More about: Kanye WestMumford & Sons
Band recently attended Ye's surprise gig
Mumford & Sons have spoken to Billboard about being fans of Kanye West and subsequently labelled his as ‘the only rock star left’.
Speaking about the rapper and the decline of rock music, the band’s guitarist Winston Marshall said: “There will always be a fucking huge rock band. There's a lot of rock out there.” Before frontman Marcus Mumford added: “[But] I don't think it's what our generation will be remembered for. I think it'll be Kanye West and Rihanna. I think Kanye is sick. He’s the only rock star left.”
The pair spoke about the rapper’s recent surprise gig at London’s Koko, during which grime MCs Skepta, Novelist and JME also made an appearance. Mumford gushed about the show saying: “It was fucking amazing. There were a bunch of cool London grime MCs doing stuff. But then he gets up and just blows them all away. Says one word and the whole room just...that's rock'n'roll, to me.
Mumford & Sons’ third album, entitled Wilder Mind, is due for release on May 4. It was mostly recorded in London at Air Studios and produced by James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Florence + The Machine).
Earlier this week, Mumford & Sons unveiled their latest single ‘The Wolf’, which sees the band depart from their banjo-driven origins. Take a look below.
Mumford & Sons will be headlining Reading and Leeds later this summer. For more information and tickets, visit here.
December 2007 - Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall and Ted Dwane form the band in West London, using traditional folk instruments such as a banjo and a mandolin.
June 2008 - The band make their first appearance at Glastonbury Festival. They also tour Australia with folk singer Laura Marling, Marcus Mumford's girlfriend at the time.
July 2009 - BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe makes track 'Little Lion Man' his 'Hottest Record in the World'. It goes on to earn them international acclaim, topping the charts in Australia.
October 2009 - After signing to Island Records in the UK, the band's debut album Sigh No More is released, with the catchy 'Little Lion Man' as the lead single. It goes on to peak at No.2 in the UK, go multi-platinum around the world and sell over 3 million copies.
February 2010 - The band make their US TV debut on the Late Show With David Letterman, performing 'Little Lion Man' and 'The Cave'. This marks the beginning of their success across the pond.
March 2010 - The Kinks legend Ray Davies announces he will be collaborating with Mumford & Sons on a duets album. Marcus Mumford says "I am more excited about that than I have been about anything before in my life".
July 2010 - Sigh No More is shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, but loses to the self-titled debut from The xx.
December 2010 - The band earn Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Rock song for 'Little Lion Man'. US sales of sigh No More increase by 99 per cent in the period following the ceremony.
April 2011 - Mumford & Sons join Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros on the inaugural Railroad Revival Tour which begins in Oakland, California. The bands performed in vintage rail cars in six unique outdoor locations. A documentary about the tour, called Big Easy Express, premieres at SXSW Film Festival and eventually wins Best Long Form Video at the 2013 Grammy awards.
June 2011 - The band play Glastonbury Festival before embarking on a North American Tour as their success and popularity show no sign of waning.
Septmber 2011 - An appearance at Bestival signifies the end of a successful festival season for the band, who performed at events such as Bonnaroo and Coachella.
April 2012 - Frontman Marcus Mumford marries actress Carey Mulligan. The pair were former childhood pen pals who lost touch before reconnecting.
September 2012 - Second album Babel is released, debuting at number one in the UK and on the US Billboard 200. It becomes the fastest selling album of 2012 in the UK, going on to sell over a million units worldwide.
February 2013 - Babel wins a Grammy for Album of the Year.
June 2013 - Despite bassist Ted Dwane undergoing surgery for a blood clot days before, the band headline Glastonbury festival.
September 2013 - They announce they are going on hiatus for a "considerable amount of time" to focus on "life outside of the band".
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More about: Kanye WestMumford & Sons
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