Ep. 239: Marcus Mumford (of Mumford & Sons) | 'Catching' Songs + Avoiding Self-Sabotage

Today's guest is a festival headliner, Grammy-winning songwriter, and the architect of a sound that accidentally changed the course of folk, country, and alternative music forever.

From singing as a family around a kitchen table to headlining arenas with banjos and mandolins, Marcus Mumford built something no one saw coming — and has spent years learning not to get in his own way once the stakes got real.

Now, as a solo artist and band leader, he's as honest about the creative process as he is about the pitfalls of ego, overthinking, and the quiet ways success can sabotage itself.

And The Writer Is... Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons!

In this episode of And The Writer Is…, Marcus opens up about:

• His theory of "catching" songs rather than forcing them
• How Mumford & Sons structured equal ownership to stay together
• What Bob Dylan said to him that he wants tattooed on his body
• The Pharrell moment that reframed his entire relationship to success
• Why showing up — again and again — is the only way judgment is earned
• And much more...

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Chapters:

0:00 Intro

1:00 Desert Island Mix: Radiohead

3:00 The Greatest Band of All Time?

7:00 A Hilarious Story About Bob Dylan — His Songwriting Grandfather

11:00 How Mumford & Sons Structured Equal Ownership

13:35 How Mumford & Sons Writes Music

17:00 Where Great Music Comes From

18:35 His Songwriting Ethos: "Catching Fairies"

22:00 Favorite Poetry and Getting Lost in Words Before Writing

23:46 Childhood

25:00 Growing Up in Church

33:50 Why Drummers Make the Best Producers

50:00 Testing Demos on the Road

52:00 Working on His Solo Record

58:00 The Empowering Pharrell Story

1:03:00 The Chris Martin Story

1:05:00 Rapid Fire

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