Sierra Ferrell Joins Mumford & Sons on 'SNL' as Hozier and Dessner Surprise Studio 8H Set

Mumford & Sons returned to Studio 8H on Feb. 28 to perform two tracks from Prizefighter, and Sierra Ferrell was among the surprise guests who joined the British trio on stage. The televised set, enhanced by appearances from Hozier and co-producer Aaron Dessner, capped a week that included a secret warm-up show and came as the band prepares to begin a world tour in April.

Sierra Ferrell Appears With Band on 'Here'

Sierra Ferrell stepped out with Mumford & Sons for the second song of the night, “Here, ” the opening track from Prizefighter. The studio version of “Here” features Chris Stapleton, who was performing two hours away in Uncasville, Conn., during the SNL taping; onstage the band instead enlisted Dessner and Ferrell to augment the live arrangement.

Hozier Joins for ‘Rubber Band Man’ After Song’s 10-Week Run

The set opened with “Rubber Band Man, ” a collaboration that features Hozier and was co-written by Brandi Carlile. Hozier emerged from side stage to reprise his guest vocal, joining Dessner—who played electric guitar—to augment the onstage band. The studio single has spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, and the live surprise produced a pronounced audience reaction at Studio 8H.

Studio 8H Tapings, Host Connor Storrie and Rockefeller Center Sketch

The episode was hosted by Connor Storrie, the 26-year-old Canadian actor known for playing Shane Hollander on Heated Rivalry, marking Storrie’s SNL debut. In his opening monologue he brought out members of the U. S. women’s Olympic hockey team—who recently won gold—alongside the U. S. men’s squad to underscore the contrast with the men’s 40-plus year gold medal drought. A late-night sketch filmed at the Rink at Rockefeller Center featured an unannounced cameo from Hudson Williams, who later returned to Studio 8H to help introduce the musical guest.

Band Cameos, Secret Warm-Up and Member Comments

Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane also made a brief cameo in a studio sketch, performing a snippet of “Unchained Melody. ” The band had rehearsed in public earlier in the week with a hastily organized, unamplified secret show at the 500-capacity Music Hall of Williamsburg; that warm-up featured a four-piece string section and extra singers. On the record front, Prizefighter debuted in the top 10 and was released on Feb. 20, arriving less than a year after Rushmere, which came out last March and marked the group’s first album as a trio following the departure of guitarist and banjoist Winston Marshall in part over political differences.

Production, Personnel and Tour Dates

Aaron Dessner, who co-produced material on Prizefighter, joined the band onstage and drew praise from co-founder Ted Dwane, 41, who described Dessner as “a real ally” as the group navigated production. Marcus Mumford, 39, has said Prizefighter felt like the closest representation of the band’s essence, calling it a straight-talking record that reflects the group’s comfort in their own skin. The band will begin an extensive world tour on April 24 in Melbourne; plans include Australia and New Zealand dates in April, a North American leg beginning in June, and European dates thereafter, with the group scheduled to be back in the United States through October to headline Louisville, Kentucky’s Bourbon & Beyond Festival.