Mumford & Sons decided to take a divergent musical route for their third studio album Wilder Mind, but in their latest video, for "Ditmas," the British folk-rockers have revisited their inner-country side by exploring the unyielding relationship between a man and his horse.
The latest clip splices together footage of a man working to gain respect from his raging bronco, with Mumford performing the Wilder Mind track on a circular stage. Although it doesn't seem like the man stands a chance as he's angrily thrown from the horse's back, the video ends with a triumph as he eventually stands atop the saddle as his horse gallops into the distance.
"Ditmas," the track penned in New York City and recorded in a Ditmas Park studio, set the tone for the entire Wilder Mind LP, Marcus Mumford told Rolling Stone. The band decided to exchange their staple folk sound for a plugged in, electric feel.
Although the group draws gigantic crowds to their world-spanning festival stages, Wilder Mind saw mixed reviews as its opening sales drew in less than half of Babel's, the band's second studio album. "People have been willing to come with us," Marcus Mumford explained to Rolling Stone. "Because we didn't know whether they would. There was no guaranteeing, because we changed quite a lot of the formulas that were working for people, you know."
Alice Cooper voiced his opinions about the group, previously stating that they weren't rock 'n' roll enough—but their third album proved otherwise. "You hear the new album? It rocks!" Cooper told NME. "Absolutely electric rock 'n' roll. They came up with a rock 'n' roll album and kinda proved me wrong."
Mumford & Sons will embark on a North American string of gigs for the summer including a two-night performance at The Forum in Los Angeles on August 17 and 18 as well as a headlining set at San Francisco's Outside Lands. Marcus Mumford, Winston Marshall, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane recently stormed the stage at Bonnaroo for a lighthearted cover of The Beatle's "With A Little Help From My Friends," with musical assistance from Ed Helms.
