Mumford and sons why are they called that

Last year, Mumford witnessed the Grenfell Tower fire from his west London flat. I saw the tower burning — I was, like: fucking hell. Councillors were taking off their badges and their hi-vis because people were so upset with their response. The local community genuinely did pull together, he says, which was perhaps the only bright spot in the aftermath of the fire.

While recording the album, the band opened up the doors to their north London studio, welcoming musicians including the rapper Octavian and the pop singer Maggie Rogers along with about other visitors. Lovett is unapologetic. He views the whole affair as simply an opportunity for more Mumford-bashing. Close the doors? We want as many people who want to come to a show to feel welcome.

Mulligan, he says, was cautious of being filmed throughout the event, unlike him. She was smarter than I was. But it is their domestic rather than public life that the musician channels into Delta. Over the last three years, Mumford and Mulligan have had two children, and being there for the births is something that profoundly affected his view of the world.

All these experiences, says Mumford, coincided with the band spending extended periods of time at home: the result felt like a confrontation with reality that they had been avoiding for their entire adult lives. First singer and guitarist Marcus Mumford, wearing a black suit, then bassist Ted Dwane, in leather bomber and T-shirt.

Next bearded banjo player Winston Marshall, his blue flannel shirt hanging loose, and pianist Ben Lovett, wrapped in a woollen coat. Mumford begins to perform, a murmured cover of a country song, and as the others join in the rhythm of the music gets to them. Dwane lowers his body at the waist, knees out. Watching from the stands I wonder if it's a fleeting thing, an itch or a bit of back ache … But Mumford, infected, begins a fancy kickstep.

Soon Marshall is doing an elaborate foot-to-foot jig, and then they're all bounding around. Shoulder dips. Yee-ha faces. It's an impromptu hoedown. Having spent the day in the company of this thoughtful, friendly, uncommonly levelheaded band — charmed, completely — a protective part of me sort of wishes they wouldn't hoedown.

Four polite Englishmen in their middle 20s, feigning like firewater drunks in a Eugene O'Neill play: it's exactly the stuff that makes their detractors groan. They have released two enormous albums. But, wow, do they take some knocks back home. This article includes content provided by Spotify. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. They're inauthentic, runs the general complaint.

They went to fee-paying London schools and now they're all about heels and waistcoats and hoedowns. Like I am. Like we all are," says Marshall. There is a plausible argument that this band are the most successful in the world right now — Babel shifted , copies in its first week in the US , making it the fastest-seller of the year. The album before that, 's Sigh No More, went multiple platinum. And here they are, commendably you might say perversely taking a share of the blame for the stick they get, on national-character grounds.

But he points to the example of legendary British guitarist Peter Green. Nothing fucking authentic about that, right? But actually there is. He loves it. It's what he's good at. It's not like he's saying he's from the Delta. It's not like we're saying anything like that. He changed his name. And modelled himself on Woody Guthrie. And lied to everyone about who he was.

Mumford is outfitted today like his hero, the worn dark suit ideally Dylan, so too the black hat deep-positioned on his head. Backstage at the Hollywood Bowl this hat will get a compliment from a bystander and Mumford will explain that its appearance is the result of many weeks campaigning.

His wife, the actor Carey Mulligan , took some persuading on it Mumford and Mulligan married in April, and she is here at the venue today, merrily flitting about the wings, wearing a jumper with a large letter M on it.

Mumford is wary about his private life, and prefers not to speak on the record about Mulligan. I relate the following story as to how the couple got together from other reports. They knew each other as kids and were briefly pen pals before falling out of touch.

Then in the actor Jake Gyllenhaal , a mutual friend, reintroduced them and within a year they were engaged. At their wedding in the spring Mumford's father, a vicar, conducted the service.

Marshall and Dwane tell me they were approached by a fan, not so long ago, who wanted to know if this was how they defined themselves. We, er, we have a full spectrum of beliefs. He appends another story about a different encounter, six months ago, when he was asked by a fan if they could pray together.

Marshall recalls his awkward refusal: "Erm. Sorry dude. They're one of those bands who pinch bits out of books to texture their songs — from the Bible and from elsewhere, their first album launching with a quote from Much Ado About Nothing, for example, and the newer record featuring a borrowed line from Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall. They're charged with posh-lad pretentiousness as a result, though I don't know it's all that uncommon for bands to plunder snatches of lyrics from wider culture.

Before meeting the band I asked Mantel about the steal from Wolf Hall Mumford having admitted to it in a BBC radio interview and the novelist told me: "Of course they're welcome.

I have millions of lines. As for the biblical stuff: "I don't know many artists who've managed to go a career without bringing these things up," says Dwane.