Marcus Mumford shares what it was like hosting Taylor Swift as she finished recording her critically acclaimed 2020 album at his home studio in Britain
During the recent episode of the Table manners podcast, the Mumford & Sons frontman, 38, recalled receiving a call from producer Aaron Dessner, who asked if he had a “discreet” recording space available.
“I thought, ‘Cool. Well, if it’s one of your friends, I’m sure it’ll be fine. What if it’s Beyoncé or something?'” Mumford said. “And it was Taylor Swift.”
Mumford went on to describe Swift, 35, as “the most phenomenal house guest.” He joked about cooking for her, saying, “I burned a lot of vegetables for her, and she actually brought a great candle.”
When podcast co-host Jessie Ware responded, “I bet she damn did,” Mumford laughed and added, “She did. Her candle playing was excellent. And she finished the second half of Forever in our studio.”
The collaboration didn’t end there: Swift invited Mumford to contribute background vocals to her song “Cowboy Like Me,” a ballad about two con artists who unexpectedly fall in love.
“And then she asked me to sing along and I said ‘yes,’” he recalls.
Their creative partnership carried over to the stage when Mumford joined Swift for a surprise acoustic duet of “cowboy like me” during her Eras Tour show in Las Vegas on March 25, 2023.
Dessner, 49, who is also a member of The National, has worked extensively with both artists – producing Swift’s folklore and evermore albums, as well as Mumford & Sons’ 2015 project Wilder Mind.
He recently produced the band’s single Rubber band manof Hozierfrom their upcoming 2026 album Prizefighter.
