Mumford & Sons could be put on the back-burner it seems, with frontman and namesake Marcus Mumford reportedly in the process of launching a solo career.
As Page Six reports, Mumford took to the stage as part of a Spotify event on the French Riviera on Monday as part of the Cannes Lions International Festival Of Creativity 2022. In addition to bookending his set with Mumford & Sons tracks ‘The Cave’ and ‘Awake My Soul’, an unnamed new song featured in the midst of his three-track appearance.
According to reports, Mumford was alleged to have told the audience he was performing the track for the first time, with a launch on Spotify set to arrive in the near future. “He just said today is day one for his next thing,” one attendee was reported to have said.
Of course, the idea of a solo album hasn’t been too far from Mumford’s mind over the years. In March of 2020, the singer spoke to Rolling Stone, admitting that he hadn’t ruled out the idea of such an undertaking, though it’s unclear how the then-impending global pandemic impacted upon his plans.
“We’ve definitely giving each other the blessing to do whatever feels right creatively,” Mumford explained at the time. “It feels like I have a lot of business to do with my instruments and my gear, so I’m excited to lean into that in the next year.”
Likewise, it’s unclear what the notion of a solo career may mean for the future of Mumford & Sons. In March of 2021, it was revealed that banjoist Winston Marshall was taking a leave of absence following backlash to his praise of controversial right-wing agitator Andy Ngo. Three months later, Marshall’s departure was made official.
“The only way forward for me is to leave the band,” he explained at the time. “I hope in distancing myself from them I am able to speak my mind without them suffering the consequences.”
