Mumford & Sons had to enlist debut album producer with IOU: "He did it on credit"

11 March 2025, 17:20 | Updated: 12 March 2025, 14:25

Mumford & Sons paid their first producer with an IOU!

By Jenny Mensah

Mumford & Sons told The Chris Moyles Show how they couldn't get signed at first and didn't have enough money upfront to pay Markus Dravs to produce 2009's Sigh No More.

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Mumford & Sons had to pay the producer of their first album "on credit".

The band are preparing to release their forthcoming album RUSHMERE on 20th March and two thirds of the band have reminisced on Radio X about their journey so far.

When Chris Moyles argued the band couldn't possibly have dreamt of the success they had with their debut album Sigh No More, frontman Marcus Mumford replied: "I think Markus Dravs did. The producer, yeah. He was really ambitious for it early on and we all thought he was nuts."

"No one would sign us for that record," added Ben Lovett on The Chris Moyles Show. "We were just going out and around and all the labels were going to put us out were like, 'No one's gonna want to put banjos and accordions out there into the world'. And eventually someone was like, 'Alright, we'll give you a development deal and we used that money to go pay for a great producer."

"He did it on credit," Mumford admitted. "We paid him afterwards. I'm probably not supposed to talk about this, but I know he delayed us paying him his fee because we didn't have the money and then someone lent us the money."

Lovett intejected: "The point being there was no one [who believed in us] apart from Markus Dravs who really was like, 'I'll probably see that back some day'."

Mumford & Sons Ben Lovett and Marcus Mumford speak to Chris Moyles. Picture: Marcus Haney/Radio X

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RUSHMERE, which is the band's fifth studio album, marks the outfit's first record in seven years and their first as a trio after the departure of Winston Marshall.

Watch the official video for the album's rousing first single and title track below:

Mumford & Sons - Rushmere

The album - which marks Mumford's first record in seven years and their first as a trio after the departure of Winston Marshall - follows 2009's effort Sigh No More, plus Babel (2012), Wilder Mind (2015) and Delta (2018).

See the artwork and tracklisting for RUSHMERE below and pre-order and pre-save the album here,

Mumford & Sons' Rushmere album artwork. Picture: Press

Mumford & Sons RUSHMERE tracklisting:

Malibu
Caroline
Rushmere
Monochrome
Truth
Where It Belongs
Anchor
Surrender
Blood On The Page' Feat. Madison Cunningham
Carry On

Mumford & Sons, who are completed by bassist Ted Dwane, have just announced the details of a intimate livestream show at Manchester's Aviva Studios.

The free gig, which is in partnership with Amazon Music and part of their City Sessions series, will be streamed live on Prime Video and on Twitch's Amazon Music UK channel.

Meanwhile, the folk rock outfit will continue their previously announced intimate tour dates, which sees them play nine gigs across the UK, Europe, Australia & North America this month, ahead of their new album, RUSHMERE, which is set for release on 28th March.

Their hometown date will take place in London at the O2 Forum Kentish Town on 11th March, with other shows on their 'Tour Before The Tour' series taking place at the likes of Brooklyn Paramount, Stateside in New York and the Sydney Opera House in Australia.

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Mumford & Sons have partnered with PLUS1 to support War Child on the dates, with $1 from every ticket sold from the tour helping the organisation to protect, educate and stand up for the rights of children affected by war.