By DANIELLE GARRAND

ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR

Last Wednesday night, while most college kids were cramming or snoozing, I was at The Barclay Center in Brooklyn watching Mumford and Sons perform their British hearts out.

Every few years, there is that band that seems to captivate the nation’s attention with a completely new sound and style (Backstreet Boys anyone?). Right now, Mumford is that band and their star is not fading.  The fierce foursome consists of lead singer Marcus Mumford (guitarist, drums, and mandolin), Ben Lovett (vocals, keyboards, accordion, drums), Winston Marshall (vocals, banjo, guitar, resonator guitar) and Ted Dwayne (vocals, string bass, drums, guitar).

The now world-famous group formed in West London during 2007 and recorded their EP Love Your Ground. The band performed in small venues, gradually building up a devoted fan base until the release of their first full album Sigh No More in 2009 in the UK (2010 in the US). They were an overnight success, topping the Irish charts as number one, the UK charts at number two and even made the US’s top Billboard 200. By 2010, everyone knew the folk rock group. After making the leap across the pond to the US, Mumford was nominated for two Grammy awards in 2010 and performed at the ceremony.

The success of their first album is due, in large part, to their mass appeal as well as their intellectual song lyrics. The title of the album, Sigh No More, isn’t just a strange sounding phrase; the saying is from William Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing. In an interview, Mumford joked, “You can rip off Shakespeare all you like; no lawyer’s going to call you up on that one.” Many other songs on the album include references from the famous dramaturge, as well as lines from The Odyssey and Plato’s well-known work The Cave. Their intellectual lyrics prove that these Brits are more than just pretty faces; they are true artists.

In 2011, the boys began an exciting adventure called The Railroad Revival Tour with artists Old Crowe Medical Show and Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes. During the one-week tour, inspired by The Festival Express tour across Canada in the ‘70s that included such greats as The Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin, the bands traveled exclusively in vintage railroad cars and performed only in outdoor locations.

Mumford’s biggest year thus has far has been, without a doubt, 2012. In September of last year, their second album Babel was released. The twelve-song CD with the lead single “I Will Wait,” was the fastest selling album in both the UK and the US; in its first week, it sold 158,000 copies in the UK and 600,000 copies in the U.S. The band officially reached mega-star status when it sold one million copies worldwide.

Currently, the band is on their 2013 tour “Gentlemen of The Road” across the United States. If you have a chance, or a spare $60 dollars, they are definitely worth the trip. Without revealing too much, their concerts are truly one of a kind. The band’s energy, combined with thousands of devoted fans, makes for an exceptional experience. Although the entire concert was remarkable, one specific instance took the cake. About two hours into the show, the four guys trotted off the large stage, through a thin aisle separating them from screaming fans, and onto a stage in the middle of The Barclay Center. In all honesty, the small stage was no larger than the size of a college dorm room. They proceeded to sing a few songs Acapella while the entire audience of fans was dead silent. The moment was breathtaking.

This past week, the band interrupted its tour by taking a little trip to the Grammy Awards. They took the Grammys by storm, earning one of the most coveted awards for Babel: Album of the Year. In addition, the boys won Best Long Form Music Video.

Even though these modern and folky Beatles have hit the jackpot, they are not slowing down. Lead singer Marcus Mumford stated in December that they have already begun recording their new album, which includes electric guitars and synthesizers.

There’s no telling what Mumford and Son’s will accomplish next, but one thing is for sure; their star isn’t dimming anytime soon.