Mumford and Sons’ Marcus Mumford Is Working on a Hip-Hop Project With Producer 88-Keys

Mumford and Sons are gearing up for the release of their third album, Wilder Mind, next month, but it’s not the only thing frontman Marcus Mumford has up his sleeve. He’s also working with rapper and producer 88-Keys on a new hip-hop project.

“I’ve been getting into [hip hop] again recently,” Mumford told NME. “I’ve been hanging out with an amazing guy called 88-Keys to learn how to chop up beats. That’s really fun for me.”

“I don’t really care about how [Mumford and Sons are] seen right now, because I think the story of this band will be a long one,” he continued. “People are always going to say stuff in the moment, but I hope that the arc of the band will be interesting.”

88-Keys has previously worked with both Kanye West and Jay Z on "No Church in the Wild," which appeared on the rappers' collaborative album, Watch the Throne, back in 2011. Mumford recently called West “the only rock star left.”

Mumford and Sons’ Wilder Mind will arrive in stores on May 4 following 2012's Babel. After its arrival, the English folk-rockers will embark on a North American tour that kicks off on June 2 in Brooklyn. Check out a list of their upcoming dates here.