Something Old, Something New

By Joe Kavanagh

Something quite peculiar is happening in London town.

Perhaps it's a simple backlash against the seemingly endless supply of electronic acts being foisted upon the music market, each one claiming to have their own original spin on the genre, or just maybe it is something more indicative of a broader backlash from music fans against technology in general.

There is no doubt that the increasing use of gadgetry means that it is entirely possible to create music purely by using computers, leading to a situation where an act can conceivably take to the stage and not even play a single instrument.

In fact, thanks to Kanye West's recent flub, we are now aware of a tool called a vocalizer, which keeps a person's voice in tune regardless of the notes coming out of their mouth, which incredibly means that a singer no longer even needs to know how to sing.

What was once a fanciful notion parodied on an episode of The Simpsons, where Bart and a few of his friends were transformed into a slick boy band by technological gimmickry, has now become a sad reality.

It seems that the more technology improves, the lower the requisite talent for success, but a growing trend of late appears to show that while tinsel, beeps and fancy beats may be the dominant global music force, there is still a large market for good old-fashioned songwriting. And in the case of the act in this week's column, I mean old-fashioned songwriting.

Over the past 12 months, folk music has enjoyed a blossoming renaissance, with a range of folk nights springing up all across the country and a steadily growing, if still modest, share of the market.

Far from the traditional image of the crusty, bearded folk singer belting out melodramitic shanties, this new vanguard are all in their early 20s, svelte and dedicated to their craft in a manner that sees them nod to the past, but fix their eyes firmly on the future.

Not happy with simply aping their antecedents, they are trying to carry on a tradition, while adding vitality and relevance to the rich history that has gone before them.

Although the Lady Ga Gas and Lily Allens of this world might capture all of the headlines, acts like Laura Marling, Johnny Flynn and Noah and the Whale, have quietly been building their careers, winning fans throughout the globe with their take on one of humanities oldest musical genres.

In the past few months, another name has joined their procession and it might just be the pick of the bunch; an act that has been dazzling audiences with a live show that is as effervescent as it is compelling.

Everything about them screams throwback, from their music to a name that sounds like that of a general store in a western frontier town in the 19th Century, but despite such trappings of yesteryear, make no mistake about it, Mumford And Sons are most assuredly stars of the future.

Although technically only together as an outfit for the past 18 months, the seeds of Mumford and Sons were sown many years ago when American-born/British-raised, Marcus Mumford, met Winston Marshall, as part of a church music group and the two multi-instrumentalists immediately hit it off, though it would be some time before they ever played in their own original group.

At school Mumford befriended another multi-instrumentalist, Ben Lovett and the pair began collaborating in a series of bands around their neighborhood in west London, while, ever the busy soul, he also performed in a jazz act with bassist, Ted Dwayne.

Forced to leave his various music incarnations behind upon leaving London for university in Edinburgh, Scotland, he continued writing songs in his free time, or as he put it in his own words: "ripping off Shakespeare."

His break with the trio of musicians may have remained permanent, were it not for the occasion when Marshall arrived in Edinburgh with his country-inspired band, Captain Kick & The Cowboy Ramblers.

The two resumed their friendship and soon, Mumford was regularly attending a folk night that Marshall had begun running in London.

Through this night, Mumford and Marshall befriended hip folk acts like Noah and the Whale and Laura Marling and the two men, along with Dwayne, soon began performing as in the latter's backup band.

As Marling's career began to take off, they began to travel internationally and the entire experience proved to the trio that a career in music was possible.

Mumford also contributed backup vocals on Marling's critically-acclaimed debut album, but even as he advised her on her own music, he began work on his own project.

It wasn't long however, before the band became a truly collaborative effort, with each member contributing equally.

As lovers of different musical styles, they would happily share ideas and techniques with each other, as they assiduously set about creating their grand folk-inspired vision.

They exploded onto the London scene early last year, with the superb EP, Love Your Ground, which revealed a staggeringly mature set of songs, for a band that was not yet even a year old.

Immediately engaging, employing four-part harmonies, the songs are dynamically dramatic and driven by savvy, cerebral lyrics imbued with a sage-like poetic wisdom that belies their youth.

The songs are given still more potency with the rich, expressive timbre of Mumford's vocals and the release immediately set them apart from the crowd.

They followed it up with an even stronger effort in the form of another EP, Lend Me Your Eyes, which proved that the original was no fluke.

Both EPs were wonderfully produced by Lovett, who wanted to ensure that the purity of their purpose was not polluted in any way, recently revealing in an interview: "I never really studied it [production] or anything but I've got a real chip on my shoulder about producers not understanding the music. When I do production for my mates I get really protective of it. I think it's really important that the producer doesn't stamp their own sound on it."

With the underground media buzzing about their two releases, the band took to the road, playing countless gigs up and down the country, winning fans at every stop along the way.

Whether topping the bill or serving as the opening act on a packed line-up, virtually every time out, the crowd left the venue chatting excitedly about Mumford And Sons above all others.

Bursting with energy and what can only be described as a form of musical sunshine, the band are at their exquisite best in a live setting, emitting the type of positive power that most acts can only dream of, all without any hint of contrivance.

It's not all pure energy, however, as they blend in several moments of musical repose, offering the kind of texture that too many folk acts seem to lack.

In a live setting, Mumford And Sons look like they are having more fun than any band has a right to have, and they certainly have a set of songs that no act has a right to have after barely a year in existence.

They even managed to give US audiences a taste of what is to come when Marling took them on as a support act for her American tour last year.

In a year full of dreariness, where bad news appear to trickle out from behind closed doors on an almost daily basis, there is perhaps no more apt a time for the emergence of a band that radiates the kind of cheerfulness, warmth and skill, as that exuded by this committed four-piece.

There is little doubt that, barring an absolute collapse in their ability to pen catchy songs, their debut album will be one of the truly bright musical moments of the coming summer.

Whether it was the Great Depression or the Vietnam War folk music has always had a certain integrity when it comes to recording or reflecting the events of its time.

With acts like Mumford And Sons, it might serve a different function this time around and remove us from the miasma which we now find ourselves enveloped in, if only for a few glorious minutes.