Marcus Mumford says he is ‘thrilled’ his band’s song is used in anti-Ice videos
Officers have come under strong criticism over their aggressive approach.
Mumford And Sons’ Marcus Mumford has said he is “thrilled” that his band’s song White Blank Page is being used in anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) protest videos.
The 39-year-old’s comments come after Ice officers have been sent to US cities as part of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation initiative, most notably in Minnesota, where about 2,000 federal agents have been deployed.
Officers have come under strong criticism over their aggressive approach. Most recently, Ice agents fatally shot two people on the streets of Minneapolis: Renee Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti on January 24.
Mumford told Big Issue: “One of our songs, White Blank Page, has been used a bit by some anti-Ice protest videos, which I’m thrilled about.
“I cried watching the news yesterday after what looked like the execution of Alex Pretti. As a band that’s spent a lot of time in America, we’re really concerned about what we see.
“I think it’s an absolute disgrace what Ice is doing in the States and not reflective of what we know to be the values of most Americans we’ve ever come across.
“And we’ve travelled America more than most of my American friends ever have. We just see the value of the humans that we meet there, across the board.”
It comes after pop stars such as Billie Eilish, Olivia Dean and Bad Bunny used their speeches at this year’s Grammy Awards to condemn Ice, while Bad Bunny used his Super Bowl half-time show almost entirely in Spanish in tribute to his Puerto Rican heritage and culture.
Mumford, whose band have recently released their sixth studio album Prizefighter, also spoke about being sober for seven years, which they say has given them a greater sense of professionalism.
The California-born singer explained: “It’s been great. I love it, but I was a f****** legend, sometimes.”
Since forming in the 2000s, Mumford And Sons have gone on to achieve five UK top 40 singles and three number one albums, their best-known songs include Little Lion Man, I Will Wait and Believe.
The full interview with Mumford And Sons can be read in this week’s Big Issue, on sale from street vendors now.
