Brace yourself fans of nu-folk, the world’s leading purveyors in banjo-enhanced indie rock are going into an extended break.
Mumford & Sons finished up the last date of their extensive American tour on Friday, playing Bonner Springs in Kansas with support from Michael Kiwanuka, Mystery Jets and Johnny Flynn.
But the British four-piece revealed that it will be the last live date – or any other musical activity – from the band for some time.
“There won’t be any Mumford & Sons activities for the foreseeable future following Friday’s show,” keyboardist Ben Lovett tells Rolling Stone, referring to the band’s Kansas show, the last date of their Babel tour.
Lovett adds that the band “have no idea” how long they’re planning to take off; “we just know we’re going to take a considerable amount of time off and just go back to hanging out and having no commitments or pressure or anything like that,” says the 26-year-old, speaking to the American music magazine prior to Mumford & Sons final show.
“It feels like the last week of school right now, before school holiday when you’re in high school. The atmosphere on the road is one of,” he adds. “I think everyone’s excited about being free of schedules.” “There won’t be any Mumford & Sons activities for the foreseeable future…”
Lovett has plenty on besides his Mumford & Sons commitments as the co-founder of British independent label, Communion, who have signed and distributed such Australian bands as Gotye, Matt Corby, and most recently’s The Trouble With Templeton.
Meanwhile, bassist Ted Dewane had emergency brain surgery in June to remove a blood clot, and more recently, Mumford & Sons made headlines for getting thrown out of a strip club.
Lovett also told Rolling Stone back in February that the band had been working on new material for a follow-up to Babel, with a strong sonic departure from their barnstorming, folk-influenced rock of their sophomore and debut album, 2009’s Sigh No More.
“I do feel like we’re ready to make the departure,” adds Lovett. “There’s definitely cohesion between the two albums. Now that we’ve done that, we’re not desperate to walk away from that sound, but we’re willing to explore what else we could do. These two albums are like brothers. Do something that’s a cousin,” he described back in February.
Now however, Lovett explains, “we’re just going to rest up.” The band have been touring, recording, breaking records and scooping awards – including Album of the Year for Babel at the Grammys – consistently since releasing Sigh No More in 2009.
“I don’t think we’ve had actually much time in the process to be with other people and living a life outside of the band,” says Lovett. “I think that’s what’s in place at the moment, to do very little – especially when it comes to Mumford & Sons.”
The four-piece were in Australia last October playing a series of headline shows (including the opening date in Perth where their gear was stolen backstage), and a rural leg of their Gentlmen of the Road series in Dungog, New South Wales. The mini-festival featured the likes of Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeros, Willy Mason, Sarah Blasko, Matt Corby, Husky, and Ballarat mash-up maestros Yacht Club DJs, who the band then hand-picked to play a series of American and Canadian shows with the band.
