted.
12:54Ted was the real flag bearer of that song when we were in the studio.
12:59And he really was like, this song is going to be so great once we actually just put it
13:03down on tape.
13:05But taking it out on the road has just been awesome.
13:08It's like every night it kicks off.
13:11And then in the break, in the instrumental break after the second chorus, it just feels
13:16like we're fully in a party mode.
13:18Which actually has taken a minute to feel that way since we were properly having hoedowns
13:23in the early years.
13:25So it's great.
13:26It's like in that sense, energy high.
13:29And then this is the last one here is Amanda Robards from Alaska would like to know.
13:34It's a two-parter.
13:35Alaska is one of the seven states I don't think we've played yet.
13:39So I want to do like a cleanup tour.
13:41Well, especially when you read this and how full of love this is.
13:44The first part is, do you lads like to fish?
13:47And or do you know how loved you are?
13:51Thank you for all the gifts you give us.
13:53So now you have to go to Alaska.
13:55So yeah, I am.
13:57I caught my first trout on a fly last year and I get it.
14:01Yeah.
14:02I've never really got it before.
14:04Is it like golfing where you just like you become one with yourself and it's Zen?
14:08I don't know about you guys, but I'm certainly not like that when I go.
14:12I'm the opposite.
14:13It rips my character to shreds.
14:16But this, I had a friend teach me who's a very good fly fisherman
14:20and I'd never done it before.
14:22And I was just at his house.
14:23He had a pond and we just were like, and I get it.
14:27Because I grew up like with a really stinky little bait box
14:31because my brother was older than me.
14:32So in the summer holidays, I was effectively an only child for half my childhood.
14:36So I'd sit with my stinky bait box on the beach next to a river mouth
14:41and try and catch little sea bass.
14:44And I've always enjoyed it.
14:46I've always enjoyed my own company, actually.
14:48I won't go into it.
14:49But I like fishing.
14:51And then I like mackerel fishing.
14:53We've done a bunch of that together off the south coast of England.
14:56I really love this for you.
14:57I feel very happy for you.
14:58Well, I like eating fish.
14:59Okay.
15:00And now you can catch and eat and it all works.
15:03But yes, I'd love to go to it.
15:05Thank you for the invitation to Alaska to go fly fishing.
15:07I'll give you this so that you know when you're out in Alaska and Anchorage,
15:10you can shout her out and maybe find her.
15:12Wouldn't that be cool?
15:13That would be lovely.
15:14That would be cool.
15:15Okay, and then to wrap this up really quick, you played SNL 50,
15:17which I think is one of the best productions of that nature that I've ever seen.
15:21The star power there was ridiculous, but the way that it moved.
15:24And you chose one of the most beautiful songs in the world,
15:28Simon and Garfunkel's The Boxer.
15:30Out of all the songs you could have done, including one of your own,
15:33why did you want to play that?
15:35We love that song, and the whole evening was co-curated
15:43and kind of put together by Mark Ronson.
15:46Oh, that's why it was so good.
15:48Yeah.
15:49Oh, okay.
15:50Yeah, he's an amazing force of nature,
15:53and he was asking whether there's anything from the stable of SNL classics
15:59that we love, and that song means so much to that show.
16:03It's been performed more than once in kind of very important times,
16:08and I think we actually cut it on Babel.
16:11It was on the extended version of Babel.
16:13Oh, I have it.
16:14It's my dad's favorite song ever, so when I hear the la-la-la part,
16:16la-da-da, my whole heart.
16:18Yeah, so it just felt like a great alignment,
16:20and we think that's such a great institution.
16:22It was so fun to be a part of it.
16:24New York was popping off that weekend.
16:26It was incredible.
16:27It was electric.
16:28Paul sang on that version of the song, because Jerry Douglas,
16:30the slide guitarist, suggested we do it, and we loved it, obviously, always.
16:36And then Paul sang on it, but we'd never met him until rehearsals for SNL,
16:42because he did the main show on the Sunday night with Sabrina Carpenter,
16:46and we met him in the rehearsal space for the first time.
16:49And he was stoked that we were singing that version of the song
16:52with that melody in it,
16:54because it's on an Emmylou Harris version of The Boxer where they sing it,
17:00and he was like, Artie wrote that part,
17:03and I love that you're giving it an airing, and it's really cool.
17:07And he was amazing.
17:09If you guys haven't heard that, you absolutely must.
17:12And then this is a quick one, but Ted Lasso season 4,
17:15will you be involved?
17:17I don't know yet.
17:18I haven't checked my phone in a while.
17:20I'm assuming they'll keep the title track.
17:22I think they keep the...
17:23Well, you call it a title track.
17:25Really, it's just a drum fill, and a, yeah!
17:28And then it's a skip intro.
17:30It's kind of the theme.
17:31There is a whole song.
17:32But I don't know if they've even started.
17:34I don't know anything.
17:35I don't know any more than you do.
17:37But Jason Sudeikis does leave the world's longest voice memos,
17:42and he'll often leave them on the phone that I'm not using,
17:46because I have two phones, I'm like a spy.
17:49And if I'm in the States, I don't really use my U.K. phone,
17:52so I haven't checked my U.K. phone in a while.
17:54Oh, we all have that problem.
17:56Maybe it's on there, and maybe it's not.
17:58I haven't checked my Costa Rican phone.
18:01I'll do that after this.
18:03This is the last question for the fan, and then I'm going to wrap it up.
18:06This is for you, I think, Marcus.
18:07Would your adorable English wife leave her adorable English husband
18:10for a less adorable, trashy American lesbian?
18:13I didn't write it.
18:18You definitely didn't write it.
18:20I mean, I'll check.
18:22It's probably something worth checking.
18:24To be continued.
18:25That's my favorite question ever.
18:28To be continued, you wrote a magical, magical record,
18:32and I've read a lot of bands,
18:34when they're at the beginning of the cycle of a record,
18:36they're like, you were excited about the new music,
18:38and they're not.
18:39They just have to say that.
18:40But these guys have said it, and I've read it,
18:42and I feel like it is absolutely true.
18:45It really is.
18:47Especially because I've forgotten about Surrender.
18:51Once we make a record, I never listen to it again.
18:55We have been writing lots and lots of songs,
18:58and we've been working more,
19:02and so I haven't listened to Rushmere since we finished it.
19:05I genuinely forgot about that song,
19:07and I'm very excited about it.
19:09Yeah, you're about to go on tour.
19:11Maybe brush up a little.
19:12Un poquito.
19:14A monitor.
19:15We're on tour.
19:16I should have brushed up.
19:17It's too late now.
19:18Yeah, so it's just a piece of advice.
19:20I've been around for a while.
19:21Thank you so much.
19:22But thank you so much,
19:23because you always show up for K-Rock,
19:24and I always have such a good time with you.
19:26I hate that you have to leave.
19:27No, we're going to play a song, I think.
19:29What?
19:31You guys, let's hear it for Mumford & Sons,
19:33and I'm going to get the fuck out of here.
19:36It's just for you guys.
19:37We're very grateful to you.
19:39One, two, three.
19:42Cold as the winter air
19:49Freezes your already cold mind
19:55Already cold, cold mind
20:06Death is at your doorstep
20:12And it will steal your innocence
20:18It will not steal your substance
20:28But you are not alone in this
20:34And you are not alone in this
20:39As brothers we will stand
20:42And we'll hold your hand
20:47Hold your hand
20:51And you are the mother
21:06The mother of your baby child
21:13The one to whom you gave life
21:22And you have your choices
21:29And these are what make man great
21:35His ladder to the stars
21:42But you are not alone in this
21:50And you are not alone in this
21:56As brothers we will stand
21:59And we'll hold your hand
22:04Hold your hand
22:17And I will tell the night
22:23And whisper, lose your sight
22:30I can't move the mountains for you
22:43Thank you very much.