Sierra Ferrell Joins Mumford & Sons on SNL as Hozier and Aaron Dessner Elevate Live ‘Rubber Band Man’ and ‘Here’ Sets
Mumford & Sons made their fourth appearance on Saturday Night Live on Feb. 28, performing two songs from their new album Prizefighter; the taping featured guest turns from Hozier, producer Aaron Dessner and singer-songwriter sierra ferrell, creating a string of surprise moments that underscored the band’s recent creative momentum.
Mumford & Sons’ SNL return and Prizefighter spotlight
The band opened the night with “Rubber Band Man, ” a track that features Hozier and was co-written by Brandi Carlile. Hozier came out onstage to join the trio, and co-producer Aaron Dessner also played with the group during the performance. For their second song the band performed “Here, ” the opening track of Prizefighter, with Dessner and Sierra Ferrell joining them onstage; the album version of that song is sung by Chris Stapleton, who was performing two hours away in Uncasville, Ct. on the same night.
Sierra Ferrell’s onstage role and the lineup of surprise guests
Sierra Ferrell appeared alongside the band for the live rendition of “Here, ” adding to a sequence of guest appearances that also included Hozier and Dessner. Hozier’s appearance onstage marked his return to a major live televised set after finishing his Unreal Unearth tour in October 2025. Dessner’s role ranged from co-production on the recorded work to playing electric guitar in the live arrangement.
Marcus Mumford and band reflections on Prizefighter
Marcus Mumford, 39, described Prizefighter as his favorite of the group’s albums several months before the record’s release, saying the collection is the band “talking straight” and that it feels closest to the essence of who they are; he added that the record seems less encumbered by artifice and more like the band and their friends being themselves. Co-founder Ted Dwane, 41, praised Aaron Dessner’s production work and called Dessner a real ally, noting that the band had been fans of The National and had met and worked with Dessner while preparing their third record, Wilder Mind.
Context: recent album run and lineup change
Prizefighter was released on Feb. 20 and marked a continued burst of output: it is the band’s second album in less than a year. Rushmere, released last March, was the first record after the band became a trio; that album arrived following the departure of guitarist and banjoist Winston Marshall, who left the group in part due to political differences with his bandmates.
Stage moments, sketches and warmup shows
Beyond the musical performances, Mumford & Sons made a cameo in a sketch about an ill-advised workplace dance during the taping and performed a snippet of “Unchained Melody. ” The band had warmed up for the television appearance with a hastily organized secret show the previous Tuesday at the 500-capacity Music Hall of Williamsburg, performing unamplified and backed by a four-piece string section and extra singers.
