Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re probably familiar with the London-based quartet Mumford & Sons. Their debut album “Sigh No More”– (which received a UK Brit Award in 2010 for Best Album) has produced critically-acclaimed singles including “The Cave,” which has received massive airplay all around the country. They will make their first appearance in Maine on Aug. 4 at a concert down in Portland, which sold-out as soon as it was announced. An interview was arranged May 23 with co-founder Ben Lovett while the band was in a recording studio in London that turned out so well, that even though folks can’t get tickets to the show, it might give some insight into this immensely popular group of young men.

Q: I understand you are in a studio working on your second album. Are you trying to finish it up before you head over to the states in August?

Lovett: Yeah, we’re really working all hours every day trying to make that happen.

Q: Is the second album harder than the first?

Lovett: I really don’t know — it was hard the first time around, but it’s difficult this way … it’s been a longer process. We’ve been winding down after a couple of years of touring, getting back into the studio-head space and gathering together all of the songs that we had written over the last couple of years. We’re trying to get them up to the point where we’re happy with what we’re putting out. So, it is taking a longer time, but I wouldn’t say that it’s more difficult, it’s very enjoyable, actually.

Q: You seem to enjoy touring?

Lovett: Yes, we love touring. It’s really why we came together as a band, what binds us all together, so we can’t wait to get back out on the road again.

Q: When you get to the U.S., will you play any of the new material you’re working on?

Lovett: Yeah, we’re looking forward to playing some of these new songs and, of course, a lot of the songs from “Sigh No More.”

Q: Speaking of that debut release, I was so impressed with your close vocal harmonies and eclectic instrumentation — all in all that album is, as you say over there, brilliant!

Lovett: Thank you, Lucky — it was one big accident, but we’re happy that you like it.

Q: Does this second CD follow the same sonic lines as the first?

Lovett: There are even more harmonies on this second one. We’re in the middle of the harmony mix right now — it’s going to be great. Another part of it is that the four of us have been playing together on the tours over these few years and have really learned a lot about each other — have matured as a band in front of a lot of people — and now we’re much more sure of who we are. I won’t say we’ve figured it all out quite yet, but we’re starting to get there.

Q: Is there anything you’d like me to pass on to the folks reading this article?

Lovett: Just that we’ve never been to Portland — this is going to be our first time — and we’re excited about coming to somewhere new. We’ve kind of been around America a handful of times in the last few years and this next trip in August is going to be less adventurous, so, we’re really hoping to get some time to enjoy travelling around Portland.

 

Lucky Clark has spent over four decades writing about good music and the people who make it. He can be reached at luckyc@megalink.net if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.