It has been a whole ten years since four boys from London, England banded together to create what would become a huge influence on our favourite instrument. Whether you love them or not, Mumford & Sons have undoutedly done for the banjo what the "Hunger Games" movies have done for archery by introducing it to a whole new audience and with it, a surge in popularity.
"Sigh No More", the bands debut album was a huge success. Indeed, I was myself preparing to move from the UK to start a new life in Southern California and was surprized to hear the amount of radio play they were getting.
The banjo was noticably absent from their 3rd studio album, Wilder Mind. However, the folk rock foursome in a recent interview with UK newspaper The Independent declared that "The Banjo Is Back", having graced the stage in support of U2 among others.
For many, the banjo never went away. Scott Avett has made his banjos a mainstay of the Avett Brothers signature, melodic harmony infused songwriting. For others, like up and coming star Elle King, the banjo has become an extenstion of her sound. Elle will be the first to tell you that she is not the most proficient player in the world, but like any artist, she simply uses it as yet another brush to add to the pallette of already vibrant colors that surround her.
On the other side of the country, punk rockers Drop Kick Murphy's Jeff Da Rosa continues to add the celtic flare to thier raukus rock n'roll live shows in all corners of the globe.
In the meantime,