Mumford & Sonsrecentlyannounced that theyd plug in their guitars for their upcoming LP Wilder Mind, and the folk band-turned-arena rockers brought their new electric sound to Saturday Night Livewith a pair of new album singles, The Wolf and Believe. From the opening moments after host Taraji P. Hensons introduction, it was immediately clear this wasnt the Mumfords of Babel, as the bands trademark banjos and accordions were replaced by the loud squeal of distortion and feedback.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, frontman Marcus Mumford explained why the group like Bob Dylan at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival went electric. We felt that doing the same thing, or the same instrumentation again, just wasnt for us, says frontman Marcus Mumford. Weve got a broader taste in music than just that. Added Mumford bassist Ted Dwane, None of us had really any interest in doing a sort of Babel 2. It was always going to be different.
The band will showcase their new album at a handful of festival-headlining appearances this summer, including stops at Bonnaroo, Reading and Leeds and San Franciscos Outside Lands. Mumford & Sons will also host their ownGentlemen of the Road Stopover Shows, with the band stagingtwo-day festivals in cities like Seaside Heights, New Jersey and Walla Walla, Washington.
Mumford & Sons electrifying performance wasnt the only musical highlight on SNL: In one sketch, cast members and Henson skewered the new animated film Home, which features the voices of Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez. For SNLs sneak peek at Home 2, Dreamworks is adding more hip-hop than you can handle. That means top-notch impressions like Jay Pharoahs Kendrick Lamar, Hensons Nicki Minaj and Kenan Thompsons Rick Ross.