Mumford And Sons Bring Hozier, Aaron Dessner and Sierra Ferrell to SNL
mumford and sons made their fourth appearance on Saturday Night Live on Feb. 28, performing two songs from their new album Prizefighter with surprise guests Hozier, co-producer Aaron Dessner and singer-songwriter Sierra Ferrell.
Mumford And Sons open SNL set with 'Rubber Band Man'
The British trio opened the set with "Rubber Band Man, " a track from Prizefighter that features Irish musician Hozier and was co-written by Brandi Carlile. Aaron Dessner joined onstage; in one version of the performance he played electric guitar while Hozier emerged from side stage to sing his guest parts. Hozier’s appearance was his first major outing since wrapping the Unreal Unearth tour in October 2025.
Sierra Ferrell and Aaron Dessner join for 'Here'
For their second number, the band played "Here, " the opening track of Prizefighter. Chris Stapleton sings on the studio version of the song; on the SNL performance Dessner and Sierra Ferrell joined Mumford & Sons, with Ferrell covering Stapleton’s part onstage.
Band members, sketches and a secret warm-up show
Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane also appeared in an office-themed sketch during the episode and performed a short, acoustic snippet of "Unchained Melody. " The group’s touring lineup for the evening included Matt Menefee, Ryan Richter, James McAlister, Darius Christian, Lessie Conner, Kylie Resnick and Rob Moose alongside the core trio.
The band rehearsed the 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.
Comments on Prizefighter and the band’s recent changes
Marcus Mumford, 39, described Prizefighter as his favorite of the group’s albums, calling it the "straightest talking record" and saying it felt closest to the essence of who they are; he said it showed the band feeling comfortable enough in their skin to "talk straight. " Co-founder Ted Dwane, 41, praised Aaron Dessner’s production, saying, "Dessner, he just feels like a real ally, " and noting that the band had been fans of The National and first worked with Dessner while preparing their third record, Wilder Mind.
Prizefighter arrived less than a year after Rushmere, which was released last March and was the group’s first album as a trio following the departure of guitarist and banjoist Winston Marshall, who left in part over political differences with his bandmates.
Host, monologue cameos and a coinciding show
The SNL episode was hosted by Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie, his first time as host. Storrie’s monologue featured cameos from U. S. Olympic hockey gold medalists Jack Hughes and Quinn Hughes from the men's team and Hilary Knight and Megan Keller from the women's team. Knight said, "It was gonna be just [the women], but we thought we'd invite the guys too, " referencing a recent controversy when Donald Trump undermined the women's hockey team during a congratulatory call to the men's team. The women's team declined an invite to this week’s State of the Union on the grounds of travel schedule, and were instead invited to a party with Flavor Flav in Las Vegas. Coincidentally, Chris Stapleton was performing about two hours away in Uncasville, Conn., on the same night.
Tour dates and what’s next
Fresh off a top 10 debut for Prizefighter on Glassnote, mumford and sons are scheduled to tour Australia and New Zealand in April before hitting North America in June and then Europe. The band is set to begin an extensive world tour on April 24 in Melbourne and will be back in the United States through October to headline Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville, Kentucky.
Recovery and promotional work around the Prizefighter release will continue with those tour dates and festival appearances on the calendar.
