With the release of a new version of ’Here’ with Sierra Ferrell, Mumford & Sons offer the latest example of their close - perhaps surprisingly so - relationship with country music.

Country and folk have always had an intertwined history, with the former being separated out as “hillbilly music” in the 1920s for a plethora of reasons - some political, some commercial.

But since the turn of the millennium, country and folk have kept one another at arm's length, with many contemporary country fans seemingly viewing the leading folk artists of the 2010s - such as The Lumineers and Hozier - with a somewhat dismissive air, while in turn, their folk counterparts ridiculed country artists as cosplay cowboys.

This is a generalisation, of course. But while country and Americana have maintained a close-knit relationship, it felt like country and folk were a little less compatible. Inevitably, there are political implications, with country statistically a more “conservative” genre while folk is more liberal - but this again feels like an oversimplification.

Whether it was indeed politically charged or simply a matter of taste, when Noah Kahan released Stick Season in 2022, and then collaborated with the likes of Post Malone, Kacey Musgraves, Brandi Carlile and Kelsea Ballerini over the next couple of years, he blew open the floodgates for more country-folk cross-pollination.

And this leads us to Mumford & Sons.

Their rousing harmonies, stadium-sized hooks and deeply evocative lyricism have long made them critical darlings, with the band being mainstays of the British folk scene. Artists like Hozier and Kahan regularly cite Mumford & Sons as being the godfathers of contemporary folk, with the group's soaring, banjo-driven offerings helping to popularise the now-ubiquitous stomp-and-holler form of the genre.

But in recent years, as Mumford & Sons made their momentous comeback after a seven-year hiatus in 2025 with RUSHMERE, before following this up with the brilliant Prizefighter in 2026, the trio have been making a concerted effort to showcase their love of country music. And it's evident that this musical respect is mutual.

As part of their 2025 Railroad Revival Tour, instead of opting for traditional opening acts, Mumford & Sons - consisting of Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane - recruited some of the biggest names in country music to perform with them.

The Mumford trio, in effect, served as the house band as artists like Lainey Wilson, Darius Rucker, Brandi Carlile and Old Crow Medicine Show shared the stage with them.

Then, they joined the Grand Ole Opry's landmark 100th anniversary show at London's Royal Albert Hall, performing with Luke Combs, Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce and more.

This laid the foundation for Prizefighter, which is unquestionably grounded in folk, but carries enough country-adjacent textures - such as the band's continued penchant for the banjo - to appeal to classic country and Americana aficionados.

And if that doesn't have you convinced, perhaps the guestlist will. Mumford & Sons joined forces with Chris Stapleton for ‘Here’, before releasing a new version of the vibrant, soul-baring anthem with one of the most exciting voices in alt-country, Sierra Ferrell.

It's this latest collaboration that really showcases Mumford & Sons’ fascinating role within the country conversation. Ferrell is a musician's musician, and an artist who, despite not being a mainstream favourite by any means, draws a tremendous amount of respect within the genre. We all remember how Post Malone, for instance, donned a “Sierra Ferrell” t-shirt for his surprise CMA Fest 2024 performance, and then teamed up with Ferrell across his F-1Trillion North America tour.

Now, hot on the heels of this collaboration with Ferrell, Mumford & Sons are preparing to embark on a sprawling Prizefighter World Tour, and as support, they're bringing country-leaning favourites such as The Marcus King Band and Dylan Gossett. As part of this, they also headline BST Hyde Park in early July, with the highly buzzed-about country-folk prodigy, Stella Lefty, set to open for the British troubadours.

And this isn't to say Mumford & Sons are teasing some kind of pivot towards country with their next chapter of music. Rather, it epitomises how blurred the lines have grown between folk and country, to the extent that a British band can link up with a host of big-name artists in Music City, and nobody baulks or scoffs at the notion.

Mumford & Sons’ love affair with Nashville highlights a refreshing element of the modern country music scene. Rather than being obscured behind walls erected on the back of checklist lyrics and exaggerated archetypes, such as singing about owning a truck, going fishing and drinking beer - key aspects of the 2010's landscape - country songwriting is once again championing that key pillar: authenticity.

As well as having Kahan to thank, artists like Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers, who qualify as “country” acts, yet often create music that feels much more like alt-folk, indie-rock and Americana, have been just as crucial to this boundary-breaking evolution.

It's a wonderful time, therefore, to be a fan of country and folk. No longer do we have to pretend we only listen to one, and no longer do we have to restrict ourselves to artists that only conform to one genre or the other. Mumford & Sons stand as the embodiment of the fluidity of today's country-folk axis. as they set sail on their tour and ready their Prizefighter follow-up, they are poised to become the most important band - regardless of geography - within this fascinating intersection.

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