Atwood Journal’s writers focus on Mumford & Sons’ heartfelt homecoming ‘RUSHMERE,’ a soul-stirring fifth album that sees the band returning to their people rock roots by heat acoustic textures, hovering, spiritually cleaning harmonies, and mawkish songwriting that echoes the ability of affection, reminiscence, connection, and communion.
Featured listed below are Atwood writers Aileen Goos, Lauren Turner, Mitch Mosk, and Noa Jamir!
— —
To begin, what’s your relationship with Mumford & Sons’ music?
Mitch Mosk: Oh, the place to start… I used to be sixteen happening seventeen when Sigh No Extra dropped in 2009, and I suppose you’d name it one among my very own seminal, private “coming-of-age” albums. I honed my rhythm guitar expertise enjoying “White Clean Web page” in my buddy’s lounge, singing harmonic thirds to his lead vocal and placing all of the emotion my angsty teenaged self may muster into these chords. I realized to work the fretboard by enjoying the intro to “The Cave” repeatedly, till I may hit each be aware alongside the studio recording. Someplace in an previous bin there lies somewhat voice recorder with scratchy demos of me singing songs like “I Gave You All,” “Sigh No Extra,” and “Winter Winds” – all as a result of Mumford & Sons had been one among my absolute favourite bands, they usually nonetheless are to this present day.
Songs off Babel and Wilder Thoughts maintain close to and expensive locations in my coronary heart – to this present day I can’t stroll by Tompkins Sq. Park with out buzzing the music to myself – but when I’m being trustworthy, and I am, it’s that first Mumford album that at all times meant essentially the most to me. The file itself is one among intense, unfiltered soul-searching, and it arrived at a time once I, too, was looking for objective and looking for myself – a highschool senior on the precipice of faculty and a courageous new world forward. The band’s harmonies hit me arduous – I’ve been a sucker for wealthy harmonic work ever since! – as did their heavy folk-leaning instrumentation; along with acts like The Head and the Coronary heart and Of Monsters and Males, Mumford & Sons had been my first foray into the wild world people rock and all that it has to supply.
Aileen Goos: I wouldn’t name myself a Mumfordian, however I’ll at all times take a look at their new music or catch a present after they’re enjoying close by.
Noa Jamir: Mumford & Sons got here into my life at a spiritual retreat about 6 or 7 years in the past. I attended a Catholic highschool, and occasionally we’d have these occasions referred to as “Kairos” the place college students and non secular leaders would spend time in nature and commune with God for various days. There was largely Christian music performed on this retreat, and one of many songs I distinctly bear in mind listening to was “There Will Be Time” by Mumford & Sons. It’s a preferred music of theirs that overtly explores religion and spirituality. The refrain sings: “Within the chilly gentle I reside to like and adore you / it’s all that I’m / it’s all that I’ve”. Each time this music got here on on the retreat, my friends would shout these lyrics and maintain on to one another as in the event that they had been being overtaken by the Spirit of God. That music introduced everybody nearer collectively, girls and boys alike. It was a really highly effective expertise, even for non-Catholic college students like me. I believe due to this reminiscence related to the music, I’ve at all times considered Mumford & Sons as a healthful Christian-esque band and have assumed that was the sort of music they made.
Lauren Turner: I’ve been a fan of Mumford & Sons’ music since Sigh No Extra. To this present day, that album is one among my favorites. Though the large hits off that album embrace “The Cave” and “Little Lion Man,” I fell in love with “White Clean Web page.” I bear in mind actually digging the pub-like feeling they delivered to their music but in addition actually admiring how uncooked and actual they had been inside their storytelling. Marcus Mumford’s voice can be simply so distinctive and one that actually attracts you in. However I’ve been a die arduous fan for a sizzling minute and have even been to a few exhibits.
What are your preliminary impressions and reactions to RUSHMERE?
Aileen: RUSHMERE is basic Mumford & Sons for me: Easy however significant in each means.
Mitch: Oh, it’s completely a homecoming – “basic” Mumford in each sense! The heartfelt, spirited people rock sound, the intimate, intense reflections on what it means to be human, to really feel issues deeply and never at all times know tips on how to course of these feelings as rapidly as they arrive… it’s all there, ripe for the selecting, able to uplift, encourage, and energize listeners. RUSHMERE does really feel like a band, fifteen-plus years into their profession, although; it’s wistful and nostalgic, polished and refined in ways in which Sigh No Extra by no means could possibly be, as a result of it was a starting – and whereas this album, too, is a starting, it’s additionally a vacation spot – as Marcus Mumford sings within the album’s opener, “Strolling by the valley was what introduced me right here.”
Noa: I got here into the listening expertise of RUSHMERE open to obtain an uplifting, religious message, and I’d say that’s exactly what this album affords. Proper from the leap, the opening music “Malibu” took me again to that prime faculty retreat, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with my friends in the course of nowhere and surrounded by the great thing about nature. I agree with Aileen that the songs on this file are easy however significant. There’s an vitality about RUSHMERE that’s lighthearted and free, but nonetheless so profound.
Lauren: I agree with Aileen that RUSHMERE is a basic Mumford & Sons album, the place simplicity hits in a significant means – one thing they’ve at all times been professionals at doing. Nevertheless, I do consider they added in some new but enjoyable components to the normal Mumford & Sons sound we all know. I actually preferred it and I really feel prefer it honored who they’re whereas nonetheless experimenting and displaying their followers some new concepts too.
How does this album evaluate to 2018’s Delta and the remainder of the band’s discography – what are essentially the most placing similarities or variations?
Aileen: Individuals can change so much in seven years, and the songs on this album mirror that. Whereas one of many largest variations is the departure of Winston Marshall, they’ve additionally switched up the general sound. The digital manufacturing of Delta has been changed with a extra intimate, emotional vibe on RUSHMERE. They return to frequent themes of affection and spirituality, however with a extra mature, nearly nostalgic perspective this time round.
Mitch: I hear a full-fledged “return to roots” in RUSHMERE – a indisputable fact that I’m personally and wholeheartedly celebrating. After Marcus Mumford’s solo album (self-titled) launched in 2022, I didn’t know what to anticipate once I heard the band was coming again round with new materials; in all honesty, I nervous his burgeoning, solo profession meant they is perhaps winding issues down, so for starters and as a baseline, I’m simply grateful to see them again within the saddle, doing what they do finest!
I had so much to say when title monitor “Rushmere” launched in mid-January, and I really feel like a few of these phrases may match right here as effectively: What higher solution to honor your origin story, than by returning to the sounds that first impressed you? Informal listeners can be forgiven for mistaking “Rushmere” as some long-lost monitor off Sigh No Extra. There’s an prompt kinship between the brand new music and now-‘basic’ hits like “Little Lion Man,” “The Cave,” and “I Will Wait.” Sixteen years on, the acoustic guitars are nonetheless jangling, the banjos are nonetheless twanging, and Marcus Mumford’s rustic voice nonetheless aches with an undeniably uncooked ardour, angst, and craving.
I’ll grant that songs like “Fact” and “Give up” don’t match the debut album’s mould, and it’s simply as effectively – in spite of everything, this isn’t Mumford & Sons’ debut – so I believe the easiest way to grasp RUSHMERE is as an embrace of the band’s heat people rock DNA, of their roots, along with their years of expertise onstage and in studios. For individuals who haven’t had the pleasure of studying each press launch the band put out, it’s additionally price mentioning that the title “Rushmere” is itself an homage to their bodily roots: It was round Rushmere Pond, on Wimbledon Widespread in southwest London, that Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett, and Ted Dwane first frolicked and determined to type a band. So whereas all of us hear songs that really feel and sound acquainted in sure methods, for the band, there’s an additional degree of intentionality to all of it. From their melodies and instrumental selections, to their lyrics and manufacturing, RUSHMERE is a sonic abstract of Mumford & Sons’ journey to this point. It’s one thing “previous,” and one thing “new” all of sudden.
Noa: I don’t know sufficient concerning the full scope of their discography to talk on this confidently! However I completely agree with Aileen that the writing on this file feels mature; their music appears to be getting older like wine, solely getting extra refined with time. There are some songs that might’ve simply run the danger of being too cliche, particularly the songs overtly speaking about God and religion. However Mumford & Sons handle to make every lyric and sentiment really feel new and impressed. I hear numerous people affect on RUSHMERE as effectively – a number of the songs really feel like they might’ve been launched in 2016 / 2017. There’s a comforting sense of nostalgia about them.
Lauren: That final sentence Noa mentioned! There’s a comforting sense of nostalgia concerning the songs on this album. Sure songs equivalent to “Malibu” do give me an older Mumford & Sons vibe. However their openness and massive coronary heart vitality on this file do remind me of Delta too.
Mumford & Sons teased RUSHMERE with “Rushmere,” “Malibu,” and “Caroline.” Are these singles trustworthy representations of the album?
Aileen: These three singles seize the spirit of this album: nostalgic, hopeful and emotional; all making their solution to an overarching sense of change and acceptance all through RUSHMERE.
Noa: I’d say so! The album touches on themes of religion, heartbreak, and letting go. The singles “Rushmere,” “Malibu,” and “Caroline” discover all of these themes, and provides nice perception into the remainder of the file’s sound and temper.
Lauren: I’d say that these three tracks did characterize the album. I believe they every individually contact on main themes inside the remainder of the file.
Mitch: I believe so too! They undoubtedly don’t seize the full breadth of the file – fairly actually, they represent its first three songs, albeit in a special order. You couldn’t probably have identified concerning the electrical energy of “Fact” and the sheer softness of “Anchor” and “The place It Belongs” from the singles, however I believe that’s what makes these so-called “deeper cuts” much more particular – and extra of a shock! On the similar time, the singles are extremely true to the spirit of this file: In “Malibu,” we hear a quiet depth that returns in tracks like “Monochrome” and “Anchor,” and in “Rushmere,” we really feel a deep, visceral warmth and uncooked, dynamic ardour that roars once more in “Give up” and “Carry On.” These three completely seize the extra energized and anthemic facet of the band – they had been a fantastic hook, they usually undoubtedly carry its entrance half!
RUSHMERE has been billed as a homecoming for the band – fairly actually to the place they first met in Wimbledon. Does this seize the spirit of those songs, and the place do you hear or really feel it most?
Aileen: There’s undoubtedly a welcome, acquainted sound that’s harking back to their debut Signal No Extra. Listening to the title monitor, you possibly can nearly image your self hanging out with the fellows on the Rushmere pub and feeling the breathless pleasure of recent begins and fearlessness; blanks pages and overflowing pints.
Mitch: I’m with you, Aileen – on this album, we hear some excessive highs, some low lows, and a lot of heartfelt reminiscing, intimate reflecting, and so forth… From the earnest reverie of “Caroline” to the solemn, cathartic endurance of “Carry On,” RUSHMERE is a Mumford-specific musical jaunt down reminiscence lane.
Which music(s) stand out for you on the album, and why?
Aileen: There’s one thing cathartic about “Carry On” that simply appears like acknowledging all that’s lacking or tousled, and making peace with it.
Mitch: I really like an ending that appears ahead – “Carry On” is certainly all that for me, too – however I nonetheless can’t get “Rushmere” out of my head! To me, it’s an prompt standout within the Mumford & Sons catalog – and one among their all-time finest, a people rock fever dream that actually feels a recent because it does timeless.
Noa: “Monochrome” caught with me lengthy after listening to it. I wished to know the story and the inspiration behind it after listening to it, as a result of it was so shifting. It’s one of many extra intimate moments on the file, which I believe is what instantly drew me to it and gave me pause. The lyrics are additionally a number of the most memorable and well-written, for my part!
Lauren: Nonetheless touching upon the thought of this reminding me of older Mumford & Sons, “Malibu,” “Fact” and “Monochrome” stick out essentially the most to me. And I do assume it’s as a result of it offers me that sense of familiarity. Whereas “Malibu” and “Monochrome” remind me of the Sigh No Extra period, “Fact” sort of offers me Babel period. Moreover, my favourite factor about this band is how they navigate slower songs with such arduous hitting lyricism and depth. They create music that sits with you lengthy after it’s performed. “Monochrome,” particularly, is one I preserve coming again to. I preserve eager to take heed to it and dissect it additional and additional. The road, “There’s life within the floor beneath your ft,” hit me arduous through the first hear and retains circling in my mind.
Do you’ve gotten any favourite lyrics up to now? Which strains stand out?
Aileen: “The sort of love I’m at all times chasing / Is the sort of love that received’t be chased / I had no worry on the backside of my cup / However now it’s dry I’m afraid.” – “Monochrome”
“You wish to pour me out / and drink me off of the ground / so you possibly can say you’re a saviour.” – “Caroline”
Noa Jamir: “Hyacinth woman, you’re peace / There’s life within the floor beneath your ft / restoration / monochrome out of sight” – “Monochrome”
Lauren Turner: I really like the short one liners on this album! I believe they really make this album particular. I wrote down a pair whereas listening…
“The celebrities can preserve your secrets and techniques/ I don’t wanna owe them something.” – from “Caroline”
“Come house late within the morning gentle/ Bloodshot goals below streetlight spells.” – from “Rushmere”
“You can’t complain if you happen to don’t throw a cube your self/ Sit exterior the strains blame everyone else.” – from “Fact”
“Trigger there’s no evil in a baby’s eyes.” – from “Carry On”
Nevertheless, I believe the road that stands out to me essentially the most is, “Time don’t allow us to down once more/ What’s misplaced is gone and buried deep/ Take coronary heart and let it’s/ Don’t mislead your self/ There’s insanity and magic within the rain/ There’s magnificence within the ache/ Don’t mislead your self” from “Rushmere.”
Mitch: “Don’t you miss the breathlessness, the wildness within the eye?” – the opening lyric in “Rushmere” is so evocative, and it units the proper scene. That, and the music’s refrain:
Gentle me up, I’m wasted in the dead of night
Rushmere, stressed hearts in the long run
Get my head out of the bottom
Time don’t allow us to down once more
The place do you’re feeling RUSHMERE sits within the pantheon of Mumford and Sons’ discography?
Aileen: Their debut Sigh No Extra launched the band quick and much, and I believe it’s arduous for anybody to high that sort of success. Nevertheless, RUSHMERE is an fascinating piece of their evolution; it picks up on their people foots and the honesty of their earlier work, however with a depth handed over by time and expertise.
Lauren Turner: I believe RUSHMERE is the proper comeback album that’s tailor-made to the Mumford & Sons followers. I believe the band did a fantastic job of bringing in a little bit of a brand new sound however nonetheless reminded followers on why they fell in love with them within the first place.
Mitch: It’s the comeback, it’s the affirmation, it’s the reaffirmation… It’s quintessential Mumford & Sons – a reminder of why the world first fell in love with them almost twenty years in the past, and a testomony to their enduring skill to seize our ears and our hearts
— —
:: stream/buy RUSHMERE right here ::
:: join with Mumford & Sons right here ::
— —
Mumford & Sons Embrace Their Stressed Hearts in “Rushmere,” a People Rock Fever Dream
:: TODAY’S SONG ::
— — — —
Connect with Mumford & Sons on
Fb, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram
Uncover new music on Atwood Journal
© Marcus Haney
an album by Mumford & Sons
