After English folk band Mumford & Sons released their first EP in 2008 they helped redefine modern folk, headlining festivals across the globe and earning multiple accolades, including a Brit award, a Mercury Prize nomination and a Grammy for their record, Babel. This year they released their latest studio album, Prizefighter. US-born frontman Marcus Mumford was raised in southwest London and now lives in the West Country with his wife, the actor Carey Mulligan, and their three children. In this edition of Globetrotter, Mumford tells Francesca Babb about performing with Baaba Maal in Senegal, hanging out in California in the ’90s, the magic of Milan, and the minibar snack he’s nutty for.
Where was the last place you travelled to?
“Phoenix, Arizona. Mumford & Sons were playing Innings Festival there on the day our latest album, Prizefighter, came out, and then we went to New York for release week.”
Les 3 Vallées in the French AlpsGetty Images
Where in the world have you felt happiest?
“By the sea or in the mountains, particularly Les 3 Vallées in the French Alps. For the sea, it’s either California, where I was born, or the West Country in the UK, where I live now. I grew up in London, and we spent most of our holidays in the West Country or Scotland, where my aunt lived. The A303 going west from London is the holiday road, so even when I’m taking it to go home it still feels like a version of a holiday.”
Name a place that lived up to the hype
“My wife [actor Carey Mulligan] and I went to Le Coucou in Méribel. It’s amazing. It was the first time we’d booked a hotel instead of crashing with mates. There were snowy mountain views and a room where staff take off your boots and give you a hot chocolate. That blew my mind.”
What about a guilty pleasure destination?
“Everyone around me hates Vegas but I love it, it’s fascinating. I first went there on a road trip from Denver to LA when I was 18, and it lived up to all the cheesy expectations. We were also there on our first tour of the States, before we understood what room service meant. Ben [Lovett, keyboard player] ordered two sackfuls of Champagne bottles to his room, thinking they were free. He got a $10,000 bill.”
Which is your favourite city?