Hozier Joins Mumford & Sons on SNL for Surprise ‘Rubber Band Man’ Performance
Mumford & Sons returned to Studio 8H on February 28 for their fourth Saturday Night Live appearance and brought hozier onstage for a surprise live rendition of “Rubber Band Man. ” The pop-up collaboration underscored the band’s push behind Prizefighter, their album released February 20, and added a heightened reaction from the Studio 8H crowd.
Hozier’s Surprise on Studio 8H
The show’s standout moment came when Hozier walked out to join Mumford & Sons for “Rubber Band Man, ” the Prizefighter single that has spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart. Hozier and co-producer Aaron Dessner of the National appeared onstage with the band, amplifying the live arrangement and the audience response at Studio 8H.
Prizefighter Set and Additional Tracks
Mumford & Sons performed two songs from Prizefighter, including the opening track “Here, ” which features Chris Stapleton on the record and was performed with Sierra Ferrell joining onstage. The band also delivered other material from the album, which lists tracks such as “The Banjo Song. ” Prizefighter was released February 20 and represents the band’s latest push following a prior album cycle.
Connor Storrie’s Debut and Olympic Hockey Cameo
The February 28 episode was hosted by 26-year-old Canadian actor Connor Storrie, making his SNL debut and best known for playing Shane Hollander on HBO Max’s Heated Rivalry. In his opening monologue Storrie brought out members of the U. S. women’s Olympic hockey team, who recently won gold, alongside the U. S. men’s squad, using the contrast between the women’s recent triumph and the men’s 40-plus year gold medal drought for comic effect.
Rink at Rockefeller Center Sketch and Hudson Williams Cameo
A late-night sketch filmed on location at the Rink at Rockefeller Center featured an unannounced cameo by Hudson Williams, who stars opposite Storrie on Heated Rivalry. Williams later returned to Studio 8H to join Storrie in introducing Mumford & Sons for the musical segment, tying the episode’s promotional beats together across the night’s sketches and music slot.
Aaron Dessner, Brandi Carlile and Band Comments
“Rubber Band Man” was co-written by Brandi Carlile and features production involvement from Aaron Dessner; Dessner joined the band onstage for the SNL performance. Marcus Mumford, 39, described Prizefighter months ahead of its release as his favorite of the group’s albums, saying it felt like a more direct statement of who the band is. Bassist Ted Dwane, 41, praised Dessner’s work, calling him an ally and noting the band’s long-standing admiration for The National and prior collaboration steps made while preparing their third record, Wilder Mind.
Recent Changes, Release Timeline and Touring Plans
Prizefighter is Mumford & Sons’ second album in less than a year; the group released Rushmere last March as their first record after guitarist and banjoist Winston Marshall left the band in part due to political differences. The SNL date on February 28 marked the band’s first appearance on the late-night show in eight years, their prior visit having taken place in 2018. The group plans to tour Australia and New Zealand in April, begin North American dates in June, then move on to Europe; they will be back in the United States through October and are scheduled to headline the Bourbon & Beyond Festival in Louisville, Kentucky.
Because Prizefighter was issued on February 20, the band’s Studio 8H set on February 28 served as a concentrated promotion of the new record, bringing collaborators onstage and translating chart success—10 weeks at No. 1 for the single—into a high-profile television moment. What makes this notable is the convergence of longtime collaborators and new lineup dynamics in a single televised set, underscoring the record’s centrality to the band’s plans this year.
