Mumford
& Sons biography
Mumford & Sons are an English folk rock band. The band consists of Marcus
Mumford (vocals, guitar, drums, mandolin), Ben Lovett (vocals, keyboards,
accordion, drums), "Country" Winston Marshall (vocals, banjo, guitar,
resonator guitar), and Ted Dwane (vocals, string
bass, drums, guitar). Mumford & Sons formed in December 2007, emerging out
of West London with other artists such as Laura Marling, Johnny Flynn and Noah
and the Whale.
Mumford & Sons recorded an EP, Love Your Ground, and performed in small
to moderate venues in the UK and US to expose audiences to their music and
build support for an eventual album. Their debut album, Sigh No More, was
released in the UK and Ireland in October 2009, and February 2010 in the United
States. The album reached number one in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand and
eventually peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart and the Billboard 200 in
the US. The band's second studio album Babel
was released in September 2012 The album debuted at number one in the
UK and US, becoming the fastest selling album of 2012 in the UK, and the
second-biggest selling debut in 2012 in the US.
The band gained popularity
throughout 2010, performing for larger audiences and making their first network
television appearances in the US. On 1 December 2010, the band received two Grammy
Award nominations, one for Best New Artist and the other for Best Rock Song
("Little Lion Man"). The ensuing live performance at the Grammy
ceremony in February led to increased airplay and popularity for singles from Sigh
No More. The band won the ARIA Music Award for Most Popular International
Artist in 2010, and the Brit Award in 2011 for Best
British Album. Furthermore, in 2011 they received a European Border Breakers
Award for their international success.