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Tuesday December 31, 2013 12:46 am

Mumford and Sons Pretend to Be Irish

Mumford and SonsMumford and Sons say convincing people they're Irish is the secret of their success.

The "I Will Wait" band is from England, but their use of traditional instruments - including accordion, mandolin and double bass - and close harmonies means some people mistake them for being from neighboring Ireland. "Everyone thinks we're Irish. There's an Irish bar in every town - it's the secret of our success," keyboard player Ben Lovett said.

Banjo player Winston Marshall also points out the roots of their sound and some of their instruments, such as the banjo, aren't even from Europe, adding, "We're in a long line of English people pretending to be Americans and not being as good as Americans."

The band - also including Marcus Mumford and Ted Dwayne - are known for spending long periods touring around the world, particularly in the US, but aren't huge fans of having to do it in a bus. "I went camping on a stag weekend and hated it. [And] you can't s**t on the bus. You still brush your teeth outside and spit it out, just like on a campsite," Marcus added.

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