Mumford aesthetic 90's/00s

August 4, 2022 7:04 AM

This is actually a fashion/costume question more than a music question. A costume designer colleague is looking for suggestions for bands from the 90s / early 00s with a Mumford & Sons / Edward Sharpe vibe -- this is for visual inspiration for a project. Ideally an indie-folk-rock / celtic group, but the exact sound doesn't matter as much. Could be USA-sian, Canadian, English, Irish (or elsewhere.) Any suggestions welcome.
posted by profreader to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (8 answers total)

Best answer: Will Oldham circa Master and Everyone, Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire, Squirrel Nut Zippers
posted by Ardnamurchan at 7:11 AM on August 4, 2022 [2 favorites]

Best answer: There was a movie called Big Easy Express about Mumford, Sharpe, and Old Crow Medicine Show traveling by train for some concerts. You could get lots of design inspiration from that. Movie scenes show both casual 'hillbilly hippy' and formal concert wear.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:28 AM on August 4, 2022 [3 favorites]

Best answer: The Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men were certainly putting out that kind of twee Mumfordesque indie-folk-pop around the same time. In the US, you had bands like Fleet Foxes and My Morning Jacket, who were both a bit more Laurel Canyon in direction, but were around at the same time and probably had an overlapping audience.
posted by pipeski at 7:55 AM on August 4, 2022 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Tindersticks were active in the 90s and 00s and had a similar visual aesthetic to Mumford and Sons when they were wearing their more formal style. Rusted Root kinda matches their more casual style (and lines up with Sharpe). Same with Wilco.

Mumford and Sons were basically aping a lot of bluegrass and Americana so there's tons of bands in those genres with similar looks. Allison Krauss's band Union Station comes to immediate mind. Old Crow Medicine Show, Avvett Brothers, Newgrass Revival..

Edward Sharpe was similarly often considered to be jumping on the jam band aesthetic with an extra dash of hippy thrown in. So maybe Gov't Mule, Donna the Buffalo, Blues Traveler, Joan Osborn, some of the Lilith Fair bands, particularly countryish ones like Patty Griffin.
posted by Candleman at 9:30 AM on August 4, 2022 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Maybe The Lone Bellow? Do a Google image search for them.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:58 AM on August 4, 2022

Best answer: Mumford's own Hopeless Wanderer video, which lovingly uses comedians (including Ted Lasso!) as doppelgangers for the band, certainly captures the aesthetic well.
posted by hessie at 10:16 AM on August 4, 2022

Best answer: The Cave Singers
The Decemberists
Bowerbirds
The Builders and the Butchers
Dawes (a little late chronologically but the style is there)
The Lumineers
posted by assenav at 11:37 AM on August 4, 2022

Best answer: Came to suggest Cave Singers. That first album is a masterpiece, but it's a little late.

Perhaps Lift to Experience, which is late 90s. One release, but it's a stunner (2001).
posted by dobbs at 3:20 PM on August 4, 2022