podcast

TN:175 Mumford & Sons and Aaron Dessner

25.02.2026
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In this episode, John is joined by Mumford & Sons and producer Aaron Dessner to discuss how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Prizefighter’.

Mumford & Sons are a British folk-rock band made up of Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane, who rose to global fame with their banjo-driven folk rock, earning BRIT and Grammy success with the records ‘Sigh No More’ and ‘Babel’. Their latest album, ‘Prizefighter', was co-written and co-produced with Aaron Dessner, and features collaborations with Hozier, Gracie Abrams, Gigi Perez and Chris Stapleton, with the band embracing a new creative freedom in the process.

Sitting down with Marcus at his Scarlet Pimpernel studio, John and the band discuss how the album unexpectedly grew out of collaboration, and how the process left them feeling more creatively free than ever. They also dig into why the right mic isn’t always the most expensive one, Aaron’s techniques for recording guitars, how they created the album’s distinctive synth sounds and much more!

Tracks discussed: Here, Prizefighter, Conversation With My Son (Gangsters & Angels)

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LISTEN to ‘Prizefighter’ here - Prizefighter by Mumford & Sons

‘Island/Gentlemen of the Road'

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Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Tech 21 CompTortion

Waterfall B3 Organ

Mellotron

Siemens WSW Console

Neve Console

Erica Synths Black Spring Reverb 

Gibson Firebird

Gibson J45

Shure SM7B

Sequential Prophet

French Connection

Neumann U47

Neve 1064 Preamp

Neve 1073 Preamp

Neve 1066 Preamp

Lisson Grove R-124 Compressor

Roland Juno-60

Optigan

Neumann M49

Cubase

Logic Pro

Avid Pro Tools

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