Speaking to NME recently, Mumford explained how the process of writing the imminent new record has changed him as a songwriter.
"Neil Young sat me down about 10 years ago and told me the importance of recorded music," the musician explained, "and that I should pay more attention to the way in which we record because I was always [like], 'Ah, it's just an advert for a live show.' He was like, 'No man, these things last.'"
Mumford continued: "I felt like on this record, I listened to that [advice]. I paid closer attention to the way it sounded than anything I'd ever done before."
The singer-songwriter also spoke to NME about the experience of participating in jam sessions at Joni Mitchell's house.
"I played 'My Funny Valentine' for her, and Chaka Khan was there and at the end, I fucked up one of the lyrics," Mumford recalled. "Chaka leans down to Joni in a stage whisper and she goes [shouting], 'He really fucked that up! Do you want me to do it?!', which was hilarious.
"It was just magical. Joni actually said to me, 'Your instincts are good, you should just play', when I was worried about a song. I was like, 'Well, that's a tattoo I've gotta get! Joni Mitchell says I have good instincts.' It was just so sweet."
In a four-star review of '(self-titled)', NME hailed the record as "Mumford's most crafted studio recording to date; this album is a career-best for the musician".
