A Short History Of Australia's Long Love Affair With Mumford & Sons

Everyone loves a good love story, and the tale of romance between Australia and the band Mumford & Sons is one that’s only continued to blossom over time.

Throughout their evolution from banjo-slinging waistcoat-wearing gents to slick leather jacketed stadium rockers, the band have maintained a deep and steadfast connection with Aussie culture, never missing us on an album cycle since the release of their 2009 debut, Sigh No More.

Of course, the British collective will be heading to our shores once again this January off the back of their freshly minted LP Delta. So, in honour of the occasion, we thought we’d take a misty-eyed look back at Australia’s long and beautiful love affair with Mumford & Sons.

The time they took out the triple J Hottest 100

The year was 2010 and Mumford & Sons’ hit ‘Little Lion Man’ was voted the number #1 song in the country for the previous year by triple J listeners. Maximum heart-eye emojis.

Sydney’s Tonight Alive cover ‘Little Lion Man’

In 2011, Sydney rockers Tonight Alive showed their love for Mumford & Sons by immortalising their triple J Hottest 100 #1 ‘Little Lion Man’ with a cover for Volume 4. of Fearless Records’ Punk Goes Pop compilation, which has since racked up millions upon millions of streams & brought Mumford love to a whole new audience of fans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCyxbf85SXY

The time they hand-picked some Aussies to join them on an international tour

In 2013, the Mumford lads hand-selected Ballarat boys Yacht Club DJs to join them in Canada and the United States for a series of sold-out Gentlemen of the Road stopovers, pretty much going above & beyond the call of duty to support Aussie music.

The time they appealed for clemency for the Bali 9

In 2015, team Mumford joined the fight to save the lives of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who were scheduled to face execution in Indonesia for drug crimes. They threw their weight behind the Mercy Campaign – a movement appealing to the Indonesian government for clemency on behalf of Chan and Sukumaran, who faced imminent death by firing squad. Sadly, their efforts were to no avail, with the pair put to death just a few short weeks later.

The time they played a charity soccer match on our shores

During their Gentlemen Of The Road tour in 2015, the Mumford lads kicked social injustice right in the balls, staging an all-star charity soccer match in the Sydney suburb of Redfern.

They went head-to-head against the likes of fellow UK touring act The Vaccines, as well as the lads from reality TV action-drama Bondi Rescue & more to raise funds for the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence and the community of Dungog. Bless!

The time they launched their own pop-up bar in Sydney

During the same tour, the newly banjo-less folk rockers launched their own Wilder Mind pop-up bar in Newtown, complete with their own signature brew thanks to the crew at Young Henrys. What says Aussie love more than brewing your own beer with one of our best local swillers?

We can’t wait to see what they get up to on this new tour!

Mumford & Sons’ new album ‘Delta’ is out now. Catch their full list of 2019 tour dates below.