Mumford & Sons humbly take over America: a brief chat with Ben Lovett (watch out Joanna Newsom!)

Untitled (Toad Session) mp3 from the awesome Mumford & Sons Toad Session
Dance, Dance, Dance (Neil Young Cover) (Toad Session) mp3

One thing Mumford & Sons have going for them is, well… everything at the moment. Their album, Sigh No More, has gone platinum in the UK, has debuted #2 on Bilboard’s Heatseekers Chart, AND they’ve sold out nearly all their shows on this US tour. They are playing Sasquatch, Telluride, Bonnaroo and Glastonbury festivals (among so many others.) Amazingly, I had the opportunity to chat with Ben Lovett, who sings and plays keyboards and accordion, two days ago from Washington DC, as the band was just getting ready to perform to a sold out show at the 9:30 Club.

I thanked Ben and the band for their efforts alongside the organization Music Matters, to help musicians get paid for their work. (Please do click that link and see how the Music Matters Trustmark works and how you can help by choosing to download from sites that offer legitimate services which compensate musicians.) Throughout our discussion, Ben and I returned to the point that it really is the music that matters and not any profit for the band, something that is a given in the Music Matters Trustmark endeavor.

“The thing that’s annoying me, especially this tour, is what you guys call scaplers,” Ben says. “It’s really frustrating when you meet lovely people outside venues who are fans of the band and they can’t get tickets, and scalpers go and sell them. This guy in Montreal the other day tried to sell me a ticket to our own gig! He had no idea, [who I was] and I was on the edge just… I was just angry… I mean, he wasn’t a fan and it ultimately takes away from musical creativity and it makes it impossible [to continue doing what we do]. I think our common mentality is to make sure that we don’t do anything that is exploitative or questionable. But in decisions we make, we try and do everything we can that is straight down the line. We’re definitely not trying to profit from what we’re doing. And as long as we can keep playing shows and keep having material to tour we’re happy and it feels like our fans are happy. It’s a simple life in a nutshell.”

Certainly the image of Mumford & Sons; the lyrics of their songs which hearken back to a simpler time. The clothing they choose and the lack of pretentiousness in their approach to their fans belies the fact that they do strive for this simpler life. I think this is part of what attracts so many of us to the band and to their music. One of the first songs to really strike me was, the at the time, yet-to-be-released “Sigh No More,” with it’s lyrics borrowed from Shakespearean’s Much Ado About Nothing. I first heard the song on The Waiting Room’s live session and interview back in September 2009 (recorded in May 09) just after their trip to SXSW, before they were signed to a major label, and when no one had even really gone to hear them. In this interview they report people were chanting “What’s your name?!” at some of their gigs! I remember thinking at the time, no one was using eloquent, if somewhat archaic, lyrics like that outside of gospel or Christian music and attracting masses of people.

And masses of people were already beginning to watch this band. By the fall of last year the whole thing had spiraled nearly out of control and in April of this year, fellow blogger friend Matthew over at Song, by Toad was lucky to capture them at the last possible minute to get this wonderful series of audio/video sessions. I asked Ben if they thought they could continue to do these, seeing as they were an excellent way to give fans a very personal connection which profited no one.

“Do people watch and listen to them? You never know when you’re in a room with a couple of people filming something, if people will see it.” he says.

“Oh yes, people come to the blogs for this and I’m quite certain those are responsible for concert tickets and album sales.” I tell him and he seemed genuinely happy to hear it!

I ask him, “What is it about your music that resonates with Americans?”

“It feels too early to tell, we’ve only really hit the East Coast [of the US.] It’s really hard to know why four guys from London would connect with American fans. I think … uh… if we knew the answer, well, an awareness of that probably would be certainly detrimental to who we are, if we knew why people liked us. It’s the same as every relationship in life, we don’t have a formula and we definitely don’t think that we know the answer. We didn’t think our tour was going to sell out at all.”

“It’s better to not know?” I suggest.

“It is better to not know. We don’t analyze our small success so far, we just try and stay focused on making sure we play a good show every night. And when we walk into a room that’s the most important thing.”

“Don’t screw up the process, right!” I laugh.

“Exactly!” I can hear him smiling across the phone line.

By the age of 22 or so, most young men are just graduating college and starting a career. These four Londoners are standing on the brink of international recognition after 3 or so years of touring and performing together. I wonder what the road has taught them so far.

“Life on the road is a lot about people skills to be honest. You meet people working at venues, You meet people promoting what you’re doing. You meet people who are fans of the bands. I don’t think one would be happy if you didn’t like engaging with people. I think we’ve come out of our shells a little bit, to the public world. To really engage with people includes respecting people and choosing support bands that we really like and want our fans to hear. So you’re thrown into this very intense relationship with another band for the duration of a tour. And so we’ve got six weeks with The Middle East on this tour, they’re amazing guys. It’s really interesting. It’s almost what defines a tour [for us] is the support band. That’s who you’re sharing the experience of going from one city to the next.”

And I marvel at this experience and can only be envious of a life spent in the company of so many musicians and so much music. Is that not a music blogger’s dream, darlings?!

I know Mumford & Sons are working on new material. There is a new bluegrass EP to come out later this year. And I have heard that they are doing some new songs in this tour. Certainly being on the road colors any new writing and I ask Ben how it’s going.

“I think, some of the experiences now, it’s not that they’re different,… the relationships have changed, the solitudes have changed. It’s not like a solitude where you’re literally just on your own, you’re in your room writing a song. Sometimes on the road you have to seek that solitude and when you do it’s brief or as a brief as time allows.”

“So you are writing on the road then and not just while you’re at home?”

“The road is our home!”

And then we are cut short, my allotted 15 minutes are gone. No time for the really good questions about music and instrumentation and songwriting. I must ask my final question. It’s one that always elicits an insightful response and usually a laugh.

“If you could come back in another life, as any instrument you chose, which instrument would you be, and who would you choose to play you?”

“Brilliant!” he laughs and pauses very briefly “Definitely wouldn’t be a drum kit.” Then asks, “How many people will know what I say? Probably quite a lot then!”

“Oh yes,” I assure him. (Now make this true, dear readers!!!!)

“I’d like to be a harp played by Joanna Newsom!” and we have a good naughty giggle before saying our goodbyes.

Now go buy a ticket if you can find one. Don’t pay a scalper and don’t go selling your tickets on craigslist for a profit, eh? Do find a way to see the show; it’s going to be fantastic! Mumford & Sons aim to thrill you. I believe they will accomplish their goal with simple charm, brilliant talent, and a genuine love of music.

Mumford & Sons Toad Session from Song, by Toad on Vimeo.

EDIT: this just in from Vancouver!

Tour Dates
May 24 2010 8:00P Lincoln Hall *SOLD OUT* Chicago, IL
May 25 2010 8:00P Varsity Theater *SOLD OUT* Minneapolis, US
May 29 2010 8:00P Sasquatch! Music Festival George, US
May 30 2010 8:00P 560 Club *SOLD OUT* Vancouver, BC, CANADA
May 31 2010 8:00P Aladdin Theater *SOLD OUT* Portland, OR
Jun 2 2010 8:00P Slims *SOLD OUT* San Francisco, CA
Jun 3 2010 8:00P The Music Box at The Henry Fonda Theater Los Angeles, CA
Jun 4 2010 8:00P The Music Box at The Henry Fonda Theater *SOLD OUT* Los Angeles, CA
Jun 6 2010 8:00P Belly Up Tavern *SOLD OUT* Solana Beach, GB
Jun 7 2010 8:00P Rhythm Room *SOLD OUT* Phoenix, AZ
Jun 9 2010 8:00P Antone’s *SOLD OUT* Austin, TX
Jun 10 2010 8:00P House of Blues – Pontiac Garage *SOLD OUT* Dallas, TX
Jun 12 2010 8:00P Bonnaroo Music Festival Manchester, US
Jun 14 2010 8:00P The Bluebird Bloomington, US
Jun 15 2010 8:00P Off Broadway *SOLD OUT* St. Louis, MO
Jun 16 2010 8:00P Record Bar *SOLD OUT* Kansas, MO
Jun 18 2010 8:00P Nightgrass at Bluegrass *SOLD OUT* Telluride, CO
Jun 20 2010 8:00P Telluride Bluegrass Festival Telluride, Colorado
Jun 25 2010 8:00P Glastonbury Festival Somerset, UK
Jul 2 2010 8:00P Eden Sessions *SOLD OUT* Eden Project, Cornwall, GB
Jul 3 2010 8:00P Hop Farm Festival Kent, GB
Jul 10 2010 8:00P Oxegen Festival Co. Kildare, IE
Jul 11 2010 8:00P T In The Park Festival Kinross, GB
Jul 14 2010 8:00P Montreux Jazz festival Montreux, CH, SWITZERLAND
Jul 16 2010 8:00P Benicassim Festival Benicassim, ES
Jul 18 2010 8:00P Latitude Festival Suffolk, GB
Jul 22 2010 8:00P THEBARTON THEATRE ADELAIDE, AU
Jul 24 2010 12:00P Under The Supertop @ Perth Esplenade Perth, WA, AUSTRALIA
Jul 28 2010 8:00P Palace Theatre *SOLD OUT* Melbourne, AU
Jul 29 2010 8:00P Palace Theatre *SOLD OUT* Melbourne, AU
Aug 3 2010 8:00P Enmore *SOLD OUT* Sydney, AU
Aug 4 2010 8:00P Enmore *SOLD OUT* Sydney, AU
Aug 13 2010 8:00P Haldern Festival Lower Rhine, DE
Aug 15 2010 8:00P Summer Sundae Festival Leicester, GB
Aug 19 2010 8:00P Frequency Festival St. Polten, AT
Aug 20 2010 8:00P Pukkelpop Festival Hasselt, BE
Aug 27 2010 8:00P Reading Festival Reading, UK
Aug 29 2010 8:00P Leeds Festival Leeds, UK
Sep 5 2010 8:00P Electric Picnic Stradbally, IE
Sep 11 2010 8:00P Bestival Festival Isle of Wight, GB