"Marcus Mumford"
Marcus Mumford joins the SmartLess podcast to discuss his music career, personal growth, and upcoming tour. The conversation covers his journey from classics student to Grammy-winning musician, his marriage to actress Carey Mulligan, and how fatherhood has changed his perspective on work and creativity.
Summary
Marcus Mumford appears on SmartLess where the hosts initially engage in casual banter about weather and hairstyles before revealing the guest. Marcus discusses being born in California but raised in London, where he was influenced by his mother's vinyl collection featuring classical music, Blood on the Tracks, and Bruce Springsteen. He explains how he left Edinburgh University, where he was studying Classics (Greek and Latin), to pursue music professionally after being hired as a drummer for Laura Marling's band. Marcus reflects on the unexpected massive success of Mumford & Sons' second album Babel, which catapulted the band into larger venues and worldwide recognition without much preparation for that level of fame. He discusses how he initially coped with success through increased drinking and a smaller social circle, but eventually quit alcohol by choice and replaced it with ice cream before addressing healthier lifestyle choices. Marcus recently began working with a vocal coach named Rob Stevenson (recommended by Brandy Carlile) to properly care for his voice, implementing warm-up routines and avoiding smoking and late-night talking after shows. He describes meeting his wife Carey Mulligan at Bible camp when they were 10 and 12, reconnecting in their twenties, and how she evaluated his cousin as 8.5/10 boyfriend material while rating Marcus as 9/10 despite being two years younger and shorter. Marcus explains the band's intentional approach to tour support, carefully selecting opening acts, and describes the experience of touring on a train with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Old Crow Medicine Show. He shares details about the recent train tour documented by Sam Jones for a film, where the band served as a house band for special guests like Lainey Wilson and Maggie Rogers, with all musicians paid equally from the remaining budget after expenses. Marcus reflects on how parenthood has made him more intentional and grateful, leading him to schedule tours more intensely and for shorter periods so he can return home quickly to be present with his three children. He discusses his approach to touring as an athletic endeavor requiring cardio and physical training, his discomfort with watching music documentaries, and how his classical education influenced his appreciation for poetry and lyrics. Marcus also shares an embarrassing moment during the Australian leg of his current tour when the band started a song in the wrong key and time, forcing them to stop mid-performance and move to the next song.
About this episode
Hey friends, we found a guest and his name is Marcus Mumford. Costner calls it Neat. Kendrick's in his undies. Vocal straws, penguin noise, and the lovely tutelage of Bible Camp. It's a season of gratitude on an all-new goshdang pod-party we lovingly recognize as a purple symbol that spiritually signifies: SmartLess.
Key Insights
- Marcus was born in California but raised in London after his parents, working for a church in Anaheim, returned to plant a church in London when he was six months old.
- Marcus left Edinburgh University where he was studying Classics to accept a job as a session drummer for Laura Marling, treating his education as a sabbatical he never returned from.
- The success of Babel came with challenges; the band recorded it in just six weeks while managing 250 shows per year, and initially used only recorded material to fill their Glastonbury headline slot.
- Marcus used alcohol as an escape mechanism during his early touring years due to imposter syndrome, but eventually quit drinking by choice and replaced it with ice cream before adopting healthier habits.
- Marcus recently discovered he had been damaging his voice through improper technique, screaming in bars while smoking, and only began formal vocal training with Rob Stevenson after friends experienced polyp issues.
- Marcus and Carey Mulligan met at Bible camp at ages 10 and 12, where she rated his cousin as 8.5/10 boyfriend material but Marcus as 9/10 despite being two years younger and shorter, and they later reconnected through Facebook and email.
- The band's management team scheduled an entire tour announcement delay until England's World Cup group stage dates were confirmed, with Marcus warning them that double-booking during England games would result in mass firings.
- The train tour involved vintage rail cars with a limited crew and camera team, lasted five days, and was exhausting despite being shorter than typical tours, with all musicians paid equally from remaining budget after expenses.
- Marcus approaches fatherhood as an antidote to his natural narcissism, intentionally scheduling intensive work periods followed by accelerated returns home to be present for school runs and family time.
- Marcus stops mid-song during the Australian leg of his current tour when the band starts in the wrong key and time, telling the audience 'That's live music, folks' rather than attempting a full restart.
- Marcus avoids background music in his home because he compulsively leans in and fully listens when music plays, making it impossible to maintain conversations, which influenced his wife Carey to prefer silence.
- Marcus found new music through TikTok's algorithm before deleting the app before his album release, intentionally cutting himself off from reviews and comments to maintain his own perspective on the work without external influence.
Topics
Transcript
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